While vacationing in Florida, we decided to stop by De Rodriguez Cuba for a media tasting, which was awarded the 2013 AAA 4 Diamond Award in Best Latin Cuisine in Miami. The Godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine and James Beard Award Winner, Chef Douglas Rodriguez is a pioneer in the culinary world, with a number of award-winning restaurants and television appearances under his belt. De Rodriguez Cuba presents a new twist on classic dishes, delivering diners on South Beach an authentic experience to be remembered.
Homemade Plantain Chips
Chef Douglas Rodriguez serves ‘Nuevo Latino and Modern Cuban Cuisine’ with a menu that features the freshest seafood and sustainable ingredients. We kicked off our dinner with a Classic Mojito, made with Don Q Cristal Rum, muddled mint, fresh lime juice, simple syrup and club soda.
Mojito with tacos and Smoked Marlin Tacos
Since it was our first time dining at the restaurant, we tried the Tasting Menu which featured 14 dishes divided into 4 courses:
- Quartet Ceviche Tasting and Smoked Marlin Tacos
- Shrimp Chicharron, foie gras empanada, Cuban sandwich sticks and kobe meatballs
- Sugar cane tuna, crispy Cuban pork belly, vaca frita
- Amarena Flan, That’s Da Bomb
Quartet Ceviche Tasting
In the ceviche tasting, we were presented with 4 types of ceviche – Mixed Seafood (Calamari, octopus, mussels, conch, clams celery, limes, tarragon and grapefruit juice), Tuna Watermelon (Kumquat, Yuzu, Thai basil, tarragon and compressed watermelon), Snapper & Conch (Estiradito snapper, diced conch, sour orange, red pepper, grape tomato, crispy onions and garlic), and Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche & Tostones (Marinated with tomato, lime, orange and chipotle served with tostones). Our favorites were the snapper and mixed seafood.
The Smoked Marlin tacos were unlike any tacos we’ve had. The smoked marlin was marinated in rum for two days and placed in a crispy Malanga shell.
Shrimp Chicharron
The second course featured items off their Tapas menu – Crispy Shrimp Chicharron (Rock shrimp in a spicy Aji Amarillo glaze), Foie Gras & Fig Empanada (Arugula salad, Serrano ham & black trumpet vinaigrette), Cuban sandwich sticks, and kobe meatballs served in a creamy black truffle mushroom sauce. The empanadas were our favorite of the four items, followed by the shrimp.
Sugar cane tuna, crispy Cuban pork belly, vaca frita
The third course was a bit overwhelming. Though the presentation didn’t look amazing, the food was great. In a large plate we were served sugar cane tuna, crispy Cuban pork belly, vaca frita and white rice and black beans. The highlight was the pork belly. Though it was a little fatty, it was still delicious.
Amarena Flan
By the time the fourth course came, we were beyond stuffed. We did take a few bites. The Amarena Flan was delicious. The amarena cherries were sour, but complimented the flan.
Overall, the food was good. It was unfortunate that we were too full to eat, and enjoy, courses 3 and 4. I highly recommend trying their ceviche.
De Rodriguez Cuba on Ocean
Hilton Bentley Hotel
101 B Ocean Dr
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Tel: (305) 672-6624
www.drodriguezcuba.com
www.facebook.com/derodriguezocean
Disclosure: Dinner was free of charge. The opinions expressed are my own and I received no further compensation from De Rodriguez Cuba or their representatives.
