'restaurant review'

Good Chinese Food in Miami at No Name Chinese

May 31, 2018 By Eleanor Hoh 2 Comments

Starved for good Chinese food in Miami? Starve no more, welcome No Name Chinese. Opened by Asian food lovers, business partners of Uvaggio Bar & Restaurant fame, Heath Porter and Craig DeWald and helmed by Executive Chef Pablo Zitzmann Sicard and his wife and pastry chef, Natalia Atuesta. Be prepared for a refreshing take using Chinese techniques with a modern twist borrowing from Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.

Please don’t miss my guest post on Miami Curated for another perspective of No Name Chinese especially if you enjoy good wines, hint, there’s a video!

About the decor…
You’ve guessed it, No Name Chinese not only has no name but doesn’t have a sign at their entrance. However, when you enter, you’re immediately struck by the serene ambience. It’s bright and zen with wood floors and exposed brick walls with little decoration so you focus on the food, smart! They succeeded in creating a feeling that you’re here to EAT!

For food lovers: a huge, gorgeous marble counter with blue velvet high chairs gives you front row seat to gawk at chefs chasing high flames while they wok up tantalizing dishes.

An intimate corner flanked by a beautiful fig plant and tile mural showcasing Chinese junks and pagodas. Opposite the counter is a wall lined yellow leather banquette with mirrors above so you can catch the wok chefs in action, neato.

The main dining area has floor to ceiling glass panes with modern wood chairs and industrial looking tables.

The rear bar lounge is a lovely cozy space with green velvet high chairs and a smaller dining area.

About the Food…
No Name Chinese clearly has my vote, hats off to Chef Pablo who’s worked with Michelle Bernstein, Nobu and Jean-George Vongerighten as well as worked in Asia and Japan, learning many of the techniques he’s put into practice at No Name Chinese. I’m all for non-Asian chefs putting their twists on Asian flavors and techniques. It reflects the way I teach which is to base your dishes on technique and driven by ingredients rather than following recipes.

You’ll notice he adds seasonal fruit and citrus components to many of his dishes which is a very refreshing element instead of goopy sauces that you find in many Chinese restaurants.

His small menus for lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch showcase popular Asian dishes. I’d rather have less choice and GOOD food, rather than a bunch of bad food. I got a chance to chat with Chef Pablo to find out his cooking style and his love of music. If you enjoy this video, give it a thumbs UP and subscribe to my Youtube channel to get notifications of new videos!…

There are still so many dishes to try at No Name Chinese like Salt & Pepper Shrimp or Angus “au poivre.” For Brunch, I spy Braised Brisket in Beef Broth topped with a slow poached egg and Cajun seasoning I’m dreaming about.

PLAN OF ATTACK…
When eating at Chinese restaurants, you must have a Plan of Attack…

Gather as many family and friends so you can share “family style” instead of just ordering your own dish, this way you get to experience a variety of flavors.
Check menu and discuss with your server who is happy to guide you with how many dishes you’ll need. Try a dish from each section of the menu from Fresh & Light to Bowl if you love carbs or Sung for low carb but you MUST have DIM SUM because that’s Pablo’s specialty. Forget low carb for this visit.
Busy and need to get back to work? Have the Sum Sum Box!

After visiting four times with friends, I have a pretty good handle of my favorites and will mark it
WA (WokStar Approved) in photo captions.

I met Cheryl Tiu on Instagram @chertiu She is an international lifestyle, food and drink journalist and fellow Asian food lover.We both love promoting Asian Cuisine and Culture. She uses @cross.cultures an “events platform promoting the exchange of cultures through food!” and I do it through Wok Star Supper Club! I gather people and visit good Asian fusion restaurants, so if you’re interested, subscribe to my newsletter in right sidebar. I hope to visit No Name Chinese this fall, these gatherings get filled up and I give first dibs to subscribers. —->>

Here’s my foodie buddy, Brenda Benoit Dudley, on Instagram @masalacha She’s a food writer, an amazing photographer and she calls herself “A Grenadian Soul living in Miami.” We like to visit restaurants and take photos and blog about them! It’s so interesting how we sometimes have totally different perspectives of the same restaurant, so check out her take on No Name Chinese and subscribe to her blog for her latest restaurant hops!
A Few Notes about the food…
Turnip cake
The consistency and flavor is definitely unusual, I am SO SO SURPRISED Americans like this dish. Pablo says it’s one of their most requested dish, beware, only available for dinner. I love that Dim Sum dishes usually only available in Asia during lunch time are also available for dinner at No Name Chinese, very smart.

Turnip cake has a special meaning for me, my mom’s Malaysian spin was to pan fry in the wok with pounded red chillies and scallions with crispy edges and dip in chili sambal and rice vinegar, oh my, so good. Just writing this brings back such fond, fond childhood memories and now I’m going to have to hunt down some to fry!

Smashed Cucumber Salad, Jiaozi and Shiu Mai
I learned how to make these 3 dishes at Pablo’s cooking class in Wynwood, video and blog coming soon! One of my colleagues at the class used the Smashed sauce for steak, who’d have thunk?

Love this article, “What’s the difference between Gyoza and PotStickers”

WA Clockwise: Crudo Yusheng, fish changes daily, interesting to have strawberries with fish but works; Smashed Cucumber Salad, toss for the sesame cream at the bottom; Shrimp Dumplings and Xie & Xia Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Crab, cold buckwheat noodles and an exquisite spicy peanut dressing, make sure you toss well so all the flavors meld together.

WA Turnip Cake, interesting combination of Japanese OKONOMIYAKI STYLE (a savory pancake) and a popular Chinese dim sum called Lo Bak Go. Topped with KATSUOBUSHI (bonito flakes) and Kewpie Mayo, a version of Japanese mayo made with rice vinegar. Only available at dinner time!

WA Mr. Lee’s Jiaozi, named after the dumpling master Pablo learned from in Hawaii. These are substantial dumplings, juicy inside and crispy outside. Fear not, I will share how to make these soon.

WA Grass fed beef with oyster sauce, pickled cucumber, scallions, picked onions, fresh strawberries, red chillies to wrap with Bibb Lettuce or mooshu pancakes. Sarina, the bar manager who’s super efficient, gave us both to try!

Kung Pao Chicken with Szechuan peppercorns,Tianjin chilies, smoked cashews, orange slices garnished with cilantro and scallions. My friend, Brenda ordered it.

Wok Shaken Farm Chinese Eggplant with maple and black bean sauce, crushed nuts and herbs.

Crispy potatoes, special dish Pablo sent over, my friend, Brenda was in heaven!

Duck “a la Hoisin”, Magret duck breast, seasonal fruit (Asian pear), leeks, pickles and cucumber with mooch pancakes, a very interesting combination.

WA Walnut tart got it spot on with the crunchy tart and baby meringue pearls and not too sweet, def order this, I’ve had it twice, so good!

Lisbon: a Foodie Heaven

May 22, 2017 By Eleanor Hoh 6 Comments

For me, food is the main focus of every trip. Last year’s sister reunion in Lisbon was no exception. Traveling with three sisters is tricky. Luckily, we all share a love of good food, thanks to our mom, who in our minds was one of the best cooks ever. Here’s a roundup if you only have 3 days to experience Lisbon, I’ll share in another post some fun stuff to do!

Time Out Mercado de Ribeira is a food hall that’s beyond anything you’ve ever been to! Top left: wow, a tasty piece of fish with just a drizzle of lemon; shrimp in a delicious soupy sauce; composed salad with fried egg and the BEST crispy pork skin EVER from a Tibetan chef at Leitao de Ribeira.

Time Out Mercado da Ribeira
Yes, a food court became one of the highlights of our trip. Every time I suggested trying a new restaurant, my sisters would pipe up, “let’s go back to da Ribeira!”

Mercado da Ribeira was no ordinary food court; it occupied a whole block in an exquisite historic building that had previously been a market. It was within walking distance of our Airbnb in Principe Real. Fresh produce, stunning and exotic flowers and meat booths surround the food court and included a cooking academy as well as booths promoting Portuguese products. Be prepared to spend a couple of hours here.

Time Out, the magazine for where to eat, drink and do curated top Lisbon chefs to participate and they did not disappoint. We experienced gourmet dishes at very affordable prices. You can gauge the popularity of the chefs by the lines formed at their booths. Friday nights and weekends, the Ribeira is standing room only. There was so much to choose from, don’t miss these two standout pork dishes…

Chef Alexandre Silva’s Pork Belly on a bed of pea puree with caramelized Bok Choy and teriyaki sauce was exquisite. Each ingredient on the plate had their own distinctive flavors, yet together, they complemented each other perfectly.

Alexandra Silva
Chef Alexandre Silva was Portugal’s first Top Chef winner and no wonder, his Pork Belly was exquisite. He is famous for recreating well known dishes and putting his own personal spin on them. I try to get my cooking students to do same, let go of their fear and experiment. It was his pork belly that convinced my sisters we HAD to return for another round. I found out later they returned again after I left, little piggies.

Leitao’s crispy skin with the most tender pork is another MUST! How did a Tibetan chef end up in Lisbon?

Leitao de Ribeira
The Tibetan chef shared his secret for getting the skin crispy! “Separate the skin from the flesh” he advised. Well, it worked. We didn’t even care what the flesh was like under that crispy skin, we just wanted the skin. The flesh as it turned out was extremely tender, oozing with aromatic flavors with hints of orange, reminding us of luscious street food in Asia except 6 times better. It was not a cheap dish and the chef could see we were drooling and cut us a deal, giving us a 4th portion, thank you chef.

Portuguese almond cake was so similar to a Malaysian sugee cake my mom used to make! We loved the crunchy texture at the top with a mushy bottom.

A few other superb restaurants we tried…

Bairro de Avillez
What a superb gastronomic foodie heaven by talented Chef Jose Avillez, I can hardly believe this was a build out of a private home because it’s VAST! Inside was a Mercearia, a gourmet store with every imaginable cheese and charcuterie, you can order to take home or eat there. It’s in the Chiado area, a shopper’s delight, again walking distance from our airbnb. Take a peek at the menu and start drooling.

Bairro de Avillez, brainchild of Jose Avillez has multiple spaces for you to enjoy his creations. This is the Pateo with vaulted ceilings and hanging plants. We didn’t even bother viewing their menu and prices but told it was difficult to score a table.

Bairro de Avillez Taberna is at the front and in my opinion, the most fun area to be! Left to right: Tuna steak with herb sauce and pine nuts with grilled Portuguese polenta; Octopus with garlic, kimchi sauce with sweet potato; Aged beef loin steak with smoked garlic cream and Taberna’s french fries, OMG!

Taberna at the front is the most fun! You’re right in the thick of the action where you can watch chefs cook and prepare your dishes, the bartender shake up cocktails and view nonstop streams of foodies entering. Go EARLY, otherwise a long wait and there are no reservations for Taberna.

Chocolate cake, similar to lava cake but 10 times better!

Taberna’s menu, looks like we had these many dishes, wow!

Decadente restaurant, top clockwise: Sauteed prawns with homemade hot sauce and garlic; smoked salmon with figs and smoked bacalhau with arugula.

Decadente
Inside The Independente Hostel downstairs, but it’s a very hip, cool space. Great place to stop for lunch after walking around this area.

Insolito Restaurant Bar & Grill
Housed upstairs inside The Independente Hostel and the first restaurant we hit the night we arrived in Lisbon. It was literally on the street above our airbnb, right on the main drag and across from Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. A park with fountains and an upper and lower viewing areas. Go EARLY to see sunset and then hop across. Insolito means “unusual” and why we loved it so. The decor, the food was really a feast for your eyes. The menu was very innovative and the presentation was extraordinary. Unfortunately, my photos got lost in the cloud!

I’d love to hear your favorite places to eat in Lisbon!

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.

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