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| Per the Cannon S95, it's always sunny in Miami... |
The other weekend, my wonderful job forced me down south to one of the greatest party capitals of the world. Miami was in the air, and, in between interviews, I found time to waft in it.
My co-worker and I decided to head out to this wonderful restaurant called Ola Miami, which houses chef Douglas Rodriguez
. He's practically one of the greats of our time on ceviche (his book is called the Great Ceviche Book), which is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt, and pepper may also be added. Ceviche is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavors such as sweet potato, lettuce, corn, or avocado.
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| Hamachi Nikkei |
For an appetizer, we commenced with the Hamachi (yellow tail) Nikkei, made with yuzu, thai basil, togarashi peppers, cilantro, sweet soy glaze, crushed seaweed and sesame seeds. The hamachi was nothing short of amazing. It had a deep and robust taste that just continued for a layered effect. My partner in-crime said that the taste reminder her of Puerto Rico because of the citrus. The ever clever Chef Rodriguez used parsley to simulate the tropical tastes. Then basil ensued. It really was a journey.
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| It was really nice to be in the winter and be able to enjoy a meal outside near the seashore... |
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| My partner's drank. Ladies, ya'll would have loved this rendition of a mojito. I believe it had pomegranate juice in it. |
On the menu appeared the plantain-crusted Mahi, crusted with green plantain over a braised oxtail stew and tomato escabeche. She had never had oxtail and, as the son of Ghanain parents, I grew up on that 'ish. I immediately suggested that she copped that. Peep the transition:
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| Before |
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| After. |
I decided to keep my streak of only eating fish and got the Pescado A Lo Macho - salmon served over sautéed baby spinach, grilled red onions with aji Amarillo sauce, clams, calamari, shrimp and black mussels. Food was light and fresh, just the way I like it.
Postres:
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| Flan de Queso Ice Cream |
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"Da Bomb" |
After this 3 course meal, we were sufficiently stuffed. Then we headed over the bar for drinks
Then we hopped over to the Delano Hotel for drinks. If you are EVER in Miami, the Delano is a MUST HIT spot on Saturdays (The next night, I actually played this random dude in a game of chess on a life-sized chessboard and whooped him while sippin on a Captain and Coke).
The bar was pretty cool, so, in between ordering a Ciroc and sprite, I decided to big up my fraternity....
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| Yo... |
Overall, I left with a deep appreciation and the utmost respect for Miami. Until the next time....
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| Maven Out! |
