These Are The Best Vegan Fine Dining Tasting Menus In Miami Right Now

Forbes Lifestyle Travel These Are The Best Vegan Fine Dining Tasting Menus In Miami Right Now Cheryl Tiu Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I’m a Miami-based journalist, content creator and consultant Following Jul 31, 2023, 05:34pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Mila Omakase in Miami Beach offers a 15-course vegan omakase experience every last Wednesday of the . .

. [+] month. Amuse bouches can include roasted cauliflower with miso on a nori shell; beets tartare on a meringue topped with tonburi; and mango coconut and kumquats in feuille de brick Riviera Dining Group Some of the best chefs in the world believe that some of the most creative work they do in the kitchen is with vegetables.

Plant-based dining has been growing exponentially, with restaurants now taking into consideration this dietary preference when crafting their menus. It has become a lifestyle for many, for reasons ranging from ethical to health to environmental to religious. But one thing is for sure, the momentum is only growing stronger that for many kitchens, plant-based offerings are no longer just an afterthought or a pity party (i.

e. , lettuce leaves and a dressing) but thoughtful, high level courses that still celebrate their restaurants’ ethos. In Miami, we aren’t short of delicious vegan/ plant-based restaurants.

But I recently noticed the emergence of vegan tasting menus at (non-vegan) fine dining restaurants, some of them recognized or awarded by the Michelin Guide. The dexterity, refinement and care of each dish, with ingredients fresh, seasonal, and unprocessed, have made them art on plates, that will appeal to vegans, and non-vegans alike. From Japanese to Italian to French— here are some of the best vegan tasting menus in Miami right now: Mila Omakase Every last Wednesday of the month, Mila Omakase, the 10-seat enclosed space located on the second floor of Mila lounge in Miami Beach, offers a vegan omakase experience ($195/ person) celebrating Japan’s 72 micro-seasons.

Mila Omakase Alex Tarajano MORE FOR YOU Apple Leaks Detail All-New iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro Design Changes Apple iPhone 15 Pro New Leak Reveals Awesome Updates In Definitive Report WWE NXT Great American Bash Results: Winners And Grades On July 30, 2023 On this day of the month, the nigiris are elegantly crafted from watermelon (anointed with shiso and yuzu salt); zucchini (garnished with preserved sakura); morel (glazed with teriyaki sauce); and porcini (topped with shaved summer black truffles). The fresh bounty of ingredients, just like on a regular omakase day, are presented to diners in a wooden box, and changed with each season. “It can be a great challenge doing plant-based dishes, especially with an omakase/sushi concept but what made it easier for me is my love for vegetables,” shares executive chef Reiji Yoshizawa.

“The textures, colors, and flavors of different types of vegetables with a twist of Mediterranean, Japanese, and my Filipino background are what I used as an inspiration in creating vegan dishes. In regular cuisine, we flavor a lot of our dishes using different vegetables so by knowing the flavor profile of each and knowing the right technique to cook it you can come up with something delicious without the use of any animal products. ” For Mila Omakase’s vegan menu, the assorted nigiri are delicately crafted from zucchini, eggplant, .

. . [+] red bell pepper, porcini and other vegetables Riviera Dining Group In addition to the beautiful nigiris and delicate amuse bouche, the 15-course menu includes stellar hot plates of zucchini blossom with yuzu kosho-romesco; white asparagus with miso-black garlic emulsion; and green pea risotto with pickled shimeiji mushrooms.

Fiola Miami At Michelin-recognized contemporary Italian restaurant Fiola Miami in Coral Gables, the Degustazione di Verdure tasting menu ($125/ person) highlights seasonal Florida produce. “A couple of months ago I went to a restaurant in Miami with my sister-in-law who follows a strict vegan lifestyle, and there was very little on the menu for her to consider, and it really dampened the experience,” shares executive chef Danny Ganem. “I came back and spoke to [partner and co-owner] Tom Angelo, and together we decided to create a vegetarian tasting menu with a vegan option utilizing as many local ingredients as possible and showcasing our beautiful spring and summer vegetables.

” Michelin-recognized Fiola Miami celebrates the cuisine and culture of Italy in the Coral Gables . . .

[+] neighborhood Fiola Miami/Marco Cimmino Introduced last May, the five-course menu highlights Florida’s stunning produce like zucchini delicately sliced to a carpaccio, dressed with Agrumato lemon olive oil and topped with beluga lentils to mimic caviar; artichoke, yellow squash and green beans served with triangoli verde ravioli in a light tomato water brodo; mushrooms from Miami-based Imagine Farms and pickled ramps atop a polenta. And a personal favorite: the English pea Acquerello risotto served with mint-basil crema and citrus espuma. Fiola Miami’s Pasta e Verdura features triangular green ravioli with artichoke, yellow squash and .

. . [+] green beans, in a tomato water brodo The Louis Collection “Meats sometimes can take a lot of ‘set it and forget it’ techniques and can take in extra spices and flavors; vegetables are more delicate and require more finesse,” adds Ganem.

“For our Degustazione di Verdure Menu, we wanted to thoughtfully source our vegetables, showcase our local farmers and bring in the best vegetables and fruits from around the country so we can cook them and highlight every ingredient in the dish. ” The main savory course on Fiola Miami’s summer vegan tasting menu: Polenta Taragna e Funghi: . .

. [+] assorted mushrooms from Miami-based Imagine Farms, pickled ramps and herb puree atop polenta Fiola Miami In addition, they have exciting news for their popular pasta omakase, a multi-course menu of their house made pastas decided on by the chef. “We are [currently] working to make them vegan,” shares Angelo.

“This is more complex due to the fact that many of our rolled pastas are egg-based, but we already tested different flours that can be used in the same format to create a vegan pasta omakase that should be ready to roll out at the same time of our fall/winter menus release. ” L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon While not overtly stated on the website, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon —the only restaurant with two Michelin stars in all of Florida—offers a vegan version of their signature seven-course Evolution tasting menu ($305/ person) with advance notice. Their sister restaurant, Michelin-starred Le Jardinier, which sits just downstairs at their Design District location, offers the same.

Two-Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami’s Design District offers a vegan version of . . .

[+] their Evolution tasting menu with an advance notice of up to 12PM of the day of the dinner The Bastion Collection/Sebastian Bednarski “Vegetarian cooking became appealing to Chef Robuchon later in life for [its] numerous health benefits, after which he began his pursuit of introducing vegetarian recipes into the French repertoire that could be equally as satisfying as traditional proteins,” shares James Friedberg, executive chef of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Le Jardinier Miami. “Now, we look to serve vegetarian and vegan dishes that are both healthy and showcase our culinary talents. ” L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon’s delicate Zerbinati melon carpaccio, served with hibiscus dashi, .

. . [+] rhubarb, and blood orange tuile The Bastion Collection At L’Atelier, the vegan tasting menu maintains the restaurant’s modern French sensibilities and is crafted parallel to the standard Evolution menu, so if a party had a vegan companion partaking in a similar experience, their courses would not veer off drastically.

Case in point, Zerbinati melon carpaccio would take the place of what would normally be spot prawn carpaccio, both with the same garnishes of hibiscus dashi, rhubarb and blood orange tuile. And at times, due to the vegetable-forward nature of the cuisine, they might be enjoying the same courses—as in the warm composition of spring vegetables—roasted zucchini and lightly blanched asparagus, served with coriander flower and mint, just eliminating the goat cheese. “Cooking vegetables allows us to be more innovative than cooking traditional proteins.

We can execute an array of different cooking techniques which makes working with vegetables exciting,” adds Friedberg. Menu standouts—best enjoyed at their 36-seat chef’s counter for an interactive dining experience with the kitchen and front of house teams, as well as for direct views of the synchronized dish presentations—include Japanese eggplant confit, served with vegetable curry coulis; and truffled tofu chawanmushi with hazelnut miso and shiitake froth. “We create our vegan tasting menu to be seasonal to showcase the full flavor and nutritional benefits of the vegetables that are in peak season,” says Friedberg.

Les Légumes Verts: warm composition of green vegetables, with coriander flower, mint The Bastion Collection To enhance the experience, wine recommendations are thoughtfully curated by head sommelier Henrique Castillo. “When it comes to pairing a vegan dish, similar to how I select wines for other dishes, I first look at all the flavors, textures and how the dish is made,” shares Castillo, who overseas both L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Le Jardinier Miami. “For vegan dishes, I look for flexible wines, those that are fresher and where the acidity and savory aspects are more dominant.

I am always aiming to bring balance and harmony in a way that is enjoyable, and with vegetables and their seasonality, this can be limitless. ” While an advanced notice of up to 12 PM on the day of the reservation is required for the Evolution menu, the restaurant has vegan and vegetarian versions of their four-course seasonal menus readily available. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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