Hidden away inside the Mandarin Oriental in downtown Miami, the Azul restaurant offers diners beautiful views over Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. Serving New American cuisine, the restaurant embraces Asian and European influences to create innovative and unique dishes that suit every palate.
Having browsed the impressive menu, we opted for a bespoke tasting menu with wine pairing. To begin, we shared the aptly names Grand Azul Platter. Located on the raw bar menu, the platter featured a huge range of fresh seafood, something the restaurant is known for. The platter included prawns, lobster and oysters, which were a particular highlight. This was served with a glass of 2007 Trimbach, Pinot Gris, Alsace, France, a beautiful accompaniment for a seafood dish.
“Throughout our meal we were delighted by the level of service we received.”
Following our delicious starter we indulged in two further appetisers as part of our menu. The first was a traditional Hawaiian salad known as a Poke. Served raw, we enjoyed a tuna poke served with white soy, “fire water”, seaweed, macadamia nuts and purple potato. This unusual but beautiful combination of ingredients was extremely delicious and a wonderful taste of Hawaii. It was perfectly paired with 2011 Bertani “Velante”, Pinot Grigio, Veneto, Italy.
The second appetiser was a more traditional dish of pan roasted diver scallops. However, this traditional dish had a New American twist, served with fava beans, tomato compote, saffron and elephant garlic. All of the ingredients worked together beautifully and the unusual combinations were delicious. This dish was served with a glass of 2009 Domaine William Fèvre, Chardonnay, Chablis, France.
Following our starters we chose two main courses. The first, served with a glass of 2011 Domaine Vincent Delaporte, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, France, was a dish of Berkshire pork served as a loin and braised belly with crispy polenta and fig mustard chutney. Another beautiful New American rendition of a European inspired dish, the pork was tender and perfectly cooked, while the polenta and mustard elevated the dish to a new and exotic level.
Our final dish was a D’artagnan NY striploin. Served as requested, the striploin was tender and juicy, accompanied by European inspired sides of green and white asparagus, pickled mushroom, short rib ragout and béarnaise sauce. Despite it’s traditional origins, the dish was presented with modern flair and every aspect was beautifully cooked. This dish was served with a well chosen glass of 2009 Ernesto Catena "Siesta", Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina.
Throughout our meal we were delighted by the level of service we received. Despite spending most of our meal enjoying the stunning views of the bay, we still noticed the warm, friendly and passionate attitude of every staff member. Even the enthusiasm of the chef was clear in the faultless dishes that were served throughout, making it a very enjoyable one.
The Bill: £93 per head
