la mar by gaston acurio

   i've been cruising around town with my windows down and made some nice pit stops along the way. the following four spots are new and my initial experiences were good enough to warrant return visits and were also worth sharing with you.                                                                              la mar is located in the former cafe sambal space at the mandarin oriental hotel located on brickell key in miami. it features the peruvian cuisine of chef gaston acurio who has owns additional spots in bogota, lima, san francisco and sao paulo. the miami kitchen is run by diego oka and the menu consists of numerous cebiches, tiraditos, causas, anticuchos along with other takes on traditional peruvian dishes. they are open daily for lunch and dinner. thecevichewas easily the highlight of my initial visit. it featured really nice pieces of fresh tuna along with very flavorful leche de tigre. the strong and enjoyable flavors of thecevicherendered the other dishes bland in c

la mar’s concept is different; the restaurant describes its cuisine as “upscale novo-andean fare to asian-peruvian fusion and traditional seafood cebiche.” as executive chef, oka is free to be creative in the kitchen despite the long distance relationship with acurio. he adds “i always consult with him and of course he also gives us really cool ideas. we work together and he is always informed. teamwork!”  they chose to go with the “b” cebiche spelling on the menus instead of the more commoncevicheor seviche  because (as he jokingly puts it) “b is for bueno!” yes! bueno it is! la mar’s elegant interiors, designed with a contemporary flair, feel chic and inviting. biscayne bay and the miami skyline as your backdrop aren’t too shabby either. day or night, rain or shine, the view is definitively also part of the experience. one look at the menu and i was initially overwhelmed, so many good choices! i could not make up my mind. luckily, since then, i have already tried many of the dishes. here are some of the highlights: chilcano de pisco cebiche sampler: calamari, shrimp, yellowtail snapper, cancha, ají amarillo leche de tigre

...cevichebarrio – yellow tail snapper, mussels, clams, crispy calamari and peruvian pepper rocoto – deliciously crunchy, soft and spicy and el bote chalaco – scallops, oysters and mussels with chalaca, a sauce with tomatoes, onions and cilantro. the fish was squeakingly fresh and each dish delicious.