Sushi Samba ♥

 

 

 

Quick lunch at Sushi Samba before hitting the beach.

It serves Japanese + Brazilian + Peruvian cuisine. (Whew!)

Food tasted trendy more than anything else.  

 

 

Seared Wagyu Beef 
warm honshimeji mushroom, ponzu gelée, truffled tofu crema

 

 

Maine Lobster Crispy Taquitos 
lemongrass, frisée, hearts of palm, served with spicy aji panca sauce and fresh lime 

 

 

Rainbow Dragon Roll
fresh water eel, red bell pepper, cucumber, mango, avocado 

 

 

 Chicharron de Calamar
cornmeal crusted calamari, tomato, mint, plaintain, tamarind

 

 

Tiger Shrimp Tempura
As you can see, there is nothing tiger about the shrimp

  

 

In fairness, I quite enjoyed the Seabass and Miso Anticuchos with Peruvian Corn

 

 

Sushi Samba: 600 Lincoln Road  Miami Beach, Florida, 33139, USA. Tel: +1 (305) 673-5337

News Cafe ♥ ♥

  

 

 

On News Cafe's menu:

A "cafe" is a hangout where one can sit for as long as they want, sipping only a glass of wine, while listening to music or engaging in the simple daily ritual of leisurely reading the newspaper over a cup of coffee or tea and a bagel or croissant; this philosophy gave birth to News Cafe in 1988, with great outdoor seating facing the ocean.

  

 

From its humble beginnings as a small 8-seater ice cream parlor 24 years ago,
News Cafe has expanded to over 350 seats serving thousands everyday.
It is an institution in Miami. 

 

 

Locals and tourists flock to the cafe. Can't say it is because of the food, which, IMHO, is blah.
I come because of the happy, energetic vibe. It's a great place to spend your mornings.

 

 

Benedict Style Eggs, Smoked Salmon

 

 

Breakfast Special: Two Eggs with News Fries, Ham and Toast

 

 

Good Morning, Miami!

 

 

News Cafe: 800 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, 33139, USA. Tel: +1 (305) 538-6397

 

Michael's Genuine Food and Drink ♥ ♥

 

They say it is one of the musts in Miami.

Even my supercrush Anthony Bourdain thinks so.

Michael Schwartz champions fresh, sustainable local produce and mix-matches it with fun, unexpected ingredients.

That, to me, is always a winner.

 

The place was packed on a Tuesday night. So glad we came with reservations.
Meet my new best friend, OpenTable.com :)

 

 

It was so dark and red inside Michael's. While it was perfect for people who enjoy a little coquetry and romancing with their dinner, it turned out really bad for me and my photos.

 

Bread and whipped butter

 

 

 We ordered 3 medium dishes + dessert to share.

 

Chargrilled Octopus
salad of gigande beans, roasted peppers, green olives and torn herbs

 

 

Crispy Sweet and Spicy Pork Belly
kimchi, crushed peanuts, paradise farms pea shoots 

 

 

Pan Roasted Scallops
local calabaza puree, hazelnuts, pomegranate, crispy sage

 

  

Chocolate Cremoso
sea salt, olive oil, sourdough crostini, espresso parfait 

 

 

The ingredients tasted fresh indeed, but somehow it felt more exciting reading through the menu than actually eating the food.

Flavors were mediocre. Something was missing.

Or perhaps, someone was missing.

Next time I'll invite Anthony Bourdain.

 

Michael's Genuine Food and Drink: 130 Northeast 40th Street, Miami, Florida, 33137, USA.
Tel: +1 (305) 573-5550

Miami Sightseeing Cruise

 

 The 1.5 hour cruise starts at Bayside Market

 

 

Port of Miami

 

 

Biscayne Bay

 

 

On the cruise, you'll see the houses of Rosie O’Donnell, Shaquille O'Neal, Al Capone, Gloria Estefan, Donald Pliner, Elizabeth Taylor, Vanilla Ice, Puff Daddy, etc, etc, etc...

Not sure if I got these right, but it's what my failing memory remembers.

(Please correct if I got them all mixed up)

 

Miami Vice shoot location

 

 

Mexican pop star Paulina Rubio

 

 

Julio Iglesias

 

 

Scarface movie shoot location

 

 

Philip Frost. The largest on Star Island.

 

 

Will Smith

 

 

Other sights:

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And finally, Jin Perez's Yacht.
Har har har! :P

 

Miami Sightseeing Cruise: http://miamitourcompany.com/miami-cruise.html

Regent Fun Run 2012

 

 

Why not?

After the run, gift packs are up for grabs, so you can reward yourself by gorging on Regent Foods goodies. Mwahahaha!!!

Plus, there's a chance you can win a roundtrip ticket to Thailand via Thai Airways + an overnight accommodation at the Dusit Thani Hotel + many many more.

Registration starts June 22 till August 5 at selected Robinson’s Supermarket including Robinsons Galleria, Pioneer, Ermita, Timog, and BF Homes, and Runnr at the Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. 

 

For more info:

Regent Foods Website: http://www.regentfoods.com.ph

Regent Foods Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/regentfoodscorp

Joe's Stone Crab ♥ ♥ ♥

 

 

In 1913, Hungarian-born Joe Weiss arrived in Miami Beach from New York hoping to relieve his asthma. Five years later, he opened up the original Joe's Restaurant in the front room of the bungalow he shared with his wife Jennie on Biscayne Street. In 1921, an icthyologist noticed the large number of stone crabs in the area and brought them to Joe to find out if they were edible. And as Patricia Schultz says, "And so an institution was born."

Joe's Stone Crab is often visited by politicians, actors, and athletes. 

Famous guests have included Al Capone, Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones and Howard Cosell.

And now, Jin Loves to Eat! HA!!! :P 

 

 

Reservations are not accepted and the restaurant is packed when we arrive for dinner at 9pm. 
There is a cozy bar area where you can enjoy a cocktail or two while you wait. 

 

 

 Or you can opt to wait under the stars. It took almost an hour for a table to free up.

 

 

The main dining room. Finally!

 

 

Breads

 

 

Seafood Bisque - seafood to the second power!

 

 

Chopped Salad with honey-roasted peanuts, black olives, feta cheese, diced vegetables, 
chopped egg tossed in Joe's vinaigrette

 

 

Fried Oysters - just okay

 

 

And the main event… Stone Crabs!
The claws are served chilled and cracked so there is little labor or mess involved. Hooray for me.
The light and super fresh-tasting crabmeat goes so well with the sweetish mustard sauce.
Simple yet very satisfying. 

 

 

Jin loves Joe's. Ready, set, go!

 

 

No better way to end the meal than with a whole slice of Joe's Original Homemade Key Lime Pie.
Or two. 

 

 

During the one hour wait, I went next door to check out Joe's Take Away.

 

People who do not want to wait hours can come here for stone crabs to go

 

 

They also have salads

 

 

Small bites

 

 

Cakes and desserts

 

 

And fresh flowers, too!

 

 

Bought a Lobster Roll for my breakfast the next day...

 

 

… and Feta Stuffed Peppers and Apple Juice. Yum.

 

 

Joe's Stone Crab: 11 Washington Avenue  Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA. Tel: +1 (305) 673-0365