Miami Spice

Miami Spice 2022: Mega WOW FACTOR at Sexy Fish!

September 2, 2022 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

What an introduction to Miami Spice 2022…The minute you step into Sexy Fish, you’re immediately hit by the mega WOW FACTOR! The sensory overload starts with a few humungous sea creatures so you feel like you’re inside an aquarium and museum like fantasy, definitely worth a visit just for this thrilling experience. Do not miss this fabulous opportunity during Miami Spice Lunch. If you’re an Asian food lover, I’ve put together a list of 29 Asian restaurants to explore.

Brainchild of Richard Caring, London businessman and restauranteur, he opened the first Sexy Fish in London’s affluent Mayfair drawing stylish crowds and celebrities. He’s brought his unique vision to Miami, currently the only outpost in America, and we are always ready for over the top design, exotic entertainment and Asian food.

About the food & service…

Exotic Asian seafood centric and robata grilled meats are their main focus. Their description, “full of carefree character and adventurous spirit” is so accurate!

Miami Spice menu is only available for Lunch, Monday to Friday from 12-3:30pm.

Choose 3 dishes out of 16 and if you skip the dessert, you can opt for a 4th savory. I was definitely in for that. I went with top Miami food blogger, Karen Miami Curated so we shared all the small plates. This is a lovely way to try many different flavors and textures. Ha, ha, my own fault for not keeping tabs, I was missing my fourth dish, the Salmon Tataki, phooey.

**Grilled** **Tiger Prawns with Chili, Lime was my favorite, oozing with flavor and so tender.**

**Crispy Tofu with avocado, another favorite.**

There were 4 extra dishes at additional costs. Figure out what you want before going, it’s bam bam bam cause they are so busy. Here’s Sexy Fish’s Spice Menu.

**Spice Lunch Menu, only Monday through Friday**

**Kimchi Fried Rice & Pork, Crispy Chicken & Creamy Nuoc Cham, Steamed Sea Bass with cilantro, chili**

**Warm Cinnamon Donuts with chocolate & exotic curd**

**Our server, Jonathan was well trained, he rattled off the names of the sculptor, architect and designer and proud to wear his Versace vest.**

About the decor…

Wrap this WOW FACTOR round your head…$20 million’s worth of Damien Hirst seaworld sculptures, 90 year old Frank Gehry’s over the top architecture and Versace colorful aqua costumes for all staff. Even their bathrooms are eye candy and a must visit, so bring your phone to capture some. They are located upstairs, there’s a lady who’ll help take photos for a tip.

**Front of House staff all decked out!**

**Bathrooms are eye candy, so bring your phone!**

**Gotta take photo with Bond Daniel Craig!**

About the bar…

Good luck getting a seat there, seemed very popular and of course, look up for extravagant sea creature sculptures. Check out their drinks menu online, I believe there are very exotic concoctions.

It’s definitely an experience you won’t want to miss and Miami Spice is the perfect opportunity to do that. Remember only weekday lunch till end of September! Here’s that list of 29 Asian restaurants for you to try.

ENJOY.

Drop a comment, I’d love to hear what you’ve tried at Sexy Fish and what dishes you enjoyed?

Novikov Miami Spice Excites Your Palate

August 10, 2018 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Alright, so now we have a Russian opening a Chinese, Japanese restaurant in Miami that’s world famous, love it, bring it ON, Novikov Miami! I didn’t get a chance to meet owner, Arkadiy Novikov but hope to one day soon. I want to get into his head what his thoughts were with his restaurant concept and to date have 50 concept businesses around the world. I find out he graduated as a chef and into environmentally friendly products. I like that.

**WA WA:** Shrimp Cilantro Dumplings, Saffron Sweet Corn Dumplings set our palates tingling, wow! Good wrappers are an indication of what’s inside. You could taste flavors of each ingredient, how did they do that? Definitely order these as your appetizers.

So, I think he’s onto something. But to do it with flair and style and to succeed worldwide is another story and Novikov is on the right path.

Their London outpost attracts celebrities and such and so will Miami I’m sure but it doesn’t detract from the fact they serve excellent quality Chinese Banquet style food. It’s very rare to find that any more, so we are lucky we get to experience it. So, don’t wait too long to visit.

About the decor…
Theatrical, whimsical comes to mind! As you enter, a beautiful sculpture with colorful swirls, twirls and red flowers immediately sets the ambience of the space! Don’t just go and sit at your table, stroll around to see EVERYTHING.

The designers did a fantastic job, the artwork and colors are right up my alley. Red is dotted throughout, it’s not only my favorite color but it represents prosperity, good luck, happiness, good health in the Eastern philosophy.

My favorite areas are of course the line up of fresh produce and fish with yes, you guessed it, RED backdrop! Red makes the impeccably arranged vegetables and fish stand out, both are for sale. His concept was to resemble Asian markets and in this case, a very upscale one. I miss fresh markets terribly, I used to adore going food shopping with my mom. What a nice touch, there’s nothing like the aromas and freshness with the display of vegetables and fish.

Their stainless steel kitchen is immaculate, tidy and very organized. Don’t miss the hanging Peking Ducks, they were the highlight of my lunch!

Look up, those lampshades remind me of Asian hats, with different shapes and configurations. Bright purple and white orchids make this humungous space a lot more cozy.

There’s also a very zen sushi bar with a magnificent wood table and red accent cushioned chairs. Red banquettes are along the back wall with an area for private dining for 12 but I didn’t see it.

About the food…
I was invited to preview their Miami Spice Lunch menu, so it was perfect to have my friend from Miami Drink Scene join me so we could have more variety. My explanations are in the captions of each photo, so enjoy! I marked WA (Wok Star Approved) on ones I liked some with double WA, ha, ha.

About the cocktails and sakes…
What a gorgeous bar area with lit up counters. Fancy cocktails are the in thing and they definitely made some exotic ones like their signature Wasabi and Lychee Martinis and Apricot Margarita. I love their display with Sakes encased in a glassed area which means they must be very premium, exclusive ones.

About the service…
As I asked our server, Eduardo about certain dishes, his explanations were so detailed I asked if he was a chef? Of course he was, so interesting that he is now a server. He had a lovely personality and smile which I think is so important. If you’re going to have a complete experience at an upscale, elegant restaurant like Novikov, a server can elevate your experience no end. And their charming General Manager, Alex Manuel circled back several times to make sure we were taken care of.

I definitely want to return and try their a la carte menu and already know a few dishes I want to try! Share your experience in the comments, what dishes spiked your fancy?

Whimsical, colorful sculpture wows as you enter!

Theatrical main dining area with Asian looking hat lampshades.

Delighted with pickles as we sat down. Pickles were traditional at good restaurants in Asia, helps to open your appetite.

**WA:** Dim Sum appetizers of Shrimp Cilantro Dumplings, Saffron Sweet Corn Dumplings set our palates tingling, wow! Good wrappers are an indication of what’s inside. You could taste flavors of each ingredient, how did they do that? Definitely order these as your appetizers.

I know nothing about drinks but this looks fully loaded and the bartenders make exotic cocktails!

I love the modern Asian decor. Red is my favorite color and it was dotted throughout, good job!

Beautiful presentation this Wok Salmon with Black Bean Sauce. **WA:** Robata Hangar Steak was melt in your mouth and perfectly grilled.

Very zen looking Sushi Bar, we didn’t experience any sushi this time.

Stocked with Sakes, beautifully displayed.

Loved the red backdrop for fresh fish display, didn’t realize they were for sale.

Just realized fresh produce were for sale too! This display with vegetables and the platters below is so beautiful, I could stare at this all day.

**WA WA:** The highlight for me was their Crispy Peking Duck! At first I was like, don’t mess with my Peking Duck. Never before have I had Peking Duck with a crispy crust but still tender. The contrast was exquisite. The San Pei Chicken with Aged Soy Sauce came in a cute clay pot.

What an end to our **Miami Spice Lunch**…Umeshu Black Forest and Key Lime Tapioca paired with Lychee Martini. They were very light as it turns out, whew.

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of their very neat and tidy kitchen with the Robata Grill. Our server, Eduardo who is a chef explained there are 3 levels of heat. No wonder our hangar steak was so tender.

You can’t leave without taking a peek at those hanging Peking Ducks.

Note: Full disclosure, I was invited to a media preview for Miami Spice Lunch Menu but doesn’t sway my judgement. I try to be as honest as I can.