At La Mar inside the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key, dinner is more than just a meal. Anyone familiar with Chef Diego Oka’s culinary work knows that his Peruvian cooking is not just bursting with flavor but also bustling with beauty. His latest seasonal menu is no exception: Expect a parade of lively colors and unique tastes to tantalize your senses.
At La Mar inside Mandarin Oriental, Miami, you’ll find one of our favorite chefs: Diego Oka. We’ve been to La Mar several times (Exhibit A and Exhibit B), and Chef Oka’s dishes have always left us dazzled. Unsurprisingly, this year’s Miami Spice menu elicited the same response: $39 for this quality of food is a steal.
Since starting the blog, we’ve interviewed many members of the hospitality industry, and one constant among the interviewees has been a profound love for their pets. We thought it would be great to share this love with our readers.
That’s why we launched an ongoing feature called “Wag Wednesday” to showcase industry peeps and their pets. Know someone who wants to be featured? Email us at bark@miamifoodpug.com.
This week, we’re featuring Diego Oka, Executive Chef at La Mar by Gaston Acurio, and his golden doodle, Awki.
If you were to ask us where to go for brunch on a Sunday, La Mar by Gastón Acurio at the Mandarin Oriental would be one of our first recommendations. The Brickell Key restaurant’s brunch, which we tried last year, was — and continues to be — one of the best weekend deals in town. An extensive buffet spread and unlimited pisco sours? Yes, please.
But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that we finally stopped in for dinner. Chef Diego Oka has been traveling the globe lately, and he’s come back and put all that worldly inspiration onto the plate. We were fortunate enough to take part in a 12-course affair that highlighted classic La Mar dishes as well as some new additions (shout out to Chef Oka for the hand-written menu).
Twelve courses is a lot, so we’ll keep this short and sweet. Cue the food porn.
Brunch: It’s one of our favorite meals. And in Miami, there’s no shortage of brunch options. Whether you’re in Coral Gables, Wynwood, Miami Beach or even Doral, you’re bound to find eggs benedict, mimosas and the traditional Sunday fare around every corner.
La Mar isn’t your ordinary Sunday brunch venue, though. Gaston Acurio’s Peruvian outpost in the 305 elevates the mid-day meal to a whole different level. We haven’t come across anything quite like this feast in the city. In other words, it’s the brunch to beat.