Miami’s hottest season is back again and the hospitality industry has not disappointed with a slew of brand-new restaurant openings popping around in different parts of the city. If you’re a meat-lover, these dining destinations will blow you away—and even if you’re not, they offer an amazing lineup of gourmet delicacies with something for everyone. Here’s the scoop on everything you need to know in the haute cuisine world:
ETARU
Photo Credit: Michael Pissari
Hallandale’s dining game has recently been upgraded as it welcomed its newest addition—ETARU—to the neighborhood. If the menu and style of the new hot spot looks familiar, that’s probably because you’re acquainted with its sister restaurant Zuma, the renowned Japanese dining destination located in downtown Miami, also opened by co-founder Rainer Becker. For those living in North Miami, Bal Harbour and the Aventura area, ETARU is something the beachside town has long been needing—fine dining in an upscale, breezy setting. Located at a prime oceanfront location in the new Hyde Beach complex, dining at ETARU is a very special experience, from globally-renowned cuisine to unbeatable beach views that remind you why you love the Magic City.
Also like Zuma, ETARU boats a legendary premium brunch on Sundays that includes bottomless drink options, an all-you-can-eat buffet and mouth-watering entrees, as well as a picture-worthy dessert platter. Unique to ETARU, the restaurant’s specialty is contemporary Japanese Robatayaki cuisine. Standouts include Lamb Cutlets with Korean spices, Prime Beef Filet with eryngii mushrooms and a wasabi ponzu sauce and thinly-sliced, juicy beef tenderloin paired with delicately charred vegetables and specialty sauces. Guests can expect to find other stellar plates and dishes that maintain the same precise construction and fresh seasoning as Zuma’s, such as the soft, flavorful Miso Black Cod—theirs with an interesting touch of sesame seeds—as well as a fresh Sashimi platter with slices of bluefin tuna, salmon and yellowtail and a generously fatty otoro tartare topped with a quail egg and caviar.
Quite possibly one of the best dishes on the brunch menu is the Chicken Katsu and waffles, which takes your average chicken ‘n waffles dish to the next level. A delicately fried slice of Chicken Katsu rests atop a puffy waffle, which has an interesting kick on the inside from the shiso leaf baked into the breakfast item. Paired with the sweet syrup, one bite of this concoction will undoubtedly stun. The all-you-can-eat buffet features a diverse assortment of meats, vegetables and fish including Crispy Rice Cakes with a choice of salmon or avocado, Charred Chicken Wings, fresh Oysters, Grilled Tiger Prawns, a selection of unique maki rolls, a delicious seasonal gem salad with a creamy miso dressing and so much more. And of course, you can’t forget about the cocktails to pair with your meal—in addition to the welcome cocktails that guests receive with choices of a Bellini, Bloody Mary or non-alcoholic Matcha tea, depending on the price tier you choose, you can also have unlimited bubbly and rosé to pair with the rest of the meal. And finally, the grand dessert platter is the sweet end to the delicious meal, brimming with fruity sorbets, key lime ice cream, a green tea chocolate soufflé, fresh fruits and more.
If you’re looking to head to the restaurant for dinner, ETARU recently added a ten-course tasting menu that speaks to enthusiastic and adventurous diners looking to sample some of the restaurant’s most coveted dishes. This option is priced at $95/person (minimum of two people), offered during dinner until 10:30 pm or Saturday lunch until 3:30 pm.
NUSR-ET
The global Internet sensation, Nusr-et, also more widely know as “Salt Bae,” has opened his first-ever U.S. location on Miami’s Brickell Avenue with much anticipation. And unsurprisingly, it is nothing short of spectacular. Taking over the previous Coya location in the popular Brickell neighborhood, Nusr-et Steakhouse truly embodies the Miami lifestyle—making dinner not just about food, but about the experience as each waiter puts on a show as they present each decadent dish. The stark interior features an open-air format, showcasing a large dining area of indoor and outdoor seating and a spacious bar. Fittingly, the walls are adorned with see-through glass refrigerators housing the endless high-quality meat that the trained butcher skillfully constructs into a mouth-watering (and salt-heavy) dish. In the back of the restaurant, the open air kitchen lets viewers get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. And on each table, guests will find a generous bowl of salt which the staff will sprinkle over the dish after each presentation of the meat. If you’re lucky enough and dining on a night where the famous Salt Bae is in town, you might even get to experience the legend in action as he expertly slices each meat dish to perfection and delicately sprinkles salt from the air onto the plate—he may even feed it to you via his knife for a little extra touch.
The menu is small but extravagant, boasting standout dishes like the Carpaccio, Beef Sushi, Beef “Spaghetti”—a super thinly-sliced beef dish that will melt in your mouth—and the monstrous Ottoman Steak, delicately sliced to perfect, thin pieces of beef. It’s important to note the appearance of before and after dishes, as almost every dish is presented table-side to the diners, creating an entertaining show that makes the dining experience all the more special. The Beef Carpaccio is presented as an average, flat carpaccio dish, then seasoned with mustard, salt, olive oil and spices and methodically rolled up and sliced into a multi-layer mouthful of perfection. Additionally, the beef sushi is presented raw, then dramatically flambéed and sprinkled with crisp parmesan flakes on top afterward. Even the salads are tossed and seasoned next to the table to give the audience a look into how it’s all made. And of course, the presentation of the beef and its precise butcher-trained slicing is the pinnacle moment of the entire experience.
Although the meat dishes are certainly the stars of the show, a nod must be given to the expert bartenders who harbor their own unique skill set, whipping up innovative cocktails like the “Samurai’s Dram” and “Butcher’s Blood.” They, too, create a performance while serving the guests, throwing ingredients up in the air and behind their backs and craftily present each beautiful drink. If you order a pricey bottle of wine at the table, the waiter will decant it in a signature “Salt Bae” style, which was of course the chef’s brilliant idea—holding the bottle about a foot above and impressively pouring it into the decanter. And to finish the night off properly, the spot’s signature Baklava dessert is an absolute must-try. The sweet, flaky pastry dish is deconstructed and put back together with a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle and then sliced into four small pieces that’s perfect for sharing with the entire table.
BLT STEAK
The outpost recently opened in Miami Beach at the renovated Iberostar Hotel. At the quaint BLT Steak restaurant, guests will enjoy five-star cuisine in an intimate environment. Chef Carlos Torres helms the kitchen, serving a diverse menu including the restaurant’s signature dishes like the world-famous gruyere BLT Popovers and the 28 day dry-aged New York Strip, as well as other new dishes that showcase the spot’s simple yet sophisticated fare with a special Miami flair.
Photo Credit: BLT Steak
Noteworthy menu items expertly prepared by Chef Carlos Torres include the spicy Steak Tartare Tacos, the crunchy Uni Toast and the rich Foie Gras Empanadas—which bring an elevated touch to classic Miami cuisine. Other delectable dishes include the fresh Tuna Tartare that has a lovely wasabi kick, the melt-in-your mouth Dover Sole in a soy caper brown butter (which gives unique life to the typically standard dish), a hearty Lobster Cobb Salad and Salt Brick Chicken.
The raw bar must also be mentioned, which features a generous selection of the freshest delicacies of the sea, including uni, lobster, oysters, jumbo shrimp and little neck clams, as well as towering platters of all of the above—which is the perfect way to add some seafood into your meal in between one of the spot’s famed steak dishes. For dessert, chef has a sweet lineup of tasty treats including the Carrot Cake with ginger ice cream, Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse with banana ice cream, or for something more traditional, the Classic Sundae with whipped cream a chocolate drizzle.
If you’re looking for simple, delicious food that has a consistent touch—that’s somewhat tucked away from the more sceney, classic “South Beach” restaurants—then BLT is the perfect choice for you to indulge in a home-style meal.
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