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Home / Posts Tagged "new restaurant miami"

9:31 am
Restaurant Features
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The Restaurant_Courtyard

Just a few weeks ago, the award-winning Setai Hotel debuted Jaya {2001 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 855.923.7899}, a brand-new restaurant concept by Executive Chef Mathias Gervais of “Chopped” fame. Taking the place of what was previously The Restaurant at The Setai, Jaya introduces an entirely new approach to Asian cuisine. DiningOut had the opportunity to dine at the revamped restaurant, and we couldn’t have been more impressed by the quality of food and service.

The Restaurant at setai jaya

Chef Gervais, along with Executive Sous Chef Vijayudu “Vijay” Veena, have collaborated to create a mouthwatering menu full of authentic dishes from Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and India, all served family-style. The menu is comprehensive, but not intimidating, and our server guided us with some stellar recommendations.

We started off the evening with drinks from the specialty cocktail menu: the Cucumber Martini and the Setai Cosmo, both equally delicious! For appetizers, we tried the Shrimp Maki, an avocado-wrapped roll with shrimp, puffed rice, salmon roe, and blood orange; and the Wagyu Tataki, with leeks, pickled daikon, and crispy garlic wrapped in the beef sausage-style. And, of course, we couldn’t pass on beginning with the famous Naan Bread, a simple yet flavorful Setai staple that stole the show.

jaya at the setai

Shrimp Maki

We continued the meal with the Peking Duck (also a longtime Setai menu favorite), served with steamed pancakes (to make your own wrap) and a deliciously sweet plum sauce, and the Hanger Steak Ssam, which was served with red kimchee, ginger, scallions, mint, and lettuce with a green chile relish. Everything that we tried was cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor.

jaya at the seat

Hanger Steak Ssam and Peking Duck

Of course, no meal is complete without dessert. We opted for the sampler, which came with four equally impressive bite-sized treats.

image19

Jaya, which means “victory” in Sanskrit, was chosen to honor The Setai’s distinguished interior designer, Jaya Ibrahim, who recently passed away. The concept is part of the hotel’s culinary re-launch, as it celebrates a decade of unmatched success in Miami Beach and luxurious Asian hospitality. While the name, menu, and overall concept of the restaurant have certainly changed, you can still expect the same impeccable service, caliber of standout dishes, and the sophisticated yet laid-back ambience for which The Setai is known.

—Sherri Balefsky | Miami Editor

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7:54 am
Restaurant Features
0

Chef Bee Oishi Thai

Piyarat Potha Arreeratn, aka Chef Bee, is no stranger to the kitchen. Growing up in northern Thailand, his parents were farmers, who taught him about growing and preparing his own food. His grandmother was also a cook, who taught him how to make various Thai street foods that she sold at the local market.

Chef Bee eventually made his way to Miami, where he worked up the ranks to ultimately become a sushi chef at Nobu Miami Beach. In 2005, he opened his first restaurant, Oishi Thai {14841 Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami Beach; 305.947.4338} to critical acclaim. This fall, Chef Bee will open his second restaurant, NaiYaRa {1854 Bay Road, Miami Beach}, in the burgeoning Sunset Harbour neighborhood. DiningOut had the chance to catch up with Chef Bee to discuss his new venture.

1. Tell us about your background. Where are you originally from? What made you decide to be a chef?
I’m originally from Thailand. I started cooking with my mother at a very young age, preparing meals for our family in our hometown of Chiang Rai. Throughout the years, I’ve worked as a dishwasher, a busboy, a server, a cashier, and a sushi chef. I’ve always known that I wanted to open my own restaurant.

2. What made you decide to come to the United States, particularly Miami?
I decided to come to the United States to study and open a business many years ago. Miami is one of the best cities in the world. I’m from the mountains in Thailand, but I’ve always loved the sun, beach, and sand. I love the people in Miami and the culture.

3. How did you get the nickname “Chef Bee”?
I am and always have been a workaholic. My friends started noticing how much I worked when I was in my 20s—I had two jobs and slept five hours a day! When I worked with Chef Kevin Cory at Siam River, I would open AND close the restaurant. Friends and customers started calling me “Busy Bee” and it stuck. Oishi Thai has been open for over a decade and you will always see me there—unless I’m sick.

4. How did opening Oishi Thai prepare you for opening a second restaurant?
When I opened Oishi Thai, it was in the middle of nowhere. It was wrong in every sense—there were no residents around, no offices—it was a mistake. But I’ve carried the restaurant through tough times for over a decade. Consistency in food and service is the key to success. NaiYaRa will open in Sunset Harbour, which is a popular destination, not like our first.

5. Tell us about the overall concept for NaiYaRa. How does it differ from Oishi Thai?
Oishi Thai has always been about me. I came to this country to take risks and open a business. NaiYaRa will be for and about my daughter (Naiya-ra is my daughter’s name—in Thai, it means elephant, friendly, honest, hard work, and long life). She was born and raised in America and this restaurant is to show her my roots.

6. And the menu?
The menu will be similar to Oishi Thai, but it will have an emphasis on Thai street food with organic and health-conscious dishes throughout. All the recipes are from my mother and my hometown. I want my daughter to discover and understand how I grew up and our roots.

7. How often do you travel back to your native Thailand and how does this influence your cooking?
I go to Thailand once a year to visit my father and mother. Whenever I’m home, my mother and aunt cook for my daughter and me. The cooking is based on whatever produce is available in their own backyard and in season.

8. What are your personal favorite items on the menu? What do you hope will be your signature dishes?
I have many favorite menu items. Two years ago, I started making a dish called Burmese Noodle Wraps—fresh chow fun noodles filled with roasted chile paste, palm sugar, lime juice, and ground peanuts. It originated in Myanmar, which is next to Chiang Rai. This year, I’m trying to support my Thai friends who are farmers in Homestead. Two signature dishes will be the Organic Crispy Bok Choy with garlic chips topped with sweet sesame soy, and the Crispy Chicken Dumplings with spicy garlic soy vinaigrette.

9. What Miami chefs or celebrity chefs do you admire?
Chef Kevin Cory from NAOE, Chef Brad Kilgore from Alter, Chef Aaron Brooks from Edge Steak, Chef Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine, Chef Michelle Bernstein and Chef Duangwiwat Khoetchapalayook (aka Chef Danny) from Oishi Thai.

10. Do you have a favorite food or guilty pleasure?
I can eat barbecue all day. Tom Jenkins BBQ is my favorite.

By Sherri Balefsky | Miami Editor

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2:47 pm
Restaurant Features
0

modern garden

By Sherri Balefsky | Online Editor

We couldn’t have been more excited when we were invited for an exclusive dinner at Modern Garden {422 Northwest River Drive, Miami; 305.440.4200}, one of the most innovative culinary concepts to ever hit the Miami River. Just minutes from downtown, this hidden oasis along the water feels worlds away from the bustling city streets.

Modern Garden shares its serene waterfront space with sister restaurant Seaspice (formerly Seasalt & Pepper), both original concepts from Owner Carlos Miranda. Upon entering, we were greeted by our hostess who escorted us to the right, to an intimate, dimly lit room with wood-paneled flooring, comfortable white seating, and rows of white and purple orchids. The interior is anchored by a permanent wooden tree-shaped art installation by Architect Santiago Jose Palaez, which was unveiled in December during Art Basel.

modern garden

Had we been escorted to the left, we would have been led inside Seaspice, though the two all-but overlap one another on the patio. They also share 500-plus feet of dockage—the ultimate VIP parking space for luxury yachts looking to drop anchor.

But unlike Seaspice, which is known for its cooked entrées such as the Prime US Veal Chop and Australian Rack of Lamb, not to mention its unique wood-fired casseroles, Modern Garden sings a different tune. The menu consists of delectable crudos and hot-stone dishes, where meat is served uncooked and diners prepare it to their liking on 850-degree slabs of on the table.

Luckily for us, Chef Angel Leon selected some of his favorite dishes to bring out for us to try, saving us from our initial dilemma of deciding which of the menu’s mouthwatering bites to choose!

modern garden salad

We started off with the color Purple Watercress Salad with green goddess dressing, which was both deliciously tangy and sweet. Then the crudos started coming—and kept coming! The plates were artfully presented, so colorful and decadent that that we were hesitant to dive in for fear of ruining the presentation.

modern garden salmon

Our favorites here were the Salmon Rosettes (pictured above) and the Kimne Dai, which was an interesting take on chips and dip (the chips were actually crispy sunchoke, while the dip—though it looked like guacamole—was a mix of yuzu paste and tangerine mojo and had a texture more similar to hummus.

Next, it was time for the main event, as we were presented with two piping-hot black slabs and wooden chopsticks. One slab was for the Diver Scallops, which were served with a bagna cauda sauce; the other was for the juicy pieces of raw Spinelis (rib-eye). Our attentive server showed us the proper way to prepare each dish, then we were left on our own to finish the process.

modern garden dessert

Sufficiently stuffed, we couldn’t pass on dessert, which we, of course, devoured. Needless to say, it was definitely worth it.

As the night came to a close, we were in a bit of a dreamlike state. With our bellies full and satisfied, we watched as the last of the mega-yachts untied from the dock and sailed away down the river. I’m sure they’ll be back … we definitely will be, too.

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