Miami Spice: La Mar by Gaston Acurio at The Mandarin Oriental

All images appearing in this post photographed by Holli Lapes
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Start off with a Peruvian Classic! Pisco Sour variations made with passion fruit (Left) or lychee (right):

The cocktails at La Mar are hand crafted by the lead mixologist from Greece who takes pride in his craft offers various flavor infused spirits.

The Miami Spice August lunch menu ($23) continues through the month of September but the featured items are subject to change.

I) Appetizer Trio

The Criollo Sampler includes the following 3 dishes, which should be eaten in order from left to right as per the chef.

Cebiche Chifa — salmon, peanuts, ginger, wonton strips, cilantro, pickled vegetables, and sesame leche de tigre.

Causa Salad — beets, artichokes, peruvian asparagus, piquillo peppers and avocado over a yellow potato causa

Jaleita de Calamari — crispy calamari, rocoto pepper cebiche sauce and chalaca

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed each dish in the sampler. The sampler moves the palate from a light and tangy dish to more rich flavors, it definitely behoves you to follow the instructions!

II) Entrée

Fideo Macho — Catch of the day (snapper), shrimp, calamari, squid ink pasta, choclo, rocoto pepper aioli

This was my first time tasting squid ink pasta, I loved it! The snapper was was beautifully cooked. This dish borders on spicy while the next has more sweet notes.

-OR-

Salmon Fusion — Salmon, bok choy, Kale, broccolini coconut milk, Peruvian pepper curry

This curry brings a really fantastic flavor, especially for those who enjoy a curry that is more on the sweet side.

Extra This dish is not included in the prefixed menu, but it is one of La Mar’s signature dishes:

Plancha Anticuchera — grilled octopus and calamari, crushed potatoes, ají panca pepper sauce, chimichurri, choclo

The octopus was really nicely done. The aji sauce had a similar taste to the rocoto pepper sauce in the Fideo Macho entrée though.

III) Dessert Duo

Chocolate mousse with caramelized quinoa, luchuma bomb is F-U-N fun!

The Chicha Morada Sorbet is fragrant and refreshing

Extra Need more dessert?

La Pina, El Coco Y El Manjar — Coconut ice cream, pineapple chips, manjar blanco foam, ginger jelly

A volcano of goodness.. hits all the marks as far as taste, texture and presentation.

Meet the team:

Executive Chef Diego Oka

With his Japanese-Peruvian heritage and the foods he discovered while living in Mexico and Colombia, he brings a unique and innovative talent to La Mar.

Sous Chef Fiorela Cornejo