I had a meeting in South Beach and for quite a while now I have heard how amazing is Asia De Cuba so I stopped to check this place out because sometimes people ask me at the culinary tours and I need to know how this place looks if i were to recommend it. Wow, the decor even outside the hotel is impressive; big lamps/chandeliers hanging from the ceiling makes an astonishing entrance to the hotel. I arrive and immediately the valet people take my car and mentioned it is only $5 until 3:00 PM which is a steal in SOBE. I made sure that by the 3:00 PM I was out of there because I hate paying $20 for valet parking.
I walked inside and as this is my first time at the Mondrian Hotel I am a little lost but kept walking towards the water, I figured that the restaurant would be on the water, that's a no brainer. The hostess very graciously takes me to a nice table outside by the pool and the ocean, this place is heaven when it comes to decor and ambiance, but the food...
This is a crispy calamari with chayote, hearts of palm, banana, cashews, chicory and radicchio, sesame orange dressing. It was quite strange because I ask the waiter about the bananas, if this is a good choice because I thought what a weird combination to have fried calamari and bananas all in the same bite. He mentioned that I can have the salad without the bananas but I decided to leave them, hey, if the Asia De Cuba chef suggest a calamari salad with bananas, I guess he knows about food a lot more than me so I did not say to the waiter to take them out.
When the salad arrived, the waiter leaves the dish on my table and bananas where nowhere to be found but the dressing was extremely sweet for my taste. It was a yellowish dressing so I forever wonder if the "banana" part of the salad was mixed with the vinaigrette. This was a very different salad, even though I recognize the salad was perfectly executed at $16 , this is not an item I would choose again if I revisit Asia De Cuba.
The service was amazing by Miami standards, a couple of people came to my table to check on me during my banana adventure salad. It is a must visit place in South Beach, the pool and the ocean as a backdrop while having a glass of Chilean wine makes this place a spot to remember and one that I will highly recommend.
1100 West Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
www.chinagrillmgt.com
305-514-1940
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