Richard Hales’s Asian moxy continues with Blackbrick Chinese

By Josie Gulliksenjgulliksen@bellsouth.netStaking his claim as king of Asian cuisine in the Design District, Chef Richard Hales has struck gold again with Blackbrick Chinese in Midtown. His success at Sakaya Kitchen across the grassy field that divides Midtown means he’s the dominant force in the area.At the small, intimate sit down Blackbrick the open kitchen, where Hales reigns with a talented kitchen staff for all diners to see, features just as interesting an interior.Intimate tables and the dimly lit interior play well with the colorful red chandelier lanterns that provide most of the lighting. But this place also has a great bar area that’s perfect for dining or just grabbing a cocktail.Dim sum’s the ticket at this place, since there aren’t many other spots in Miami that offer the pillowy, pop them in your mouth variety of Chinese dumplings ($6-11). At Blackbrick the fried chicken and garlic dumpling with house made sweet and sour sauce is a great starter to dinner while the Xinjang cumin lamb dumpling is one of the more unique offerings.For dinner it’s great to mix it up, choosing dishes from several areas of the menu. The idea is to sample a variety of smaller plates and larger ones that are perfect for sharing.The fresh made noodles are a must try ($16). particularly the juicy spice rubbed cumin lamb with baby local fennel served over in-house wheat flat noodles. The delicate taste of those house made noodles comes through in every bite.And for a great seafood dish, the shareable Wok garlic sea scallop and Sublicious local farms perfectly cooked chewy white oyster mushrooms is the top choice ($14). And their take on fried rice is pure authenticity and features Maine lobster and duck, certainly not traditional fried rice ingredients and most definitely unique and delicious ($29 and $16).It is refreshing to see a star chef cooking with local ingredients and putting out an incredibly well thought out menu that celebrates the true flavors of Asia. There’s no doubt that Hales will continue evolving the menu at Blackbrick to keep foodies interested and coming back for more.Blackbrick Chinese3451 NE 1 Ave, Miami, FL 33137TEL: 305-573-8886Monday – Thursday 11:30am to 11:00pmFriday 11:30am to 12:00amSaturday 11:30am to 2:00amSunday: Closed