Red Koi Thai & Sushi Lounge - Coral Gables, FL

Lychee Mojito

 

Long Island Iced Tea

 

Spicy Krab Roll

 

JB Roll

 

Massaman Curry with Shrimp

 

Thai Donuts

 

 

Service started slow but progressed as the meal went on, as did the food. The drinks were watered down and the sushi okay but once I got to the main entrée, I was enjoying it a lot better. The real problem though is that prices are a tad high for the quality.

Red Koi Thai & Sushi Lounge
317 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 446-2690
www.redkoilounge.com

CRAVE - Coral Gables, FL

Premium Bento Box

 

 

I feel bad because our server was really nice, but it was just horrible.

CRAVE
Village of Merrick Park
4250 Salzedo Street #1425, Coral Gables, FL 33146
(305) 444-4595
www.cravecoralgables.com

Chiba - New Orleans, LA

Short Rib Tempura

 

Pan-roasted Mussels

 

St. Charles Ave Roll

 

Fried Rice

 

 

 

Basically I wanted to go to the restaurant next door, but the were booked with over a two hour wait. I was not waiting that long so we came here instead. I never heard of this restaurant before so I had no expectations. Not expecting anything, I was not disappointed, but I was not dazzled. It was all-right.

Chiba
8312 Oak Street, New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 826-9119
www.chiba-nola.com

My Top 10 Meals Of 2014

10) Wakin’ Bakin’ - New Orleans, LA

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this fresh, delicious and homemade meal made my day.

 

9) Fins & Things Caribbean Seafood Bar & Grill - Sunrise, FL

Caribbean and seafood, these are two of my favorite things!

  

8) Swine Southern Table & Bar - Coral Gables, FL

A salad shouldn't be anyone's favorite meal, but cornbread as croutons made it delish. Plus it was a great start to an even better meal.

7) SAIA Sushi Asian Grill - Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sushi is everywhere; some good, some bad. However, it is hardly ever memorable and this was.

6) Pincho Factory - Coral Gables, FL

A tasty twist on the original burger. Plus a shout out to my South Florida roots.

5) Machiya - Miami, FL

Ramen became a craze, just like cronuts and many others but this right here surpasses the frenzy.

4) Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill - Miami, FL

Happiest hour! Drink are fresh and the food is spectacular.

3) Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Restaurant - Miami Beach, FL

Miami Beach is for tourists, but food like the Old School easily becomes a favorite even among locals.

2) LP Steamers - Baltimore, MD

I am in love with seafood (the true reason I could never be vegetarian, plus the fact that I love bacon). I wish I had some of these right now.

 

1) Gott's Roadside - Napa Valley, CA

Simple but so so good! I could eat these Ahi Poke Crispy Tacos everyday for the rest of my life.

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill - Midtown - Miami, FL

Hibiscus Blossom

Rating: Amazing

Spice of Love

Rating: Amazing

Rum 'n' Bramble

Rating: Amazing

 

Louisiana Purchase

Rating: Amazing

American Wagyu Slider

Rating: Amazing

East & West Coast Oysters

Rating: Amazing (Some of the best I've had)

Spicy Tuna

Rating: Amazing

Octopus

Rating: Amazing

 

Fun that includes crafty cocktails and tasty tapas on a beautiful outdoor patio, need I say more!

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill
3252 NE 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33137
(786) 369-0353
www.sugarcanerawbargrill.com

SUSHISAMBA - Coral Gables, FL

 

Sushisamba has been a long time coming experience. I've known about then for a long time, even made reservation one time (ended not showing up). In any case, I finally made it and there was no better way to experience it than during Miami Spice where I could get a sampling of menu items.
 

My fiancé met up with me for lunch so we were able to share. Our first appetizer was the Shrimp Seviche. It was not exactly what I would call ceviche, but was very good and tropical tasting.
 

Our other appetizer was the Sea Bass Dumplings. It has a summery feel to it, but I found the pasta to be a bit thick and gummy.
 

For my entrée I had the Steamed Clams. The sauce was the bomb and the pork belly was off the chain.
 

My fiancé has the Soy Braised Short Rib. It had the potential to be good, but failed to be completely satisfying because it was cold.
 

For dessert I had the Chocolate Banana Cake. The cake was good, moist, but the rum sauce was everything.
 

My fiancé had a selection of their ice creams (coconut and chocolate). He loved it.
 

Overall Sushisamba was a good experience and I am willing to come back and next time try their sushi offerings.

 

 

SUSHISAMBA

180 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 448-4990

www.sushisamba.com

Sushi Maki - Coral Gables, FL

I wanted sushi for lunch and was headed to the restaurant across the street when I saw that this place which was jam packed so I made the quick switch to go here instead because if its packed, it has to be better.

The restaurant is fairly small and you can dine outside but unless I'm crazy I'm not doing that in the middle of the day in the Miami heat so dining in was the only option. We got lucky though and they found us a table in the back.

For starter we had the Sushi Taco Trio. It not the best quality fish, but for the prices you are paying (which is quite cheap), it is understandable. I quite enjoyed the tacos but sadly this was as good as it was going to get.

 

I then had a Red Dragon Reloaded Roll. It was alright, but I personally didn't really enjoy it. It had a strange tangy, sour taste that was throwing it off.
 

 

 My dining companion had the Pad Thai and Steak. The Pad Thai wasn't bad, but was not great either and it was just very odd that the steak tasted like liver and kind of look like it too.

 

We also tried the Char-Sui Roast Pork Ramen. The were some likeable elements, but really I would never get that again.

 

We finished the meal off with the  Banana Wontons. The bananas were over ripe and very soft. The wontons on the other hand were dry and a little difficult to bite into. It was a bit of a disastrous dessert.
 

 

Service was okay, a bit slow at times. Prices are great, but I am not really willing to compromise quality for a good price.

Sushi Maki
2334 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 443-1884
www.sushimaki.com

KONE Temaki Sake Lounge - Miami Beach (South Beach), FL

Is it Japanese? Brazilian? I don't know, but I am going to drink this Lychee Sakirinha and enjoy the experience. No matter what country it may be from, a drink is a good one when it is made with real Lychee, Sake and Sugar, and in this Miami heat is quite refreshing.

I have drove past this restaurant a million times (being that it is right off 5th) but never had any interest to dine here. Not sure why I ended up here, but in any case I did, and although they describe themselves as sushi with a Brazilian twist, let's be honest, it is your pretty standard sushi options. Case in point, the Magma Roll (Salmon, Chili Sauce & Powder, Scallions topped with Tuna and Spicy Mayo). 

Then there was the Protein Roll. Their version fell completely flat. It was in dire need of something more and looked so sad on the plate.

Of course, I cannot remember the name of my favorite of the night, but I did like the adventurous taste and unique quality.

While Kone offers an calming, sleek and intimate atmosphere for dining, service was unremarkable and it is a bit pricey (for what you are getting), but then again that's Miami for you!

KONE Temaki Sake Lounge

232 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

(305) 397-8770

www.konemiami.com