Owner, chef and artist Edixon Hernandez of Crudos Fusion Art has attracted the likes of Sting, Maluma, Alejandro Sanz and Carlos Vives with his creativity and WOW creations fusing Asian and Latin flavors.  And it seems whenever I would pass the restaurant, it’s full, so I decided a visit was more than in order. Off we went to Wynwood and we really enjoyed the food and art experience.

First, the decor which deserves special mention. It’s all about urban art . Though not usually one of my favorite styles, here’s it’s really fun and well done. The art extends from a mural, columns and chairs to wonderful painted tables that I could see as a hit in an eclectic home decor.

The menu is divided into starters, crudos, from the grill, rice and noodles, specialty rolls, snacks and desserts.

Be sure to try the Crudo mojito with five fruit options including the classic version with white rum, mint, lime, and cold press sugar cane juice. With the perfect blend of sugar and citrus, it’s one the best mojitos I’ve ever had, plus it’s served with a whimsical mojito popsicle as a garnish . Mr. W also really enjoyed his Millennial old fashioned.

An overall comment – owner and chef  Hernandez has a way with melding sweet and sour,  spicy and bitter so flavors pop. The dishes are unlike those in any other place, and full of surprises. We started with the  delicious signature Pop Roll, so called as it’s an explosion of tasty flavors. It’s made of shrimp tempura, krab salad, cream cheese, sriracha, pop rocks, nori, avocado, aji amarillo aioli, ponzi aioli. The garnish was quinoa, which added a welcome crunch. All the rolls are wonderfully inventive, from mixed seafood and chistorra (sausage), to a cebiche and steak. If you really like one of the rolls but happen to not like or be allergic to one of the ingredients, they’ll gladly substitute another ingredient. (note: the images on the website don’t do the dishes justice)

From there we went to the bao buns, short ribs with pickled cucumber and avocado aioli, and pork belly with pico de gallo, cilantro aioli and crispy sweet potato. The meat was very flavorful, tender and juicy, and seasoned with a deft touch. Favorites, especially the short ribs.

Opting to stay with the signature dishes indicated on the menu with the star (good idea, wish more restaurants would do that), we tried the corn casserole with a parmesan cruist and truffle oil. OMG was that yummy. It’s rich and creamy, and the whole kernels of choclo corn inside gave it an exciting texture. Another side dish we enjoyed were the glazed mushrooms made with brown butter, sesame seeds and scallions.

There were so many other dishes we would have liked to have tried, but had to leave room for dessert. On our list for next time  are the Cloud pork belly, pork cuts cooked for 48 hours with multiple ingredients combining sweet and salty flavors; the Ramen burger, a beef patty filled with goat cheese, spicy mayonnaise and caramelized onions sandwiched between two pan fried discs of ramen noodles;

the Cloud pork belly with cotton candy, pickled cucumer and crispy rice; the ponzu fingerling potatoes with Boursin cheese; and the chef surprise, a dessert in a can made with (Brownie, Nutella and another surprise ingredients…) The nutella roll for dessert is another standout, though you have to like sweet desserts. It’s  all about chocolate, made with nutella and oreo cookies .The garnish is condensed milk and strawberries, and it’s served with vanilla ice cream.

Portions are made for sharing, and prices are reasonable, with most dishes priced in the teens except for from the grill larger plates in the high teens to twenties. Cocktails are $14 and there’s an extensive liquor menu. A glass of wine (6 ounce pour) starts at $12 and bottles at $52

Service was professional and friendly. You can tell the staff are happy to work there.

They also have an excellent loyalty program. After 12 visits you get a free dinner for two. And when you sign up, you get their Cloud Pork belly dish for free. There’s also a lunch special with $9 rolls, bao buns, and more, and a happy hour. Seating indoors and outdoors.

Besides the Wynwood location there’s a restaurant in Hallandale and soon to come, Coral Gables and Doral.

Crudos Fusion Art, 250 NW 24th Street, Wynwood (street parking)