Tanuki's Brunch Feast makes for a tasty outing
I recently returned to Tanuki to check out their new Brunch Feast because frankly, sampling anything new at this South Beach hot spot is always welcomed. And this little guy below welcoming you in is just too much fun.
When they use the word "Feast" they aren't kidding. When we were presented with the menu, the options were mind boggling, and in this case that's a good thing. For $58 per person you have a choice of one of a trio of welcome cocktails or free flow mimosas or wine for two hours. The buffet includes over a dozen Pan-Asian dishes where you can return and have as many as you wish and for an entree you can choose one of seven items. Dessert is a chef selection for the table.
I started off with the dainty and adorable Tori cocktail made with Nikkey Coffey Gin, fresh lime juice, St. Germain, cucumber, simple syrup and egg white. It's served in a bird-shaped glass and adorned with a flower. Refreshingly delightful both in taste and appearance.
We (my daughter and I because she's a big fan of Asian food) went for the buffet next. Now, take a deep breath before reading this because the buffet includes: miso soup, spicy green salad, tomato salad, mushroom hotpot, vegetable fried rice, stir fry veggies, assorted maki/nigiri, tuna crispy rice, sashimi, oysters, chicken wings, pork butt and Wagyu gyoza. I have to admit, between the two of us, we tried all these except the Wagyu gyoza which we waited for but never materialized. When I asked they did say they were preparing them though. And btw, everything we tried was great.
After all that ( remember, the name is "Brunch Feast") we moved on to our entrees. I chose the selection of dim sum and my daughter chose the salmon, both excellent choices. The dim sum included a nice variety of six pieces two each filled with duck, shrimp and salmon and crab and the salmon was grilled and topped with a thick miso glaze. Their dim sum selection is fantastic and so it was an easy choice for me and the salmon was perfection.
The beautiful dessert included a few pieces each of assorted mochi one coconut and one basil flavored (and they looked like wedges of cheese) which was a great trick because the board it was served on also featured green grapes and mango slices as well as a small bowl of strawberry ice cream served over an Asian-inspired mousse. The mousse has a very deep, rich chocolate flavor which balances well with the sweet strawberry and mochi is always a nice part of Asian dessert and the flavors were nice.
The Brunch Feast is great but definitely also check out their $23 Express Lunch. And of course, the dim sum!
Tanuki, 1080 Alton Rd., Miami Beach, 305.615.1055
