la mar by gaston acurio

la mar, located inside the mandarin oriental hotel, specializes in peruvian fare. therestaurantaffords a busy bar that now features a happy hour. it offers good brunch on sundays and it boasts one seating area with air conditioning and other outdoor with a view that overlooks biscayne bay



what we liked the most: empanadas de gallina

i recently headed to miami for a few days of rest and relaxation.  one of the highlights of my trip was lunch at mandarin oriental’s la marrestaurantwith my friend amy from creatrice mondial.  located in key biscayne, its patio offers an epic view of the glossy brickell skyline against the turquoise waters of the city.  one of my favorite dining traveler’s tips is to experience a fine diningrestaurantfor lunch because a. it’s easier to reserve and b. you can experience a prix fixe menu for much lower of a price.  this lunch experience is the picture-perfect (no pun intended) example.

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 common ceviche or 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

while there are countless peruvian restaurants in a city like miami, none can offer the culinary ties that a gaston acuriorestaurantcan (he truly is peru’s top chef and his name is known on a global scale). as peruvian cuisine is extremely diverse, the menu at la mar reflects this, featuring everything from the quintessential cebiche to peruvian style nigiri (thousands of japanese immigrants came to peru) to classic peruvian favorites. while nearly all the items on the menu sounded amazing, i opted to do my own sampling so i could try as many things as possible, since i doubt gaston acurio will be bringing his name to the spanish lacking city of pittsburgh anytime soon.