Essensia Restaurant & Spa – Ease Your Mind, Fill Your Stomach
By Jordan Elbaum
Being in Miami Beach automatically makes me feel like I’m on vacation, and the one thing I want to do most on my vacations is relax. The Palms Hotel & Spa takes relaxing very seriously! Unlike most other hotels on Miami Beach, their main focus is wellness and promoting a soothing and relaxing environment as opposed to the party scene. The restaurant Essensia falls nothing short of this concept.
I first wanted to start by saying that I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of vegan and gluten free options on this menu as this has become very important on the “food scene” these days. The Palms Hotel & Spa also has a small garden near the pool area growing fresh herbs and vegetables that they then in turn use at Essensia as well as their other restaurants on property.
Well, all of the best stories start with alcohol so we followed protocol with one of the new summer cocktails – Grass Clippings– refreshing mix of Tequila, Cucumber and Cilantro. I’m a sucker for cucumber cocktails and this was one of the best.
On to the starters. I thoroughly enjoyed the texture contrast and the thought that went into the Tuna and Compressed Watermelon Salad – Cilantro, Avocado, Wakame, Green Apple, Chiles, Mango-Sriracha Aioli, Sesame. This was the perfect dish to start with because having the cold watermelon and tuna on a hot day was so refreshing.
Also on trend right now is burrata. The chef prepared a Baby Beet and Burrata Salad- Heirloom Tomato, Beat Soil Pistachio, Pumpernickel. This dish was so pretty and innovative with the “soil” and the baby beets; it was like a mini garden.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the House Potato Gnocchi will warm your soul – Local Arugula, Aged Parmesan and Freshly Shaved Truffle. Coming from someone who does not like truffles, I urge you to order this. It’s luxurious and delicious.
One of the main dishes at Essensia that stood out to me was the Pan Seared Natural Chicken – Parmesan-Pea Polenta, Chile-Corn relish. Going back to wellness, this is a surprisingly light dish. The polenta isn’t full of heavy cream and butter like you would expect it to be, it is very light and airy.
One of the other dishes I thought worked well was the Certified Angus Beef Sirloin – Sweet Potato-Manchego Mille Feuille, Spinach. A fun fact about the beef at Essensia is that it is certified angus beef that is raised in Florida. This is used throughout the entire hotel. The sirloin was soft and tender, paired with the layers of sweet potato and manchego to create the perfect bite.
Prepare to be mind blown by these desserts. The first one completely embodies Miami’s flavors; a Café Con Leche Pastelito – Coffee Semifreddo, Whipped Condensed Milk, Guava-Yuzu Sauce, Puff Pastry. Lastly, the Chocolate Indulgance – Chocolate Cremeux, Cocoa Krispies, Sea Salt, Olive Oil Powder. This dessert left me speechless. It has everything you want to end your meal with; sweet, salty, crunchy and decadent. The sea salt on the cremeux along with the homemade sourdough crisp is just a party in your mouth. If you’re in Miami on vacation or if you live here year round, I highly recommend taking a trip to Essensia!
Essensia Restaurant & Lounge is located in the Palms Hotel and Spa 3025 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140 For reservations or more information, call: (305) 534-0505 Check them out here!