Moonchine Asian Bistro

Japanese/Thai/Vietnamese Bistro in MiMo

What we had:

My DH had the Pad Thai with Chicken--This is our favorite Pad Thai so far in Miami. A nice blend of spicy/sweet/sour with a good toppings-to-noodle ratio.

I had the 16-piece nigiri sushi plate--crab, eel, egg, hamachi, snapper, tuna & salmon. The rice pillows were nice and tight and the seafood was very fresh tasting.

Décor:

It's like eating in the middle of a Vanity Fair shoot or an upscale low-key nightclub. I'm totally in love with the red dot theme, and the blend of tufted leather (ettes) on the booths with shiny tiles and great low-key lighting lent a really nice vibe to dinner. There is also a nice patio out back that begs for cocktails.

Service:

Not bad, though the sushi guy was s-l-o-w.

Overall impressions:

Pretty darn great. We will definitely have to go back for the sushi rolls and another noodle dish.

What Google says; The company website may be moonchine.com, though I got one of those "reported attack site. Let us scan your computer" pages.

Rating:

3.5 out of 5 salamanders

Bourbon Steak

Upscale classic-with-a-twist steakhouse in Aventura. James Beard award-winning chef Michael Mina is the founder and CEO.

What we had:

Table Starters:
Duck-fat fries three ways: Herb and garlic, spicy and a smoky spicy with roasted garlic aioli, a spicy ketchup, and a sweet/sou ketchup. The fries were freakin fantabulous.

Fresh, light, well-seasoned foccacia served in a copper pan.

Appetizer:
Crab Louie Lettuce Cups--crab and avocado with sriracha vinaigrette. A nice, light crab amuse bouche with a really nice sriracha vinaigrette. The avocado didn't really come through, but the appetizer was good nonetheless.

Main:
10-oz. filet mignon--spot-on and cooked perfectly.
8-oz. American "Kobe" filet mignon--We expected a Kobe filet to be good, but half-expected it to be yet another overrated "foodie" ingredient. We were wrong. Regular filet can't hold a candle to American Kobe. It's a beef orgasm in every bite. The meat was so tender I could separate individual muscle fibers with my tongue. Holy crap this was good.

Side:
Truffled mac & cheese. Tasty, tasty truffled mac & cheese.

Drinks:
Key lime pie martini--Stoli Vani, Hangar One Kaffir Lime, Licor 43, Fresh Lime & Cream
This was a nice cocktail. Not too aggressive of a vodka or cream taste with a nice lime finish.

Vodka martini with a twist--Grey goose as always. My DH said it was good, though I harbor my doubts that it tasted like lighter fluid. He enjoyed it though.

Décor:

Rich grainy woods, low light, comfortable champaigne velvet couches, interesting mirrors, really cool wine displays. This place would be perfect to take a birthday girl (like me), for an anniversary dinner, to make a good impression on clients, etc. Nice steakhouse feel without being old-fashioned or too "gentlemen's club."

Service:

I had seen bad reviews of the service online, and had no problems at all. Our waiter had a good balance of interested and unobtrusive, and the other waiters bustled around clearing dishes, refilling water, etc. without detracting from the dinner experience.

Overall impressions:

We are in love. We heart American Kobe, and I'm very glad we chose this place for my birthday. There isn't much that makes me happier than a slab of rare beef. This place did not disappoint, and we need an excuse to go back.

What Google says; Company website

Rating:

5 out of 5 salamanders

Tokyo Bowl

Fast, inexpensive Japanese noodle and rice bowls and all you can eat sushi

What we had:

I had a honey garlic chicken noodle bowl. quick-fried chicken in panko with broccoli, carrots, and honey-garlic sauce over noodles. Tasty and under $5. No complaints really.

My DH had the teriyaki chicken over rice bowl. His has non-fried chicken and vegetables with a light teriyaki sauce.

Décor:

So-so.

Service:

Quick, friendly.

Overall impressions:

It's hard to go wrong with a noodle bowl. The food quality was nice. I'm fairly certain the noodles were pretty fresh, the service was fast, and the meal was very inexpensive. I'd like to try the sushi next time.

What Google says; no company website

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Fratelli Lyon

Italian antipasti/sandwich/dinner spot in the design district.

What we had:

Carciofi alla mediterranea--marinated artichokes, leeks & fennel served antipasti-style
Combination of 3 salumi:
Coppa--USA cured pork shoulder
Bresaola--Uruguay air-dried beef
Toscano--USA Coarse ground dry-cured sausage

The artichokes were fair, but the real star of the meal was the meat. It was a toss-up between the beef and the sausage for our favorite. Both were superb. All three were, really.

The meal also came with chewy, perfect fresh bread slices.

I also had a fresh blood orange soda, and it was great. I'm not fan of sugar at all, and this was a really good soda. I'm not sure what it was sweetened with, but whatever i was, it wasn't obnoxious.

We also had espresso, which was tasty and served with delicate almond cookie lumps.

Décor:

Nice. Modern, clean, orange & white.

Service:

so-so. Our drinks took almost until the meal was finished to come.

Overall impressions:

A satisfying light lunch spot. I'm curious to see how dinner is.

What Google says; company website

Rating:

4 out of 5 salamanders

Tapas & Tintos

Spanish tapas restaurant on Esplanade Way.

What we had:

Dedos del diablo--lightly breaded & fried jumbo shrimp stuffed with serrano ham, goat cheese, served with an with avocado/tomato salad and grilled asparagus spears. This was my favorite, though I didn't really taste the ham at all. My DH felt the goat cheese was a little overwhelming, but since I could happily swim in the stuff, I did not. DH liked it better with the avocado spread on top.

Bacalao-stuffed piquillo pepper with red pepper sauce and some form of creamy cheese. It was okay. I enjoyed the silkiness of the salt cod mixed with the creamy cheese. My DH didn't like it at all--he said it was too fishy.

Grilled pork loin with grilled red and green bell pepper garnish. My DH's favorite. I thought it was a touch dry, but tasty overall.

Décor:

We ate outside in the alley, but the atmosphere was still pretty decent.

Service:

S0-so. They were on Spanish time.

Overall impressions:

It was okay. I'd possibly go back, but I'm in no hurry to do so.

What Google says; company website

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Big Slick's Deli

Lunch spot on West Dixie in Aventura popular (at least on the day we went) with cops.

What we had:

We both had the Open Ender sandwich-Turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, pressed hot Cuban-style. The sandwich was decent. Not terribly over-the-top special, but if I were out for lunch from work, I'd be pleased.

Décor:

Nothing terribly special; pretty much what you'd expect from a lunch spot.

Service:

Order at the counter-style

Overall impressions:

Not bad.

What Google says; company website.

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Enso Restaurant

I'm not 100% sure how to classify this place. It's a restaurant with a manifesto. The manifesto is a bit muddled, but it goes something like the scientific pursuit of making food taste better. The menu consists of Sushi, yakitori-style meat and vegetable skewers, an interesting absinthe and cheese plate, studies in dessert mediums, and a ginormous wine menu.

What we had:

We split an order of 5 skewers--mushroom, shrimp, lamb, pork and tuna. The skewers were served with sticky rice and tortillas. All in all a satisfying lunch. We <3 sticky rice. The meats were cooked well (the yakitori tableside warmer things are to finish them off), and seasoned properly.

Décor:

We ate outside, and the chairs were very comfortable with nice modern wood block backs. Enso also has dining couches.

Service:

S0-so. The guy was busy but he was trying.

Overall impressions:

Call me a sucker for a manifesto, but I'm intrigued by the absinthe & cheese dish and studies in dessert.

I can't find this place on Google, and that surprises me. Maybe they're just new.

Rating:

3.5 out of 5 salamanders