Hooray, a Healthier Miami!
Plant Food + Wine
I noticed that Miami is increasingly becoming a healthy dining destination, with new plant-based restaurants and juice bars sprouting up everywhere. My favorite dining experience this trip was Plant Food + Wine, created by renowned chef and restaurateur Matthew Kenney. Matthew is certainly a pioneer of the Plant-Based Revolution, known for raw vegan cuisine; award-winning restaurants in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York; and cooking schools around the world, including the most recent in Thailand. His new restaurant at the Sacred Space Miami in the Wynwood Arts District has a contemporary, art deco design with a serene patio overlooking a reflecting pool, and the adjacent Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy.
The watermelon poke was the perfect starter, very refreshing with macadamia, ginger, and mint. The artisanal nut-based cheese plate, derived from cashews and macadamia nuts, with flavors including truffle, peppercorn, cheddar and chive, was paired with fruit puree and walnut fennel crackers. Further impressive were the kimchi dumplings, which are made of dehydrated Thai coconut, filled with a paste of cashews, sesame, ginger, and sesame oil. The raw coconut ceviche tacos are created with sunflower chorizo, avocado and cashew lime crema sauce wrapped in romaine. My favorite dish though was the creamy, soft kelp noodles with black pepper.
Photo by Sonja Garnitschnig
Lido
The Standard Hotel in Miami also offers delicious vegan options at the seaside restaurant Lido. The options weren’t limited either; starting out with a raw zucchini lasagna with vegan terrine, and the spirulina bowl with apple and avocado puree, topped with toasted coconut and hemp seeds. The incredible array continues with other plant-based dishes, like the hearty kale salad with lentils, English peas, Calabaza, Sorghum and broccoli with carrot-ginger vinaigrette, and a veggie quinoa burger with Daiya cheese. I definitely recommend sticking around for their cocktail happy hour to watch the boats go by at sunset.
Pao by Paul Qui
I spent one night at the opulent new beachfront Faena Hotel, originally from Buenos Aires. The new Faena Miami is stunning and features red and gold tones throughout, and a giant gold unicorn figure in the Pao by Paul Qui restaurant. The restaurant isn’t filled with many vegan options, but don’t let that detour you! The chef prepared a special wild mushroom risotto, a farmer’s market salad, veggie sides, and a fruit plate sprinkled with gold leaf. The hotel was able to accommodate plant-based diets at breakfast too, with fresh juices, a veggie scramble and tropical fruits. The rooms come with butler service, where I experienced a beautiful tea and coffee service presentation.
Full Bloom
At the recommendation of Katarina Van Derham, founder of VIVA GLAM Magazine, I visited Full Bloom vegan restaurant in Miami Beach, and enjoyed the lentil, black bean and sweet potato sliders and the wasabi ginger pate nori rolls with ginger mango sauce. The molten salted caramel chocolate lava cake was oh so decadent and one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
Miami is definitely one of my favorite cities in the world, for the tropical beaches, international crowd, and increasingly healthy dining scene.
