Sumi Yakitori

Photo Credit: Yelp!

This week's review is up for a change of cuisine! I visited Sumi Yakitori in the heart of Brickell and was I surprised by how good this place is. I had seen the small--emphasis on small!--restaurant many times before, but I had never ventured to try it. I'm not too big on Asian food anyways, so I didn't feel like I was missing much. Over the weekend, however, we ended up there because we were in the area and looking for sushi. I was also looking for a new place to write about, so it was a win-win situation, right? So, we went in and started looking over the menu. I had to try the fried rice (because I love rice), but I also wanted to pick at some other things. We ended up with the Mr. 305 sushi, beef yakitori, pork belly rice bowl and stir fried pork ginger. Oh, and I can't forget about the sake and Sapporo beer! Those made the night even better. Starting with the beef yakitori (to see the picture, click here!), they were way too good. I never expected such tender meat from an Asian restaurant. It comes on a skewer (each order brings just one), but it's worth ordering several. It also makes for a great appetizer while the main dishes are prepared. The Mr. 305 and stir fried pork ginger came at the same time, both of which were just as good as the beef skewers. The pork ginger was tender as well, and it came mixed with onions that were bathed in sauce and made it all the better. It's a decently-sized plate, but given that we're apparently insatiable, we went for the fried rice too. In short, it is possibly the best fried rice I've tried thus far in Miami (if you know any better let me know!!). Knowing me, I obviously had to go again to keep trying more good plates, so we went again. And my palate wasn't let down. We went for pork belly yakitori, with meat so tender and the sauce so delicious--the same one used on the beef--we kept lathering the pork with the sauce left on the plate (don't judge!). Finally, we also ordered two new sushi, Roll 69 and spicy tuna. 

Photo Credit: ZIM Instagram.

I liked the spicy tuna, but I prefer the one in SugarCane (review below). The other roll, nonetheless, was really good! It was similar to Mr. 305 with the shrimp tempura, but a little more elaborate, topped with tempura flakes and mayo, among other things. Overall, it's a great little restaurant that I'm very likely to visit again before the week is over! The sushi comes with shrimp tempura and krab, topped with tuna and salmon and a jalapeño sauce (but don't worry it's not too spicy). The stir fried was too good--and I had actually ordered that one by mistake! The pork ginger was tender as well, and it came mixed with onions that were bathed in sauce and made it all the better. It's a decently-sized plate, but given that we're apparently insatiable, we went for the fried rice too. In short, it is possibly the best fried rice I've tried thus far in Miami (if you know any better let me know!!). Knowing me, I obviously had to go again to keep trying more good plates, so we went again. And my palate wasn't let down. We went for pork belly yakitori, with meat so tender and the sauce so delicious--the same one used on the beef--we kept lathering the pork with the sauce left on the plate (don't judge!). Finally, we also ordered two new sushi, Roll 69 and spicy tuna. I liked the spicy tuna, but I prefer the one in SugarCane (review below). The other roll, nonetheless, was really good! It was similar to Mr. 305 with the shrimp tempura, but a little more elaborate, topped with tempura flakes and mayo, among other things. Overall, it's a great little restaurant that I'm very likely to visit again before the week is over!

Divino Ceviche

Photo Credit: Trip Advisor.

This new review centers on a restaurant I've been wanting to write about for a while, but before I did so, I wanted to visit it again recently to refresh the memories I had about the food and the restaurant's environment. Fortunately, late last week, I was able to go again. I was reminded why I liked the place so much. It's a small locale--quite hard to find in the plaza, I may add--that is always absolutely packed. I went for lunch at 3 p.m. and the only free spots were on the bar. But the atmosphere is very warm in that Latino sort of way, where the happy chatter drowns the music away. The only complaint I have is the size of the tables and how close together you are with your neighbor. I could really use some more elbow room, but I guess it's all part of its charm. Anyhow, all uncomfortableness goes away once the food starts rolling out. Like all typical Peruvian restaurants, the server brings out the drinks and a small serving of cancha (basically toasted corn). They also bring out some mariquitas or plantain chips, whichever you prefer calling it, to help begin to settle a hungry stomach. As for the actual food, I--as usual--tend to go with my ceviche and lomo saltado. But to be honest, last week was the first time I tried the lomo at Divino Ceviche! So I'll start with that.

Photo Credit: Divino Ceviche.

It was very good, the meat was tender and the sauce tasted excellent. The only problem was that I felt it could use some more meat. The other concern I had was the french fries. Even though they were good, I prefer when they come mixed with the meat and soaked up in its sauce, given that they taste that much better. But apart from that, I feel like it was a good choice. In regards to the ceviches, they are all actually very tasty. But how to decide among so many? What I do is order the Trio de Ceviches, where I have three ceviches, each with a different type of sauce. This way, I feel like I'm truly taking advantage of the great food Divino offers. And a tip: Once I've finished the fish and only the juice is left, I tend to mix the sauces together to have an amazingly delicious ceviche juice (I know it's a bit weird, but trust me, it tastes great). Overall, Divino Ceviche is a pretty good place to go, especially if you work around the Doral area where one of its two main restaurants is located. The other is in Coral Gables. And if you want delivery, there is a third (and slightly secret) locale, that has a  limited menu, but hey, it can deliver to your job!