For Miami Spice, I thought I’d try a newcomer to the scene. Being the sister restaurant to South Beach’s Juvia was enough of a pedigree for me to want to give Sushi Garage a try, and what better time than Miami Spice. More casual than its Lincoln Road relative, what the two have in common is very attractive design that makes use of natural elements – fresh plants as décor, light natural woods, simple lines, with an airy garden feel. It’s also very much a neighborhood place, attracting all ages and lots of families for a midweek dinner. With its long bar that stretches almost the length of the restaurant and the comfortable vibe, it’s a place I could see myself going to for a dinner alone as well. And stay tuned at the end for a quick look at my Spice menu picks.
The Miami Spice dinner starts with a choice of tuna tartar, ceviche or watercress salad. Throughout the meal, the fish couldn’t have been fresher – a bottom line in my book. Particularly noteworthy was the ceviche with an unusual selection of fluke well teamed with edamame, micro cilantro and red onion.
For mains, we ordered the roll sampler, a well choreographed selection including tuna tikka; an unusual lemon veggie with avocado, lemon, micro arugula and cucumber; and my favorite, Hamachi (yellowtail) with scallion and micro cilantro which I could have gladly made a meal of. Choosing to stick to fish dishes, we passed on the organic chicken teriyaki in favor of grilled Scottish salmon with miso soup and rice. The salmon was the prized salmon belly, perfectly rare inside with crispy skin on top and simply seasoned.
Lychee rice pudding with shiso and raspberry was a highlight, delicate, creamy and not overly sweet, a perfect complement to the Japanese cuisine. The presentation was an abstract work of art, an oval mound of litchee sorbet resting on the rice pudding and punctuated by gilded raspberries.
Equally good was the key lime pie with brown sugar crust topped with strawberries and raspberries. There are also specially priced cocktails, wine and sake choices, all $7 a glass. Note that as with many restaurants in the Sunset Harbor neighborhood, the noise level is energetic (actually, as many restaurants all over Miami).
Karen’s “Miami Spice” Sushi Garage Picks
Appetizer: Ceviche
Main: Scottish Salmon
Dessert: Lychee Rice Pudding
Sushi Garage, 1784 West Avenue, Miami Beach (T.305-763-8355).
