I was enamored by the entire meal, and I guarantee it will shift your perception of Korean food. Jungsik is one of the most refined and creative restaurants in New York.
Joliet is a more sophisticated spot than the majority in South Beach, and their Southern-inspired menu and hospitality were delightful and fun.
The Eating House debuts its much anticipated new location in Coral Gables, it showcases a creative, tantalizing mix and interplay of brilliant dishes.
Vinya Table in Coral Gables, is a restaurant and market. It has an impressive and diverse wine menu, with a large collection of rare and collectible wines, as well as creative, handcrafted cocktails. The food offers something for every palate.
If the name doesn’t grab you the food certainly will! This new concept restaurant Walrus Rodeo, from the same people who brought you Michelin Star Boia De should definitely be checked out if you’re in town.
TUR was voted the best new restaurant in 2020 in the Miami New Times. I beg to differ…
The chef uses luxurious produce, yet his food is not pretentious, just simplicity at its finest.
Recommend in the new Canadian Michelin Guide and recommend enthusiastically by me!
The chef uses luxe ingredients from Southern California or imports them from places like Haikodo Japan and using skillful technique and glorious presentations, along with genuine hospitality and gracious service, it was a memorable meal indeed.
I’m back recommending my favourite new and notable Miami restaurants along with my tried and true choices for ShaneaSavours 2021 Hit List.
La Wagyeria is one of Miami’s most unique, creative, easy to digest, and memorable dining experiences. If you are able to snag a reservation on their Instagram, you will be in for a treat.
Miami’s Leku Restaurant showcases some exceptional regional specialties, unlike anything else in Miami. This restaurant is a destination in itself. We did not experience one undesirable dish, all were exquisite, artfully plated, and delicious.
Newly opened Doughnut Break in Miami is pushing the envelope with their tasty creations. I really want this place to succeed, so I hope you will support them. The donuts not only look like a work of art, but they also taste amazing.
Although a tiny spot, El Tenedor Restaurant and Wine Bar in Toronto is big in serving creative and delicious, palate-pleasing food.
The meal at Somni in Los Angeles made me swoon. They have created a multi-sensory culinary experience centered around a stunning bespoke exhibition kitchen for 10 guests.
Eating at Somni in the SLS Hotel Los Angeles was definitely one of my most memorable meals to date. It was creative, contemporary, artistic, breathtaking and timed so perfectly. It’s no wonder they earned 2 Michelin stars right out of the box!
Coral Gables is not in my neck of the woods. I only know of a few restaurants there and I wanted to try M House as it was a relatively new spot in the Aloft Hotel.
There is an open kitchen at the Restaurant at Pearl Morissette in Ontario where you see Chefs Daniel and Eric, work alongside their team to create a French and Canadian, inspired cuisine. All the ceramics and utensils are custom crafted by locals, and everything is hand washed by the chefs and staff.
If you consider yourself a true foodie than Central in Lima is a must-visit destination. Each dish here is beautifully prepared with precision, intellectualism, innovation, finesse and notable highlights. Craft vs art, and the hype meets reality. Kudos!
At Astrid Y Gaston in Lima, Peru everything was well-choreographed and extremely professional. It is a great experience for foodies and I wouldn’t hesitate to highly recommend this fine dining Peruvian cuisine.
At Obra Kitchen Table in Miami my meal was a gastronomic feast, that was creative, ambitious, innovative and yet unpretentious, approachable and casual. Considering the pedigree of the chef, the food was moderately priced.
All in all, Paris Paris in Toronto is an inviting vibe, with an original, innovative menu. It is a welcome refuge, to get together with friends or loved ones, over a glass or two of wine, and a few bites.
I am always excited to see a new Peruvian restaurants opening, and Toronto has far too few of them. Recently Kay Pacha opened at 744 St. Clair Avenue West.
Labora Restaurant in Toronto’s Campo Food Hall serves robust and flavourful food with appreciation for the simple and perfect preparation and flavour pairing.
Barmini is a real original, with an upscale, jet-set, power couples and corporate crowd. Sit back and watch the chemists go to work. It is like science meets art, and this place is one hot ticket.
Palat Restaurant is an eye-catching spot, and made me do a double take as I was driving by. I hadn’t heard a thing about it, but decided to try it on a whim, for lunch. It was so good, I returned for dinner the next day.
Mendin and Friends Dinner Series at Habitat, Miami delivers inspiring, well executed and appealing dishes.
I was truly impressed with the culinary excellence, meal is opulent and rich tasting.
We found the shareable tapas plates to be more to our liking, I would recommend going heavier on a large variety of these and lighter on the mains. My favourite dish, however, is the tender, charred octopus à la plancha, with arugula, and Marcona almonds.
Ramon Freixa has set Madrid on fire with his stylish contemporary cuisine.A leader in Mediterranean food, he takes it to a new dimension. Each and every course served is a palate adventure.
StreetXO in Madrid serves dishes that are creative, boldly flavored and fun to eat. It is the kind of food that has no limits, with dishes you’ve never heard of before. It’s street food with a twist, drawn from the inspiration of Asian food stalls.
At Madrid’s Dstage the meal is a special interactive experience. Each dish is beautifully presented and every ingredient is beautifully contrasted in a perfect balance.
Álbora is a refined and ambitious restaurant, serving haute cuisine with Basque Chef David Garcia. The owners have combined two of their other ventures – famous hams and Spain’s most sought-after vegetable conserves, so the restaurant is known for using stellar ingredients.
It’s hard to pigeonhole the cuisine at Restaurante Triciclo in Madrid but it’s easy to love. The food captures a multicultural spirit, with Spanish, Peruvian, Chinese and Italian dishes. They push the boundaries and serve well prepared and attractively presented dishes.
Bar Sybanne in Toronto surpassed all my expectations. The reasonably priced menu offers artfully-plated, creative dishes with a great interplay of textures and tastes.
Arzabal in Madrid, Spain is sophisticated and romantic, serving quality food that is modestly priced. The whole experience is all very easy to digest.
Hexagon Restaurant in Oakville strives for culinary excellence, and Chef Sean goes to great lengths to succeed. His new restaurant sets the stage for his creative talent.
Montgomery’s Restaurant has steadily become known by those “in the know”, featuring Canadian dishes with local ingredients, many sourced from the Mennonite community.
Osteria Francescana in Modena, IT serves modern Italian cuisine in a sophisticated setting. It’s the ultimate stage for Chef Massimo to showcase his supreme talent.
Estia is Toronto’s new “it” restaurant of the moment. The emphasis is on fresh, simple, uncomplicated dishes, that are cooked well. And really, isn’t this just what people are looking for?
The restaurant is chic, and sophisticated with a hip vibe.
Dining at Binkley’s in Phoenix was one of my most memorable experiences that I won’t soon forget. Without a doubt, it is the best restaurant in the city.
All the dishes at Canis in Toronto have simple descriptions on the menu, but when you receive the food you see how complex each dish is, with many components to them.
Doug Penfold’s new Toronto restaurant, Atlas, features dishes inspired by the his travels to Morocco and the Atlas Mountains. The cuisine presents a rich tapestry of spices and herbs, textures and tastes.
Toronto’s Grey Gardens is fresh, seasonal and creative. A neighbourhood place where you can drop by for a drink and snacks, or stay for dinner.
Tatel’s opening in Miami has been eagerly awaited by many. After all, global superstars and restaurant partners Rafael Nadal and Enrique Iglesias, and basketball star, Pau Gasol, are ambassadors for the Spain-based project, along with business entrepreneurs Abel Matutes and Manuel Campos Guallar. The first Tatel restaurant has become one of the trendiest restaurants in Madrid.
Everything about Popina in Tel Aviv is experience driven: from the ingredients to the immaculate plating and modernist methods. Choose a variety of dishes to taste all the flavours and cooking styles. It was definitely my best meal in Israel.
Bazaar Mar by Jose Andres at SLS Brickell offers a vibrant overwhelming mix of sophisticated and whimsical cuisine, in a playful, Mediterranean interior. The emphasis is on fresh fish from local and Caribbean waters. It is a meal to remember.
I recently discovered Casa Gioia (which translates to “house of joy”) in Miami – my new favourite bakery for 2016/2017. Everything is truly exceptional, artisanal and unique. It’s a new local treasure for me, “sharing joy one bite at a time”.
Peruvian cuisine is among the most varied and best in the world. Each region has its own local culinary treasures depending on the climate and landscape, including influences from the indigenous population including the Incas as well as cuisines brought from Europe including Spain, Italy, and Germany. There can also be influences from Asia and West Africa as well.
The tasting menu is always a surprise. They won’t tell you what it is in advance. They only ask if you have any allergies or aversions.
I was impressed with the level of technical precision, and the elaborate, complex dishes. But was I blown away? Was each dish brilliant? Unfortunately, neither was not the case for me. Of the 22 small bites, I would say 4-5 were standouts. The rest were merely good. There were was a lot of theatrical value, flavour explosions and original dishes.
There are a few good options of where to stay while in Barcelona. It may depend on if you want to include a beach vacation as well as a city vacation, or whether you want to be in the center of things, close to shopping and the historical sights.
This year the restaurant was named the 7th best restaurant in the world by San Pellegrino. This rating baffles me. The food really lacked flavour, creativity and taste. Some dishes were bland, or fishy or sour tasting. You can imagine my huge disappointment. The food just wasn’t appealing.
We could choose from two tasting menus – a fifteen course plus four desserts, or a twenty course with five desserts. We chose the larger menu to get the full experience. Each dish was artfully presented and explained to us as well as the history of its origin.
Our evening had so much attention to detail in a fun ambience where we really felt welcome. Every dish was creative, whimsical and unique. Tickets is a palette adventure with everything cooked to a toothsome delight. It was an unforgettable experience, and a must visit for anyone interested in food. My favourite meal in Barcelona!
I found the Maria Cristina to be the grande dame of San Sebastián. A landmark hotel, it has been transformed and restored to its former glory.
If you are tired of large group, canned itinerary trips, and instead seek a smaller group with a more attentive host, and a slower pace where you can savour local tastes – this may be just the thing for you.
Just about everything was memorable, but one dish in particular that I loved was the roasted lamb loin over a nut and Armagnac spread accompanied by yucca and “guitar” shavings which envelop the whole dish in a light cypress aroma. This was placed on a video screen tablet that had flames shooting out. The roast pigeon with potato feathers was quite a standout too. Every mouthful brought joy to me. Food as art, just pure bliss.
It was cooking in its purest form and a dining experience I will never forget. The food was accessible and uncomplicated, yet cooked with precision, and a kiss of smoke. Truly a dining experience I will never forget.
Photos from a recent trip to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
The food here is quite simply the reason I chose to visit in and of itself. I could spend a week here sampling the food and not get bored. However, I only had four days and I had to figure out how to pace myself. The pinxtos culture of grazing as one walks from bar to bar, lends itself perfectly for this.
Sourced from 8 different countries for their style, craftsmanship and quality – if you are a passionate chef, a skilled cook or just demand the best equipment in your kitchen then you owe it to yourself to check out Hacher and Krain knives in Toronto.
Unscripted Bal Harbour held another interesting Art Chat on April 28th, 2016, at the St. Regis Hotel in Bal Harbour. A full house came out to hearMr. Franklin Sirmans, the director of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), and a curator, writer and educator, interview world renown artist, Teresita Fernandez.
Antonio Bachour, James Beard award nominee and one of the city’s most acclaimed pastry chefs (from Bal Harbour St. Regis) has teamed up with Henry Hare, the former chef of Eating House (a favourite restaurant of mine) to launch this delicious new spot. One of the perks of my job is having a little extra pull. Chef Antonio came outside to greet us and warmly invited us inside.
Marion is a restaurant with the flavours of the South of France and elements of Spain, Greece and Italy. Located in the Brickell area. It’s a little tricky to find but worth the effort.
Palm Beach Luxury footwear boutique, Stubbs and Wootton is a located at 1 Via Parigi, in a shopping alley off of Worth Avenue. They have been purveyors of handmade artisan-crafted slippers, loafers, espadrilles and sandals since 1993. They are made in Spain and have since opened stores in New York, Southhampton and Palm Beach.
There are very few restaurants left in Miami where you can put on a suit and a dress these days. The Matador Room in Ian Schrager’s Miami Beach Edition Hotel is an exception. Located at 2901 Collins Avenue, it’s a stunning, sunken circular space, to mimic the feel of a bull fighting arena, with high ceilings, and artwork of famous Matadors and their costumes. Inside is very elegant and refined. I also love dining outside on the terrace surrounding the beautiful pool. It has a romantic, tropical feel which is very sexy. The crowd is dressed to the nines.