Finka Miami Summer Menu Review

I went to Finka Miami on a Tuesday night to sample their new summer cocktail menu and some summer items and classic dishes. The place was packed! People waiting to be seated and full of birthday celebrations. Despite its location in Southwest Miami, FL people flock to Finka Miami no matter the day of the week. Finka has easily become THE hot spot of the area.

Although a young chef, Eileen Andrade is a master with flavor. Coming from a family of chefs, Eileen quickly learned the art of cuisine and now operates the kitchen at Finka like a pro. Every dish is very well seasoned and beautifully presented. Even the cocktails, beautifully crafted by Alexander Aportela and cleverly named by head chef Eileen, seem too nice to drink! The ingredients are fresh and unique to what you would see in other restaurants. Not to mention, everything is made in house. The special attention to detail is what has turned Finka into a destination restaurant.

Giant balls of flavor is how I would describe the Arroz con Pollo Fritters. A new spin on a classic Cuban dish, these arroz con pollo fritters are packed with deliciousness. The fritters are fried to perfection and stuffed with mozzarella cheese that blends beautifully with the chicken and rice. They are topped with an aji amarillo sauce and pico de gallo that bring freshness to the dish. This item will be added to the menu starting next week and is sure to be a new favorite.

The next dish was the tostones topped with vaca frita. There is no skimping out when it comes to the portion of vaca frita in this dish. The plate was garnished with a salty chicharron crumble, cilantro aioli, and pico de gallo that brought a fresh touch to the dish.

The Mac and cheese…. This was my favorite! At first glance, I didn’t think the mac and cheese would be cheesy enough to my liking but I fell in love with just one bite. The aji amarillo in the cheese sauce added extra creaminess and flavor that blended perfectly with the bacon. The crisp surface of the mac and cheese went perfectly with the creaminess that was inside. The carne asada was perfectly seasoned and had some crispy ends to it as well. All this crispy goodness added a complementary texture to the rich, cheesy dish. Not to mention the portion size, which was a very generous one. The dish was topped with scallions which added a pop of color to the already beautiful presentation. This dish has to be one of the best mac & cheeses I’ve ever had, and I tend to be picky with my mac & cheese. It is definitely a must try at Finka!

A new dish, soon to be added to the menu, the gator jalea was refreshing and surprisingly light. The fried gator bites sat atop an aji amarillo sauce and causa fritters. The dish was topped with salsa criollo that added freshness to the dish. I recommend to add the lime juice, it just adds another fresh touch and heightens the flavor of the whole dish.

The Islas Canarias ham croquetas pizza was amazing! The waiter brought over the pizza and the first thing I noticed was the lime placed right in the center of the dish. Ignoring the lime, I went straight for a slice. It was easily one of the best pizzas I’ve had. After one slice I decided to give into the lime, after all the chef placed it there for a reason, and it just completed the dish. It’s amazing what a little lime juice can do. The mixture of mozzarella and Swiss cheese gave the pizza a different texture than the regular cheese pizza, but it was a good change. The maple bacon sauce oddly enough complemented the lime zest in the crust. My favorite part of eating pizza is, of course, the crust and this crust was so buttery and refreshing. The added lime zest is brilliant! It works perfectly with the ham croquetas and maple bacon sauce to lighten up the dish. This is another must try at Finka Miami.

The Korean ‘Japchae’ Noodles are interlaced with vaca frita. The dish was topped with bok choy, zucchini, carrots, scallions, and sesame seeds which blended well together. The fried wontons added a crunchy texture.

The smoked brisket is the most popular dish on the menu. It was tender and juicy, pairing perfectly with the bourbon reduction and boniato mash. I’m not a big fan of brisket but this one I would order again. Every bite I took was amazing! The presentation was simple but classy. The boniato mash was velvety and rich. The brisket was succulent on its own, but the flavor was heightened with the bourbon reduction.

I got to try the Banana Bread and Guava Cheesecake. Between the two, I have to say it was a tie for the winner. Both dishes were amazing! The Banana bread was aromatic and moist. The warm caramel drizzled over it, in combination with the cold vanilla ice cream, turned this dessert into a decadent guilty pleasure. The guava cheesecake was rich and thick. The dessert was adorned with caramel and cookie crumbles which added texture and heightened the flavor of the dish.

Each cocktail from Finka Miami’s new summer cocktail menu has its own witty name, unique ingredients, and notable presentation. The great thing about Finka’s menu is that upon reading the ingredients I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the unique combinations in some drinks, but I can honestly say there wasn’t one drink I didn’t like. The crazy mixtures in each cocktail are cleverly combined to create amazing drinks that anyone can enjoy.

The first thing that came to mind when the waiter brought over “You Go Glen Coco” was…. Yessss! I absolutely loved the presentation. This was by far my favorite drink, especially because it had my favorite… whiskey. The aromatic smell of sage takes over as you lean in to take the first sip, and that is your introduction to Glen Coco. With unique ingredients such as coconut cream and cardamom syrup I thought the drink was going to be heavy. Surprisingly enough, You Go Glen Coco was light and refreshing. The fresh lime juice and black tea reduction mix beautifully with the ingredients to bring some freshness to the drink. This cocktail was a delightful balance of milky, light deliciousness for my taste buds.

The passion fruit purée is the star in Plutonic Passion. I love anything with passion fruit, but when it comes to tequila I’ll usually pass. To my surprise, the symphony of ingredients in this cocktail creates a delicious drink that hints only a subtle tinge of tequila. The strong taste of the liquor is cleverly masked by the addition of mole bitters, and orgeat syrup. To top it off, Plutonic Passion is presented with a floating slice of dried passion fruit that adds a pop of color to the cocktail.

Champagne papi was just too much fun to drink. Presented with a slice of dried fruit and little balls that burst pineapple juice into your mouth, this cocktail was not only tasty but entertaining. Appropriately named, the first flavor that pops out upon taking the first sip is the champagne. The mixture of pineapple and lemon juice with apricot jam blend nicely with the bitters and Pisco. I found the combinations of champagne and Pisco to be odd at first but I was pleasantly surprised at the harmony all of the ingredients created.

Served in a champagne glass with frozen grapes floating within, Planet of the Grapes made me feel fancy as I sipped away. The combination of vodka with champagne and grapes was so refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day. My recommendation: EAT THE FROZEN GRAPES! Once you get to the end of the drink, or before if you can’t wait (no one is judging), eating the grapes is a must. They soap up the yummy ingredients and make for a nice little treat.

Who doesn’t love watermelon flavored anything? The star of I Dream of Ginnie embodies what any cocktail with watermelon in it should taste like. My mouth was overwhelmingly pleased by the strong flavor that mixed perfectly with gin and strawberry syrup. The cocktail was adorned with a froth of egg whites and a tropical flower, adding beautifully to the summer themed menu.

Yanomami makes the impossible possible. One of the hardest liqueurs to mix into a palatable cocktail, Cachaca is beautifully transformed in this drink. The cachaca is mixed with bitters, pineapple juice, lime juice and syrup, and coconut cream to create a balanced cocktail perfect for the summer weather.

Ese Mango Quiere Sal is sure to get your attention. Starting with its colorful presentation and ending with a hint of spice to the palate, this cocktail is what Miami is made of. The jalapeño syrup blends with the cilantro, coconut syrup, and mango purée to offset some heat. Add some rum to the mix, and you end up with one very “picante” drink. And if that’s not enough, well… Not to worry, this drink comes with salt and pepper flakes fixed onto half of the glass and is topped of with a slice of jalapeño

Even those who don’t like beer will be ordering Cool for the Summer. Let’s start off by how awesome the presentation was. The waiter comes to the table with a glass of bubbling goodness. The bubbling continued for a while which made it even more fun to drink. Guava sour mixed with Ancho Reyes liqueur, elderflower syrup, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and bitters all blended beautifully to create a beer-based cocktail sure to be popular for the summer.

If you like ginger beer, then Pikachu your drink. Ginger is the star in this cocktail. Scotch, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and the traditional Peruvian ingredient Lucuma pulp are added with the ginger beer to form a unique creation.

A Very Manly Cocktail, a name that says it all. Bourbon, molasses syrup, and bitters are combined to create a drink very reminiscent of a whiskey sour.