It’s wonderful to see top chefs opening restaurants with more different ethnic cuisines in Miami and doing it well, from the menu offerings and  exciting and very different taste sensations, to the décor and service. Such is the new French-Indonesian Wayan in Wynwood that’s the creation of dynamic husband and wife duo Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten. You might recognize the last name — Cedric is the son of star chef Jean Georges. The couple brought the Wayan concept from downtown Manhattan where it opened in 2019. It’s currently one of the only Indonesian restaurants in the Michelin Guide in America.

Cedric, who has trained across the globe along with his father, brings French technique to the dishes, and Ochi’s Jakarta roots infuse the dishes with standout Indonesian flavors. The Miami Wayan highlights local seafood and seasonal ingredients.

The space is anchored by an open kitchen. The restaurant accommodates about  100 diners at indoor seating including at the bar, chef’s counter, and main dining room, along with outdoor seats in a garden atmosphere. Indonesia also comes to mind in the décor, with the use of natural materials, earthy palette, wood and greenery and handcrafted items like a banana leaf chandelier.

The menu is divided into satays, small plates,large plates, sides and desserts.

We started with chicken satays made with peanut sauce and lime, one of three varieties that also include Key West shrimp and lamb, an ideal way to start the meal. Next up was a vegetable spring roll, one of the better I’ve ever had. The pastry crust was very light unlike most, the inside, stuffed with mushrooms, was moist and flavorful thanks to the green chili mayo and mint.

One of the highlights for me was the wahoo ceviche, creamy and rich, thanks to pureed avocado, and seasoned with cilantro and a green chili dressing.For mains we shared the very fresh grilled red snapper on a bed of sauteed greens, given a zip with chili calamansai vinaigrette and indo lobster noodles with black pepper butter. No skimping on lobster here, it was packed with it.

For sides, we first had the eggplant balado with roasted tomato, a work of art. Never had eggplant like this. It almost melted in your mouth and had a welcome zip with the chili sauce. Another highlight of the evening and what will be one of my best dishes of the year were the corn fritters. They were incredibly light thanks to a tempura dough, and given a light yet tasty flavor with scallions and kecap manis, a sweet Indonesian soy sauce. We couldn’t stop eating them.

Do not miss the banana sundae with banana cake and ube ice cream made from purple yam, or the chocolate mousse with avocado ice cream.

Signature cocktails include the Devil’s Avocado, an unlikely but very delicious combo of tequila, mezcal, avocado and spicy honey. Cocktails  are priced $20. A glass of wine (5 ounce pour) starts at $17 and bottles from $78.

For dinner for two with two small plates, two large plates, one side, two desserts and one cocktail or glass of wine each, expect to pay $200 plus tax or tip. Note, you could also have a light meal such as a combo satay (3 pieces), a small plate each and a glass of wine or cocktail each for around $100 plus tax or tip.

Service was friendly and exceptionally good as the waiters are very knowledgeable and can explain the dishes. There’s street parking and garages nearby.

Wayan is a popup, here through May (hopefully they’ll stay). They’re open seven days a week for dinner. 50 NW 24^th Street. And by the way, no DJ or loud music.