"Miami restaurant"

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?

Finka Table and Tap, best Cuban, Korean, Peruvian Fusion

April 18, 2017 By Eleanor Hoh 4 Comments

Expect the unexpected when you visit Finka Table and Tap, a Cuban, Korean, Peruvian Fusion gastropub, inside a brick building that previously housed KFC. A 260 seater that would make any chef/owner run a mile but not pint sized Chef Eileen Andrade. She’s a little firecracker with enough energy to shoot off a rocket!

Chef Eileen Andrade and Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

I love the many ways the restaurant is divided into areas. It’s not just one vast space, so it gives a cozy ambience. The vintage, rustic, shabby chic decor make you feel as if you’re in a dining room of a house and not a restaurant. Something for everyone and that goes for the menu.

2 bars for unique cocktails and craft beer that change daily

Cozy semi-circular banquette for intimate gatherings

However, Eileen’s personal decor style is just the opposite. Very zen, industrial and modern at her home and you’ll never guess, it’s an igloo, how cute is that. She was featured in a ‘behind the scenes’ article by The Kitchn, my go to site for cooking. Eileen’s background was in fashion, often, you’ll see her wearing spiffy black outfits with stylish hairdos and makeup. And she’s tiny like me, I didn’t realize how tiny till we took a photo together. I’m so glad Eileen has found her own niche. It all started when she fell in love with Korean food after traveling to Korea and learned to cook from an old Korean lady. Her mentor was a Peruvian chef and when she put all three flavors together, she knew it would work. Of course, only after having her friends be guinea pigs. She started Finka after a stint opening CubanCube, a food truck with her brother, Jon. This beautiful video by Travelspective showcases her philosophy and how Finka came about.

When I met her parents, we immediately struck up a friendship. We come from the same background, they’re from Cuba and I’m from China, no need to say more. Her mom, Nancy told us how her parents came to America and opened a very successful restaurant 30 years ago, Isla Canarias. There are currently two Isla Canarias which are still going strong, located near Finka. Wow, that was some genius marketing to capture the demographic of people who enjoy Isla. I know foodies who travel 2 hours to get their fill of her Cuban, Korean, Peruvian Fusion dishes. You just have to see the stack of meal tickets on Instagram every night to understand Finka’s popularity. Her menu is clever, she covers a wide spectrum of dishes from flatbreads, wok dishes to lighter fare and lots of vegetarian options as well as the more unusual Ostrich or Bison and what about a Cuban Bibimbap!

I love Eileen’s concept, I enjoy a good mashup and it’s how I cook and encourage Wok Stars to do same. I would rather have people cook good food with a mix of ethnic flavors than mediocre traditional dishes. I discovered how much Latinos and Hispanics love Asian flavors when I started giving cooking classes in Miami, they even know how to say “si yow,” Chinese for soy sauce.

Rock on Eileen!

Korean style Brussel Sprouts with bacon topped with crispy wonton strips. My hubby’s favorite, he’s a sucker for sprouts. These were crunchy and the flavors were magical.

Duroc Pork Belly were crispy and juicy with sriracha glaze, served in this adorable cast iron cauldron.

Fried Alligator Jalea, Aji Amarillo, Salsa Criolla. I would prefer this to be dry, the salsa made the alligator wet, just my personal preference. It was tender though and an interesting flavor.

KFC: Korean Fried Chicken, covered in a fiery blend of Gochujang and a sweet chili sauce, very tender and yummy. Watch Eileen make it on FoodableTV’s video here.

Cuban Fried Rice: shrimp, maduros, pineapple, red peppers, cilantro aioli, fried egg, scallions. Now I know why Hispanics and Latinos love fried rice!

Non-stop stream of people arrive on a Saturday night! Good luck getting in.

Note: my dinner was complimentary but doesn’t sway my judgement.

Hakkasan, Only At Fall Menu

November 9, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Visualize an angled crispy noodle nest spilling out with Crispy Beef Tenderloin that’s battered and so tender, you only need to pop it in your mouth without even chewing. This enchanting dish was a crowd pleaser and part of a collection of 8 small bites, main dishes and dessert with cocktail pairings from the Only At Fontainebleau Menu. This Fall Menu was launched to celebrate Hakkasan’s 15th anniversary with sister restaurants simultaneously showcasing their individual local culture and cuisine at 11 locations globally. Each location will use seasonal ingredients and Hakkasan’s signature modern approach to traditional Cantonese cuisine. The Only At Menu will change twice a year and judging from this tasting, I can’t wait to see what they’ll offer for the next one.

Crispy Beef Tenderloin spilling out of angled noodle nest was quite the crowd pleaser! Photos: Eleanor Hoh

I was honored to be invited to a media tasting to experience this luscious Chinese banquet style cuisine which I miss so much now I live in the US. If you’re lucky enough to experience dining at Hakkasan, this is a food experience that will elevate your perception of Chinese food. I was so pleased to read Wall Street Journal’s article, “Chinese Food in New Translations” and how chefs are putting their takes on one of the most complex cuisines and not pandering to American palates. I think Hakkasan succeeds in both.
Chef de Cuisine Jian Heng Loo put his spin on a traditional Stir Fry French Beans usually made with dried shrimp but he used preserved olives so it’s vegetarian, how thoughtful and still gives that umami flavor. His artistry extends beyond food, his playful use of two noodle nests and lobster shell to present his dishes engage and entice you before you even taste the dish. Seafood was featured in 4 dishes and I’m thrilled because Asians excel in preparing them. To top it all, Hakkasan’s mixologist paired each course with cocktails like Serpent’s Tongue and Old Cuban.
As if 8 dishes weren’t enough, we ended with a very creative dessert which was very light even though there was cream involved! Do not take your eyes off the Chocolate Raspberry Sphere in this video.
My Chinese New Year was hosted by Hakkasan and they put on a scrumptious 13 item Yum Cha (dim sum with tea) that we still talk about a year later. You can read about it here.

"Miami restaurant"

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