Don’t you love it when you go to dinner and you’re pleasantly surprised? You know you’re gonna have a good meal but then you arrive and the whole experience, including the service, is more than you expected and just downright tasty. That’s what happened to me on a recent visit to Ola Restaurant at the Sanctuary Hotel.
Ola’s been around for a while now and I hadn’t been in quite some time but Chef Christopher Camacho has added some new items to the menu worth talking about. If you’re a ceviche fan you are in luck. The menu features plenty and we tried 2 of the new ones, lobster ($20) and snapper ($16), along with the kampachi ($19), one of the chef’s signature ceviches. Can I just say each one was spectacular. So fresh, citrusy and clean. What ceviche should taste like. On the main course end of things the branzino filet ($34), also a new menu item, came with a side of smoked sweet plantain mash your Latin grandmother would love. The pork milanesa ($34), an Ola signature dish, really impressed. The pork is crusted in panko bread crumbs, served with salsa negra and topped with a fried egg. The salsa negra is a sauce made with prunes (never knew prunes could taste so good) and soy sauce giving the pork that sweet and savory taste.
Chef Christopher grew up in Colombia and started his culinary career as a ceviche chef for Douglas Rodriguez, the king of Nuevo Latino cuisine. I think he took what he learned from Douglas, tossed in a little culinary creativity of his own and added a dash of his Colombian roots to create a splendid menu at Ola.
Belkys Best Bite: Pork Milanesa
Ola Restaurant
Sanctuary Hotel
1745 James Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305-695-9125
www.Olamiami.com
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @belkysnerey