My spouse and I dined at The Bazaar by Jose Andres on a
Sunday evening in early July 2016. The restaurant accepts reservations using the
Open Table system. The Bazaar is open daily for dinner only.
The Bazaar by Jose Andres is located at the hotel SLS South
Beach on busy Collins Avenue. The SLS has occupied the site the previously
housed the Ritz Plaza since 2012. The hotel and restaurant offers valet
parking, although many guests seem to arrive on foot, by taxi, or using Uber.
We stayed nearby at the Shore Club, so it was a quick walk to the SLS. The
Bazaar by Jose Andres has another location at the SLS Beverly Hills.
The Bazaar is operated by the Think Food Group (TFG), which
owns restaurants in Washington DC (minibar, barmini, Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel,
China Chilcano, Beefsteak), Virginia (America Eats, Jaleo), Maryland (Jaleo,
Fish), California (The Bazaar, Tres, Saam), Las Vegas (China Poblano, Jaleo, e),
Miami (The Bazaar, Hyde Beach), Puerto Rico (Mi Casa), and Mexico City (J). Its
creator, Jose Andres, is a Spanish-American chef who is often credited with
bringing the small plate (tapas) idea to the United States. Andres attended
culinary school in Barcelona and later trained under Ferran Adria at the famed
restaurant El Bulli. Andres has received many awards, including James Beard
Outstanding Chef, Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic, Chef of the Year, and World’s
100 Most Influential People). He has appeared on the TV shows “Iron Chef”,
Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, and “Top Chef”, as well as some Spanish
shows, and he served as the culinary consultant on the TV show “Hannibal”,
which prominently featured food in a unique way. He has also written several
cookbooks.
The Bazaar features both indoor and outdoor dining spaces
designed by Phillipe Stark. The restaurant offers three areas for dining: the
main dining room (with chandeliers and retro wallpaper) is the most formal,
followed by the lobby, and finally, the more casual outdoor terrace. Because
the original part of the Art Deco hotel dates back to 1939, upon entering the
front door, you are immediately inside one of the two indoor dining rooms for
The Bazaar. The “Rojo” room features splashes of red décor for a casual, contemporary
feel. Smaller square tables surround two long rectangular communal tables. All
tables are regular height (there are no high-top tables). The drinks bar
(without any seats, however) and a semi-open kitchen are located in the Rojo
room. On the walls are a bull’s head and a mural. The “Blanca” room is a more
formal and sophisticated space. Leather chairs as well as sofas provide
seating, while photos and decorative objects line the shelves on the walls. Warm
lighting from table lamps and candles creates a cozy vibe in the large room. The
chandelier made from seashells is a focal point. The terrace offers al fresco
dining beneath a canopy, and another bar is available outdoors as well.
The Bazaar serves both Spanish and international food. The
menu is extensive, and because the dishes sounded so interesting, we had a
difficult time narrowing down our selections to the two or three dishes per
person that our server recommended. We decided on the kueh pai ti (Singapore street
food that consists of tiny pastry cups filled with shrimp, veggies, and peanuts
coated in a chili sauce), dragon fruit ceviche (raw tuna with pecans, topped
with lemon foam and piled inside a dragonfruit shell), bao con lechon (steamed
buns filled with pork belly), embutidos charcuterie plate (three kinds of meat like
ham, pork loin, and chorizo served along with delicious pan con tomate), frozen
blue cheese sandwich (frozen cheese and lemon marmalade tucked inside thin and
crispy walnut bread/crackers), foie gras PB & J (Wonder bread circles with
peanut butter, raspberry jam, and foie gras inside to form a tiny sandwich), and
(deconstructed) key lime pie. Our server was very knowledgeable, taking time to
explain components, ingredients, and preparation, and offering suggestions.
We had a fantastic meal at The Bazaar by Jose Andres! Chef/owner
Jose Andres is a skilled and innovative chef, as we already knew from dining
previously at his Washington DC restaurants minibar, barmini, and Jaleo.
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