From the curbside Hostess Podium to the dining room setup to the menus and the coordination of the staff, I was personally blown away. I wasn’t expecting much of a departure from the cliché tourist food that is served on most of South Beach. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of professionalism and class that the staff exhibited. The food was actually very interesting, creative, and a departure from simple concepts–adding a refreshing Eastern Mediterranean Flare right down to the hummus. Every dish was a new adventure in flavor and texture.
We started off with the Spanish Octopus and the Atlantic Wild Mussels. The Octopus was charcoal grilled and served with marinated fennel, Madeira squid ink reduction, and watercress vinaigrette that I can only describe as delicious! The Mussels are served in Champagne, shallots, garlic, lime, tarragon, and a touch of cream. Right about now you reach for the fresh-baked hot bread to soak up the insanely delicious sauce.
From there we requested that our waiter, Alejandro, pick our next 2 dishes and they were both instant hits. He brought us the Lump Crab Cake with Shrimp and the Bang Bang Shrimp. The Crab Cake was served with Remoulade Sauce, Baby Green Beans, Microgreens and was simply amazing. The Bang Bang Shrimp at this point was, without a doubt, the highlight of the meal for me, served with Sautéed Jumbo Shrimp, Brown Sugar Butter, Turmeric, Curry, Yogurt Cucumber Mint Sauce, Cucumber Peppers, Relish and will leave you wanting to come back just for them.
We asked Alejandro to surprise us with dessert. Let me emphasize that their award-winning **2019 National Pie Champion** Pecan-Crusted Key Lime Pie will take your whole meal to a new level. Thank You, Alejandro, we definitely had a fantastic meal (arguably the best I’ve had in Miami). I already want to go back there. Great cocktails too, I recommend the 1941 Mai Tai. Our visit more than exceeded our expectations. I tip my toque to you Chef Kal Abdalla.
From the refined aesthetics of the restaurant to the food presentation and service, I recommend A Fish Called Avalon to anyone looking for a romantic or family fun celebratory dining experience. The evening was a 10/10 in every category. It is where hipster meets exceptional cuisine; A Fish Called Avalon is an experience truly worth the travel out of your way.
