Eating a meal in every country of the world without leaving the five boroughs of New York is a mission writer Richard Morgan described in a recent New Yorker magazine. He’s up to 150! It’s seriously doubtful any other city in the US will attain that variety but, to me, variety of cuisines is an important factor in the making of a culinary capital and holds great appeal. Which leads me to Miami. I’m very happy to say that we’re now seeing restaurants with more ethnic cuisines.  And one of these is Essensia Restaurant in The Palms Hotel with its talented chef Diana Tandia whose food reflects the influence of her African heritage (from Mauritania) as well as her extensive travels in Asia. She has also worked with some of the best – like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud.

Another notable feature of Essensia is its genuine, well documented commitment to buying local. On an entire panel of the menu is a list of no fewer than 15 purveyors, their names, locations and what foodstuffs they provide to the hotel: from produce, dairy and meat to poultry and seafood. Plus, sustainable ingredients  are used wherever possible.

The dishes on the menu are not the same-old, same-old, but different in the choice of ingredients and/or their preparation and lots of vegetable offerings. To whet the appetite we started with some toasted bread from Sulllivan bakery with three spreads, all tasty: a beet hummus, tapenade and a favorite, eggplant caponata, a Berber recipe where the eggplant is cooked on charcoal adding a smoky flavor and then some garlic confit for kick.

Next up was  a red snapper crudo with a mango lychee relish and  ponzu vinaigrette, light and flavorful. Following that we had one of the standout dishes, a jungle seasonal vegetable curry in an aromatic coconut lemongrass broth with kaffir lime, and fresh seasonal vegetables. The sauce was just the right amount of creamy, a trifle spicy, and the vegetables crispy. It came with a to die for stir fried forbidden black rice that was crunchy and delicious. Another favorite dish was the house made tagliatelle alla vodka with shrimp, mussels,octopus, clams and daily fish. The pasta was perfectly al dente with just the right amount of tasty sauce, and they were generous with their shellfish.

I had hoped to have a crowd favorite, the rosemary lamb shank with an organic mushrooms and caulilfower parsnip puree, but it was soldout. Next time. I’m sure the whole roasted local snapper deboned and butterflied,  with lemongrass tamarind paste, sweet soy sauce, tomato chili sambal, sauteed garlic  and spinach will be a winner too, so that’s on my list. Dessert was the citrus olive oil cake, a Med favorite, which I always enjoy. Here it was served with an olive oil gelato  that was amazing.

There’s a selection of signature cocktails priced from $17. A glass of wine (4 ounce pour) starts at $14 and bottles at $42..

For dinner for two with a glass of wine each, the spreads, red snapper crudo, vegetable curry, two entrees and one dessert expect to pay about $175 plus tax and tip.

If you’ve been to Essensia before, there’s a new design but rest assured it still has the serene vibe indoors, a large adjacent bar and my favorite, a spacious outdoor terrace that overlooks a lush garden. Service is professional and friendly.

Essensia Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, brunch on Sundays, and has a prix fixe lunch special of  three courses for $39. It’s offered from  Monday to Saturday with glass of wine specials for $10 as well.There’s also a four course dinner tasting experience offered on Thursdays. All menus change seasonally.

Essensia Restaurant & Bar at The Palms Hotel & Spa, 3025 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. Valet parking when validated is $19.