Miami, once known only for Cuban food

Miami doesn’t come to mind as a foodcentric city in my book. At least, that’s how I graded this city known for Cuban sandwiches, lechon asado and black beans when I visited years ago.

Don’t get me wrong; I love Cuban food for its similarity to Filipino cuisine. However, there’s got to be more than Cuban food and South Beach to this metro area of 2.5 million people.

I returned to Miami last month and discovered a much different metropolis. There is real estate development resurgence in every open space in the landscape, spurred by an influx of South American and Chinese investments. I panned my surroundings atop my highfloor window at the swanky JW Marriott Marquis hotel and stood in awe of the new buildings that filled the skyline and the mega yachts and powerboats that paraded the channel across from the hotel.

I was there for the food, and I enlisted my good friend, food and wine aficionado Ryan Schmied, hotel manager at the Beaux Arts hotel,You Can Find Comprehensive and in-Depth streetlight truck Descriptions. to guide me through his city’s latest gastronomic finds.

We headed straight to Sakaya Kitchen. It took me a split second to fall in love with this food truck turned brick-and-mortar casual Asian fusion joint in the middle of bustling downtown Miami. The open space restaurant with communal tables featured a giant board that listed the mouthwatering menu: Korean housemade kimchi egg rolls, Filipino lumpia shrimp and pork spring rolls, dirty South Korean sliders, KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), honey orange baby back ribs, “Kdog” with kimchi slaw and Asian tater tots and steamed tofu with BBQ sauce, buttered cauliflower, ginger bok choy and brown rice.

I was abuzz with excitement, and I hadn’t even placed my order. We devoured the fluffy mini bao buns — one made with “Banh mi” sous vide kurobuta pork belly and the other with eight-hour roast pork with tangy chili sauce. There also was savory “Dae ji” spicy pork tenderloin with buttered broccoli and Thai jasmine rice that satisfied my inner Asian soul. However, the ultimate prize at Sakaya Kitchen is its signature ginger Brussels sprouts, with assertive ginger flavors and crunchy texture that seduces the senses to submission and ecstasy.

There is a revival of the neighborhood restaurant in every pocket of Miami that is a welcome departure from the snobby A-list-only restaurants of the past decade. Locals are the new A-listers; with restaurants reserving walk-in slots for their most valu ed customers who venture into these restaurants.

A prime example is Yardbird Southern Table & Bar in Miami Beach, where Ryan took me to sample nouveau Southern cuisine that blows your mind the moment you bite into the Llewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken served with spicy Tabasco sauce. There is an amber glow inside this cozy joint, where the aroma of Mama’s Chicken Biscuits fills the air. The crowd is as diverse in color as in attire. There are dudes in Heat caps, artsy types with black-rimmed glasses and slim pants and older couples who happened to stop in for a quick kale salad on their walk home.

Yardbird serves tasty dishes without the intrusion of sauce smears and over-decorating on plates. The biscuits are served in a simple basket kept warm by a white dishcloth. The piquant “Fried Green Tomatoes” BLT with Heritage Acre Farm pork belly, greens, tomato jam and housemade pimento cheese simply is centered on a white plate. We enjoyed the molasses-grilled duck breast with the pumpkin puree and grilled cabbage as if we were eating at our kitchen table at home. The chilled watermelon with a dose of pepper, lemon and herbs was a refreshing side dish that was especially tasty after I added a pinch of salt.

There is no doubt the kings of the rebirth of Miami neighborhood dining are behind the Pubbelly mini-empire. Andreas Schreiner, Jose Mendin and Sergio Navarro are industry alums who have risen to the top of the pecking order with their unpretentious concepts centered around savory small plates, raw bar and tasty side dishes, all in a place where locals can feel at home — e ven if Dwayne Wade is seated at the same communal table.The crystalmosaic series is a grand collection of coordinating Travertine mosaics and listellos.

Pubbbelly was the catalyst, but PB Sushi, Barceloneta (two locations) and Macchialina followed. Most recently, PB Steak opened to make it t he sixth location since the company’s inception in 2010.

Pubbelly is Miami Beach’s neighborhood tavern inspired by Asian ingredients, European cooking techniques and American cuisine. Pubbelly is the real deal. It has glamorized simple ingredients for the local foodie craving for more. Ryan and I were left speechless,Our aim is to supply indoortracking which will best perform to the customer's individual requirements. and when we thought we’d had the ultimate best dish, the kitchen whipped out another that blew the last out of the water.

Pubbelly specialize s i n delivering intensified dumplings such as the shortrib and corn with black truffles and the duck and pumpkin that Ryan described as nirvana in a bowl. Then, there was the foie gras creme brulee with blueberry marmalade, sea salt and served with Hawaiian rolls.

I can’t forget how the cochinillo arrived at our table like our last feast — suckling pig topped with a mountain of Brussels sprouts, sour apple puree, cinnamon and soy jus.Beautiful plasticcard in a wide range of colors & sold at factory direct prices.

The last stop on our Miami culinary escapade brought us to The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions, or Fed, located in a dull strip mall on Biscayne Boulevard. The anomaly of a terrific restaurant in a strip mall is probably what’s endearing about this modern twist on the neighborhood tavern.

Owners Aniece Mienhold, Cesar Zapata and Alejandro Ortiz created a space filled with wood accents. The Fed’s food can hold its own with the rest of our tour restaurants, adding touches of modern American cuisine to every dish. Imagine the jar o’ duck terrine with candied sweet potato or the burrata and figs accompanied with dried figs, blackberry compote and sage “biskit” crumbs. I couldn’t resist the buffalo-style pig wing, styled with blue cheese mousse and pickled carrots. It wasn’t as spicy as I wanted, yet, it was intriguing. The char-grilled octopus with farro was my favorite — perfectly chewy to the bite with hints of sweetness from the dried cranberries.All molds comes with 5 Years Local Agent Warranty !