Editors note, July 22, 2017: I’m disappointed to report that Coya closed suddenly and will not reopen.
As soon as I walk in the door of a restaurant I can usually tell if I’m going to like it. Of course, it helps if my expectations are high, as in the pedigree of the owner or chef. And so it was with DOA Miami, the new venture of Arjun Waney who is the restaurateur behind Zuma and Coya. DOA is the first of many Waney has planned, much as he expanded with Zuma which is now in major capitals around the world. What speaks volumes is if he accepted outside investors as in sold shares, I would invest. He has a winning formula, earning DOA a rave review.
The décor reminds me of Zuma – contemporary classic, casually elegant, and with the welcome addition of a large bar that’s a focal point of the restaurant along with its open kitchen. Dining areas are cleverly divided so there’s a flow of space, but also a feeling of separate smaller spaces.The high industrial ceiling gives a SoHo feel, and happily they have insulation to keep noise levels low. On a Saturday night when we were there, the restaurant was almost full, a DJ was spinning loungey tunes, but there was no problem having a conversation.
Speaking of the bar, the two waiters, Michael Z. Hooten and Dinesm Gupta, are not only real pros, but great fun to engage in conversation. In fact, I recommend having a drink at the bar first before going to the table for dinner.
The food is described as LatAsian, but to us it was really Asian with a few nods to Latin cuisine.The two page menu is well curated, divided into sections including a “Raw” section of everything from ceviches and tartares to nigiri; steamed buns and dim sum; wok and hot pots; grilled items from a Robata grill; snacks and sides. Prices are a little lower price point than Zuma or Coya.
Whatever you do, order one of the buns with either soft shell crab or pork belly. The housemade buns are so good I’ve been dreaming of having them slathered in French butter for breakfast. We tried the DOA ceviche roll with fish of the day and poached prawn. It was swimmingly fresh, perfectly spiced, and delicious. Though the 28 ounce ribeye for two looked appealing, we opted for the much smaller 8 ounce spicy beef tenderloin since we were sharing multiple dishes.
The beef was very tender, cooked to perfection, and different from the usual thanks to seasoning with rocoto, hoisin and Szechuan peppers. Lamb chops, served three double rib per order, were standouts, with a seasoning that popped, of aji limo, ginger and kimchi. We teamed them up with robata corn, small pieces that had been basted with rocoto lime butter and cilantro. Our favorite, though hands down, were the Robata shitake mushrooms that were oh so meaty and tasty thanks to ginger, soy butter and sesame seeds.
The dessert to order is the DOA fondant – white chocolate fondant with Lucuma (a Peruvian yellow fruit) and chocolate glaze served with ice cream. It was a welcome change from the prevalent molten chocolate cake and beautiful to behold as well. Another good choice were the churros filled with dulce de leche with ice cream.
DOA is open for dinner and late night until morning snacks (until 5 a.m.). There’s a special late night menu of raw bar items, buns, skewers, ramen and such.
Wine by the glass, a 6 ounce pour, starts at $8.50 and bottles at a reasonable $39.
Service is friendly and professional, especially impressive considering that they just opened in early December. There’s a large outdoor terrace for enjoying balmy winter nights. Take note, there’s no valet parking.
DOA 2000 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.587.2000
