Only a few things can compel us to visit West Kendall during weekday rush hour. One of those things is Eileen Andrade’s food. The chef, of Finka Table & Tap fame, has opened a new restaurant just a few blocks away from her original eatery.
Unlike the monstrous Finka, Amelia’s 1931 is a much more intimate affair. But just like its larger sibling, this new Cuban diner is a culinary force to be reckoned with.
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.