Escape to Asia with a Chinese/Japanese fusion at Novikov
There's lots of construction still going on in Downtown Miami's Met One Building but walk past the dust and make your way to Novikov. You can brush off the dust later, trust me, you won't regret it.
Right away, POW you're greeted with a colorful sculpture which is just before you reach the hostess stand. You'll want to capture this striking tall piece of art for your IG account. It's sure to start landing on one of those "Most Instagrammable spots" stories that are always circulating.
Once you're led to your table, it's impossible not to notice the selection of fresh seafood in the very elaborate and fancy display case. Set against a red backdrop, the seafood just pops even more.Just as exciting as the decor and the vibe was the Miami Spice Menu they brought to the table. The choices were tough, especially since there were two choices of dumplings and I could only choose one.
I chose the Saffron sweet corn dumplings because they sounded both interesting and delicious and they were, but I still want to go back and try the shrimp cilantro ones. The ones I chose were really perfection so I'm not complaining at all. Soy and tangy red chili sauces were great for dipping.My daughter chose the pork skewers for her appetizer and they were juicy, tender and brushed with a sticky Asian sauce. Squeezing fresh lemon on them added brightness and the microgreens on top added a little bite.
Our entree choices were the wok salmon with black bean sauce and San Pei chicken with aged soy sauce. I tasted a bite of the salmon and loved it with the rich black bean sauce and the garnish of red onions. Plus, the plating was great with with the salmon set atop a green leaf which gave it almost a tropical feel. My chicken dish in a beautiful Asian pot was moist and flavorful and like the pork, tossed in a nice sticky sauce. The colorful vegetables added crunch and the bowl of white rice was obviously the perfect accompaniment.
And because I'm not a fan of key lime (one dessert was a key lime tapioca), we both got the Umeshu Black Forest cake. This is not your traditional slice of cake instead, it's two small round pieces of moist cake with a light icing center topped with slices of deep red cherries. The cherries are also used as a garnish atop a light whipped cream and gold flakes.The menu was an utter delight, as was watching the chefs in action at the open kitchen, which is visible from just about anywhere in the restaurant. Their deep concentration on creating the perfect dish is why what's being brought to every table is so good. I know I'm certainly returning for those dumplings I didn't try.Novikov Miami, 300 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami, (305) 489-1000
