33 Kitchen – Marvelous & Affordable Peruvian
Miami is drowning in Peruvian food, but nobody is complaining. We love this Latin fare influenced by both Japanese and Chinese delicacies. Had the opportunity to check out 33 Kitchen in Coconut Grove and was quite impressed. The restaurant took over the old Bombay Darbar spot and has continued the delectable streak of that location. 33 Kitchen is a pretty adorable and small venue that exudes a cozy vibe.
It is helmed by the former Food and Beverage Director of Coral Reef Yacht Club and “Grovite,” Chef Sebastian Fernandez. After 26 years of working behind the kitchen, the Chilean born Chef will be able to showcase his sincere style of cooking that encompasses Peruvian flavors and the use of international techniques and influences. Chef is also working on growing his own herbs and vegetables to use at 33. All the dishes will be prepared with no more than 6 ingredients as “attention to taste” is the utmost importance to Chef Fernandez.
“If my dish is a tuna, yuzu, and apple dish, that’s what you’re tasting, not a multitude of sauces to mask the flavors. I was getting tired of overwhelming plates. Peruvian food is fantastic. We came up with a concept to be inspired by this food and to elevate it.”
33 doesn’t only refer to the grove’s zip code ‘33133’ but, Chef Fernandez thinks it’s lucky. The number on the Newton Scale is the temperature that water boils and has a lot to do with astronomy including time cycles of eclipses, the age that we are in Heaven for eternity, including being the atomic number for arsenic.
His cuisine and philosophy was definitely on point. Before we dive into the food there are 2 wines that I tired and adored. We started with fish so the wonderful Peruvian waiter recommended the Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc. I am not a Sauvignon fan at all, but this glass was special. Not too sweet or tart, just harmoniously balanced and enjoyed. The second wine was the Polkura Malbec. I loooove Malbecs and most of the time they are golden, but this one was one of my faves. It is also the chef’s favorite wine and a must order here for the red lovers.
On to the cuisine…start with the house specialty Seared Tuna with soba noodles, avocado, scallions & miso. Seared tuna might be a bit boring at this point for hardcore foodies, but the soba noodles here take the tuna to new levels. A beautiful sweet & salty mix that left no noodle unslurped.
Another winner was the Conchitas Parmesana with scallops, Parmesan cheese & white wine. This was my first foray into Parmesan scallops as I am use to the blue cheese rendition. The presentation was tasty, glistened with cheese and introduced a new way for me to devour juicy scallops.
I am a bit of a Chaufa addict. Not sure why but this is probably my fave rice dish. It consists of a mix of fried rice with vegetables, usually including Chinese onions, eggs, and meat, quickly cooked at a high flame, often in a wok with soy sauce and oil. It is the quintessential fusion of deliriously deelish Chinese and Peruvian. The Chaufa Peruvian Style Rice can be ordered with chicken ,beef or shrimp, but some love to throw them all in there.
My date elected the Octopus with olive cream & boniato chips, which was quite enjoyable as well. Always props to a kitchen that can cook octopus properly since it aint easy.
At 33 Kitchen plates are meant to share and there are craft beers including locals like Biscayne Bay Brewing, Concrete Beach and J. Wakefield Brewing. Dinner service will take place from 6-11 PM Monday – Sunday and they will be closed Tuesday. Tis a lovley date spot tha twill not decimate your wallet. I can not wait to return to try the rest of the menu.