I have been sucking at updating my blog. I have a bunch of restaurants that I have been to but I’m just too lazy to post anything. I promise I will have something soon! In the meantime, look at this cute baby in a panda costume :)
Two different people recommended Whisk to me, my good friend Phi and a fellow Tumblr, Juan from Dead Fix. Phi described the restaurant as “really good, fresh food” and Juan told me that I HAVE to go on Fridays to try their burgers. So, I went.
The restaurant is located a couple of blocks away from all the hoopla and hype of the Sunset Shops area. When my boyfriend and I first walked in, the space and atmosphere was very cute and quaint but a little smokey from the kitchen. Our server, Alex, was super friendly and informative. She forgot to put in our order for our soup (which was tomato basil bisque that day) but after eating our entrees, it was a blessing in disguise. I’m not even sure I could have eaten all that food.
I was torn between ordering the spicy seared beef or the burger of the day, which was an 8 oz Cumin spiced pimento cheeseburger with bacon, onion, tomato, arugula and I think cheddar and parmesan pimento cheese. Alex explained to me that they only offer burgers on Fridays and the other dish was always on the menu. I ended up getting the burger and my boyfriend order the beef and we also asked for the cornbread.
So……the burger. Yea. It looks a little funny because I had to order two bottom buns because of my sesame seed allergy. But uuhhh…the burger. It was okay. It didn’t rock my socks. I asked for it medium well and it was pretty pink in the middle. I had debated getting it medium and I was glad that I didn’t since it kind of came cooked that way already. The patty had the interesting flavor of the cumin but was a bit dry in texture. I did not enjoy the cheese on top. It was not a slice of melted cheese but a mix of cheddar and parmesan with pimento so the consistency was a bit mushy and textured, similar to cottage cheese…..or a yeast infection. (Yea, I said it!) It was terrible..I DID eat it but it didn’t make it to the top of my burger list. However, the homemade chips on the side were yummy and the shredded parm on top was a nice touch.
I should have went with my gut instinct and ordered the spicy seared beef.
It was an 8oz sliced churrasco in a garlic chili coconut sauce with jasmine rice and sauteed spinach. I had a couple of bites from my boyfriend’s plate and the meat and sauce was REALLY yummy. I know “garlic chili coconut sauce” is a mouthful to say but the flavors were very subtle and didn’t overpower the taste of the meat. However, the steak was cooked more on the rare side even though my boyfriend asked for it medium. But it was still good because steak should be enjoyed with a bit of blood, right?
As I mentioned before, our server forgot to put in our soups, along with the cornbread. We still wanted to try the cornbread though so we told her to go ahead with that and we ate it after our entrees.
SO GOOD! 3 thick pieces of cornbread that were baked to perfection. A little crunchy on the edges and soft everywhere else. Paired with scallion and honey butter on top - I died. We were both happy that we decided to still order it, even after completing our meals.
For dessert, we ordered the peanut butter pie with Oreo crust. I’m not really big on pie because I don’t like the consistency but this pie was really good. The slice was enough for my boyfriend and me to share. It wasn’t a peanut butter slap in the face. The pie was surprisingly light, fluffy and really tasty.
After discussing my burger thoughts with Juan, he told me that he had eaten their “Black and Blue” burger before, which he said was amazing. He couldn’t vouch for the pimento cheeseburger. Sorry, but Latin House Grill still is my #1 for best burger. This burger thing wasn’t a make-it-or-break-it for Whisk. The food is still delicious and they have interesting things on their menu that I still want to try. I will definitely make a return visit.
EatItPanda now has a Twitter account….so follow us to stay up with the newest posts and any other food thoughts I feel like sharing!
Thanks!! I will definitely try Whisk. My friend has been telling me that the food there is good.
I just had to make a post to thank my friend, Spen, for FINALLY making my panda and giving my blog a little mascot. He’s so cuddly and chubby and I ♡ him!
Eat that shit, Panda!
Yakko-San has recently moved a little farther east on NE 163rd Street. The space is much bigger and fancier now but it seems that the clientele is staying the same. The menu is about the same, except now there is a big selection of sushi available, and there are a few items that have gone up in price. One of my favorite dishes, Yakiniku Don (Yakiniku steak over rice), increased by $2 but the portion was bigger so I was still really happy!
Their new address is 3881 NE 163rd Street, North Miami Beach, FL 33160. They are now open from 12pm-3am every day! The new spot is located in Intracoastal Mall and if you are going East, you have to turn into the plaza BEFORE the big draw bridge! My first trip out there, I went too far and had to make a U-turn :(
For my original review of Yakko-San, click here
ew, no and no. you need to try Latin House Grill food truck. That shit is the best.
Thanks so much! I’m just a girl from Miami that loves good food and is in a never-ending search for the best burger everrrr.
There has been a recent drastic increase in food truck popularity in Miami. It seems as if it happened overnight. Now there’s a different food truck meet up going on every night at different locations. And I HATED the whole idea. The food trucks I came across had mediocre food at expensive prices. What the fuck is the point? I thought the appeal of food trucks is awesome cheap food. You ARE trading atmosphere and comfort in opting to eat from a vehicle but being charged restaurant prices. Makes no damn sense!
This is what I thought (and still do think, for the most part) until I was introduced to pretty much the best food truck ever, Latin House Grill. My boyfriend, a few friends and I went to the Wynwood food truck meet up a few weeks ago. We went in with the plan of getting a few plates from different trucks to comprise our dinner. Our first stop was Latin House Grill, or LHG, because one of our friends LOVED the food. With every event or stop, LHG offers a variety of different items. What I have seen from stalking them on FB is that their staple items include muffin tops (1/4 pound mini burgers), flattons (a flatbread type of sandwich of either chicken, rib eye or shrimp) and masitas (which I haven’t tried but from the tiny photo, it looks like a shit load of stuff on top of a tortilla).
That night, they were offering a combo of a muffin top, flatton jr., nachos and a drink….for $12! My boyfriend and I planned on sharing it and we ate the nachos, ate the flatton jr and it was all good. Once we got to the burger, it was over. We looked at each other with the same thought of ordering another and ended up ordering 3 more muffin tops and their specialty dessert (I’ll get to that later.)
After that first half of a burger, we decided that we didn’t need to go anywhere else. No other trucks could woo us away. LHG has bumped Oneburger out of its spot of “Best Burger in Miami” for me. The patty is juicy and full of flavor. And a variety of sauces are offered, such as sweet BBQ or mango chutney if you want to spice it up a little.
On our second trip out to eat at LHG in Wynwood, one of the combos offered was 2 muffin tops, sneaky nachos and a drink for $10!
LHG also offers an awesome over-the-top dessert, Balls to the Walls. Balls of triple chocolate brownie that is half baked then frozen then dipped in funnel cake batter then fried and finally drizzled with condensed milk. Once I heard the “dipped in funnel cake batter” part, it was a wrap! Those balls were going in my mouth and they were delicious, moist, gluttonous and completely yummy.
LHG is everything I ever wanted in a food truck. Amazing food at reasonable prices and Michel (the chef), his wife and their employees are SUPER nice! Their friendly, welcoming personalities in conjunction with the food make me an avid follower of this food truck.
You can “like” them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter (@latinhousegrill) to stay up to date with their whereabouts.
Every major city in the US has a “Chinatown,” where one can go and experience the culture, taste the food and buy cheap, bootleg ass shit. Except for Miami. The closest thing Miami has to a Chinatown is the 1/2 mile stretch of shops on NE 163rd Street that’s across the street from that weird mall. For about 5 consecutive shopping plazas, there are Chinese restaurants, nail shops, Oriental markets, cheap photo places that Asian girls LOVE to take pictures at and one of the greatest bakeries ever - Mary Ann Bakery.
Mary Ann Bakery sits between a liquor store and a tax preparation place and there’s a Dickies store in the same plaza. (Don’t let the red flags scare you off. There isn’t a baby selling weed on the corner, so it isn’t situated in the deep ghetto.) The bakery offers an array of Chinese pastries - cookies, buns and my favorite, roll cake. I’ve nicknamed this cake “Cloud Cake” because it’s the softest thing ever. The cake and creme is a perfect balance. It isn’t too sweet where it makes your cheeks shrivel up at the first bite. Mary Ann Bakery ships their roll cakes to other Oriental markets as far north as Lauderdale Lakes (this is how I first discovered the cake). They offer their cake in different flavors such as vanilla, chocolate and lemon (I think lemon, anyway..I just stick to the OG vanilla and sometimes mix it up with the vanilla cake that has vanilla creme with bits of chocolate in it. Ugh so good!)
The bakery also sells a variety of Dim Sum type snacks. I’ve heard good things about their curry puffs and beef jerky buns. I usually get one or two baked BBQ pork buns. I made a recent visit and got two pork buns and a slice of roll cake for only $3.50!
This spot is open everyday from 8:30am-5:00PM. It’s perfect for someone who wants a great snack that’s quick and cheap. Fuck a drive-thru, go to Mary Ann Bakery!
