For us, plant-based cuisine is hit or miss. Some restaurants innovate and make their vegan menu appeal to all diners, while others are simply happy catering to their niche. Planta falls into the former category: South Beach’s latest vegan restaurant is a feast for carnivores and herbivores alike.
Out of all the vegan restaurants we’ve tried in Miami, Planta is by far our favorite. Chef Benjamin Goldman (ex-Komodo) wows with meat-free takes on dishes that taste like their red-blooded counterparts. By making us forget about the real thing, Planta’s flavorful brunch selections put forth a tasty argument for not eating meat.
If you come for brunch, you’ll be hard-pressed to choose just one dish — it all sounds so good. Lighter bites like the Mango Grove — a colorful mix of the namesake fruit, green papaya and more — and cauliflower tots make for great photos AND great bites. The latter dish is especially noteworthy for its truffled almond Parmesan (yum).
Entrees are sizeable, especially the Heart of Palm “Crab Cakes” Benedict; the use of delicious sweet corn hollandaise makes this one of the more decadent options. Even simpler items like Berries and the Avocado Toast stand out on the menu — Milennials won’t be the only ones loving the filone bread and super-fresh toppings on the latter.
One side should be enough to split between two people. We found ourselves thoroughly enjoying the “chicken” fried mushrooms, which actually tasted like fried chicken. Our reaction: “Holy shit, this is good.” Seriously, what is this sorcery? Also, make sure to get a juice or two to help you wash everything down.
Planta makes us excited for plant-based food, which is a first. It’s not the easiest of cuisines to make exciting, but the restaurant succeeds by serving up quality food with familiar flavors. Now if only all vegan food tasted this good.
Planta is located at 850 Commerce Street on Miami Beach. For hours of operation and other information, visit their official website or call 305-397-8513.