Dim Sum is the name for southern Chinese cuisine which involves a wide range of light, small portioned dishes including meat, seafood, and vegetables as well as desserts and fruit. Myself and twenty-five foodie friends descended up the glamorous Hakkasan within the Fontainebleau, Miami Beach for Dim Sum Brunch on Sunday it was a deliciously exotic adventure.
The restaurant itself is sexy overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with its nouveau Asian decor and ultra-glam dim lighting, lending itself to the Dim Sum menu of light and small portions; you will not find Pu-Pu Platters of fried shrimp, BBQ spareribs and chicken wings on this menu. Eating here makes you feel sexy and light, a product of the environment if you will, sort of, you are what you eat.
Dishes, bowls and steamed baskets of traditional Chinese fare were passed around the table more times than a great tweet on Twitter. This was my first Dim Sum experience (I know, I know, and the rock I just came out from under is…..) and as tasty as the food was the best part was the sharing. I’ve said it many times before that it’s not always about the food but the company and the experience you share your food with that makes it “the best” meal you ever had.
Our Dim Sum brunch was served family style lending itself to much interaction with our tablemates. The Dim Sum menu we feasted on was Siew Long Bun, Mushroom Cheung Fun, Char Sui Bun and Grilled Dumplings. The essence and textures of each dish was more striking than the next. It was a delicious ride through a Chinese Garden of flavors; spicy, chewy, crunchy, savory, sweet and melt in your mouth soft, these Dim Sum selections made your taste buds dance.
The Stir-Fry selections we had were Braised Tofu and Aubergine claypot, French Bean with preserved olive and dried shrimp and Wild Mushroom hand pulled noodles. When you have the opportunity to sample food out of your “comfort zone menu” you should; you never know….and the Braised Tofu is a perfect example. I’m a texture-girl and tofu just isn’t my thing, had it once and decided I can live without it. But the opportunity presented itself in a hot, steamy claypot right in front of me so I figured let’s give it another taste. Aubergine is a meaty vegetable that excels in a hot pot because it acts as a sponge, soaking up all the flavors, combined with the braised tofu it was a hearty substantial dish yet deliciously good for you as well, you didn’t feel guilty eating this dish. The Wild Mushroom hand pulled noodles, superb! These delicate noodles were perfectly cooked; not sticky, starchy or stuck together, that feat is one most cannot master. This dish alone is worth visiting Hakkasan. The Barbeque dish was King Soya Chicken. Moist and tender, precisely cooked with just the right amount of barbeque flavoring without being overdone or swimming in a sea of barbeque sauce.
And we round out our epicurean Cantonese journey with a Ginger Crème Brûlée. The custard was exquisite. A sweet, creamy rich blend with the contrasting layer of torched caramel thin enough to break the layer with just a tap of your spoon, no using your spoon as a sledge hammer here at Hakkasan. It was a delightful, light ending to a meal that followed suit, everything in balance, everything harmonious, complete Yin and Yang.
To view the photos from the Dim Sum Brunch click here.
Hakkasan
Fontainebleau Hotel & Resort
4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(786) 276-1388
