Taste of the Town: Kaori Miami marries flavors to create unique "Mediter-Asian" cuisine
MIAMI - It's two stories of style and substance at Kaori Miami inside the SLS Lux Brickell.
Renowned chef Raymond Li describes the cuisine, "We're a blend of Mediterranean and Asian, that we're calling "Mediter-Asian."
Downstairs is a sophisticated bar and cocktail lounge featuring Kaori's famous music playlists giving guests a groove as they sip on signature cocktails.
Upstairs is a welcoming, spacious dining area with warm and inviting tones.
"It's super minimalistic which also reflects our dishes. Clean modern flavors still traditional in the back end but there's a lot of different blending going on," Li said.
Chef Li is a true culinary artist. He masterfully prepares and plates dishes that please the palate as well as the eye. He credits his diverse background, his mother is Colombian and father is Cuban-Chinese, as to why he enjoys exploring flavors.
"I'm also an information seeker and I try a lot of different types of food and I'm grateful that I've been able to create my palate and understand more than what I grew up eating," said Li.
He and chef Jorge prepared 3 tasting dishes for CBS4's Lisa Petrillo with precision and flair.
First, bluefin tuna crudo with Kalamansi Tosazu, you have crunchy quinoa, pickled Florida strawberries, and a mousse made from Yuza and avocado," said Li.
"This bluefin tuna is really something special. It's not like you can get it in any sushi restaurant. I love the crunch with that quinoa on top and all of the flavors that I cannot pronounce. This dish is spectacular," said Petrillo.
Next smoky Chinese eggplant with harissa muhammara, fennel pollen, and Marcona almonds.
"Smoky delicate, crunchy. There's so many flavors and textures, so gourmet. It's fancy, but not intimidating. Just good," said Petrillo.
And finally, 7-spiced Australian Wagyu skirt steak topped with a "magic sauce" that includes shitake mushrooms and truffles.
"The flavors come together. There's so much in this. Nothing competes. Everything just kind of enhances each other. It's really one of the best cooked skirt steaks I've ever had," said Petrillo.
Kaori is open for dinner only Tuesday through Sunday. Brunch is expected later this summer.
For more info, go to www.Kaorimiami.com
