The Restaurant at the Setai
The Setai hotel just opened in August, and already the Restaurant (simply called the Restaurant at the Setai), the bar, and the Crustacean (the Setai's champagne and caviar lounge) are packed. This is one of the hottest tickets in town because, well, because it's new. But also because it's good. The bar is an outstanding place for a drink, and every inch of the hotel is beatuifully designed with a mixture of carved teak, bronze, Chinese brick, tasteful art, and carefully selected details. The enormous flower arrangement on the table at the entrance to the restaurant gets a lot of compliments from female guests. Keep an eye out for the oversized natural history book. You will see the same one on the shelf at Casa Tua.
The restaurant is divided into multiple areas, including seating in front of the open kitchen, just to the right of a glass case displaying various chocolates and dessert items. The dining room to the left of the hostess stand seems preferable to the larger, less intimate room on the West side of the corrider. There is a nice semi-private dining room as well for larger parties. Alternatively, dinner can be taken outside in sunken banquettes along the reflecting pool. Chairs are plush and comfortable though the tables seemed a bit too low (or the chairs too high).
The Restaurant's menu pulls together elements from India, China, and Thailand, with a few curveballs thrown in. There is a small menu of pizzas, including a truffle pizza. Also included are a few grilled items. The Restaurant's strengths lie in the Chinese and Thai dishes, such as diver scallops in XO sauce and the pad thai. The duck dishes also stand out. The Indian selections are not bad, and despite what you may have read elsewhere, the naan is quite good. But $42 seems shockingly excessive for a platter of thalis. Then again, there is not much Indian food available in South Florida. Supply and demand, perhaps? The Baron would be thrilled if the Restaurant would add a lamb vindaloo to the menu.
According to the menu and the staff, dishes are meant to be shared family style. This works for some of the selections, but not as well for others (some of the soups and appetizers just don't lend themselves to sharing). However, the Restaurant has responded to initial complaints that portions were too small, and the plates are definitely coming out of the kitchen heavier.
Service was for the most part professional. A critical error is the provision of the wine list before the menus are brought out. It is inappropriate to prompt diners to order wine before they have any idea what they will be eating. The Setai likely seeks to encourage tables to order a bottle of champagne or white wine as an aperitif, but anyone interested in doing so can certainly ask. Wines are to be paired with food. Bring the wine list with the menu, please.
Additionally, there seemed to be an entire team of people handling the table--two servers, a busser, and the somelier. One too many interuptions was endured as numerous individuals came by to check up on things. Still, and the Baron has said this before, overattentive service is always preferable to absent service, and this is the sort of thing that gets worked out after a few months.
The champagne. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Rose Reserve 1998. If you're not drinking rose champagnes, you should be. Veuve Cliquot is arguably the best, with the 96 and 98 vintages being the most commonly found. Champagne is an excellent match with Asian fare, or indeed anything with spice. The Setai's wine list is extensive and includes some rare vintages. Be sure to visit the glassed-in cellar toward the back of the Crustacean. They have Quinterelli.
Carpaccio of blue fin tuna and scallops. Blue fin tuna and sea scallops thinly sliced with cucumber. There was also some lime and cilantro thrown in, making the dish a bit like a ceviche. Fresh, bright flavors. Clean and well executed.
Whole Hong Kong-style red snapper with ginger, scallions, and hot sauce. The whole fish was fresh, fragrant, and fileted tableside. The Baron would have performed the surgery himself, but did not wish to risk the possibility of flying debris, bones, or sauce. A very well-executed and beautifully-presented dish. Whole fish is always preferable to a filet. Don't let the waiter take the head away--the best bite of fish is behind the cheeks.
Pad Thai with egg netting. The Setai's pad thai is a standout, and the egg netting an unusual touch. Pad thai traditionally contains bits of omelette (as does Chinese fried rice and numerous other Asian dishes). Here, rather than mix the egg in with the noodles, the kitchen creates a web of cooked egg atop a carefully sculpted mound of noodles. The effect is elegant and presents well. The pad thai itself includes numerous plump shrimp, and while slightly greasy (as most pad thais are), the noodles are cooked properly and well seasoned.
Macaroons coffee-cardamon, rose, and sesame vanilla. The Baron is fairly certain the macaroons come from Paul Bakery, the Parisian based chain that recently opened its first American branch in North Miami Beach. If so, the Restaurant would do well to add the pistachio macaroons, as they are the best. If you like desert wines (of course you do), try the Pedro Ximenez from Spain. Stellar.
The Setai hotel just opened in August, and already the Restaurant (simply called the Restaurant at the Setai), the bar, and the Crustacean (the Setai's champagne and caviar lounge) are packed. This is one of the hottest tickets in town because, well, because it's new. But also because it's good. The bar is an outstanding place for a drink, and every inch of the hotel is beatuifully designed with a mixture of carved teak, bronze, Chinese brick, tasteful art, and carefully selected details. The enormous flower arrangement on the table at the entrance to the restaurant gets a lot of compliments from female guests. Keep an eye out for the oversized natural history book. You will see the same one on the shelf at Casa Tua.
The restaurant is divided into multiple areas, including seating in front of the open kitchen, just to the right of a glass case displaying various chocolates and dessert items. The dining room to the left of the hostess stand seems preferable to the larger, less intimate room on the West side of the corrider. There is a nice semi-private dining room as well for larger parties. Alternatively, dinner can be taken outside in sunken banquettes along the reflecting pool. Chairs are plush and comfortable though the tables seemed a bit too low (or the chairs too high).
The Restaurant's menu pulls together elements from India, China, and Thailand, with a few curveballs thrown in. There is a small menu of pizzas, including a truffle pizza. Also included are a few grilled items. The Restaurant's strengths lie in the Chinese and Thai dishes, such as diver scallops in XO sauce and the pad thai. The duck dishes also stand out. The Indian selections are not bad, and despite what you may have read elsewhere, the naan is quite good. But $42 seems shockingly excessive for a platter of thalis. Then again, there is not much Indian food available in South Florida. Supply and demand, perhaps? The Baron would be thrilled if the Restaurant would add a lamb vindaloo to the menu.
According to the menu and the staff, dishes are meant to be shared family style. This works for some of the selections, but not as well for others (some of the soups and appetizers just don't lend themselves to sharing). However, the Restaurant has responded to initial complaints that portions were too small, and the plates are definitely coming out of the kitchen heavier.
Service was for the most part professional. A critical error is the provision of the wine list before the menus are brought out. It is inappropriate to prompt diners to order wine before they have any idea what they will be eating. The Setai likely seeks to encourage tables to order a bottle of champagne or white wine as an aperitif, but anyone interested in doing so can certainly ask. Wines are to be paired with food. Bring the wine list with the menu, please.
Additionally, there seemed to be an entire team of people handling the table--two servers, a busser, and the somelier. One too many interuptions was endured as numerous individuals came by to check up on things. Still, and the Baron has said this before, overattentive service is always preferable to absent service, and this is the sort of thing that gets worked out after a few months.
The champagne. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Rose Reserve 1998. If you're not drinking rose champagnes, you should be. Veuve Cliquot is arguably the best, with the 96 and 98 vintages being the most commonly found. Champagne is an excellent match with Asian fare, or indeed anything with spice. The Setai's wine list is extensive and includes some rare vintages. Be sure to visit the glassed-in cellar toward the back of the Crustacean. They have Quinterelli.
Carpaccio of blue fin tuna and scallops. Blue fin tuna and sea scallops thinly sliced with cucumber. There was also some lime and cilantro thrown in, making the dish a bit like a ceviche. Fresh, bright flavors. Clean and well executed.
Whole Hong Kong-style red snapper with ginger, scallions, and hot sauce. The whole fish was fresh, fragrant, and fileted tableside. The Baron would have performed the surgery himself, but did not wish to risk the possibility of flying debris, bones, or sauce. A very well-executed and beautifully-presented dish. Whole fish is always preferable to a filet. Don't let the waiter take the head away--the best bite of fish is behind the cheeks.
Pad Thai with egg netting. The Setai's pad thai is a standout, and the egg netting an unusual touch. Pad thai traditionally contains bits of omelette (as does Chinese fried rice and numerous other Asian dishes). Here, rather than mix the egg in with the noodles, the kitchen creates a web of cooked egg atop a carefully sculpted mound of noodles. The effect is elegant and presents well. The pad thai itself includes numerous plump shrimp, and while slightly greasy (as most pad thais are), the noodles are cooked properly and well seasoned.
Macaroons coffee-cardamon, rose, and sesame vanilla. The Baron is fairly certain the macaroons come from Paul Bakery, the Parisian based chain that recently opened its first American branch in North Miami Beach. If so, the Restaurant would do well to add the pistachio macaroons, as they are the best. If you like desert wines (of course you do), try the Pedro Ximenez from Spain. Stellar.
posted by TheBaronOnTaste at 10:43 AM
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