Marisquería Como Como: Miami Beach
And I got my wish to eat a flavorful and juicy whole fish, it has been years since I had one like this, accompanied with the most amazing corn dish ever plus some other incredible sides, I am still savoring them yum.
Como Como is located at the Moxy Hotel SB, the space is gorgeous and spacious, the jazzy music amazing, and the ambiance very newyorqui, it doesn’t feel beachy or Miami, but I loved it. It was a great escape after being out of New York for a few days. This restaurant is sexy, great for a date by the way.
“Fresh, local whole fish is prepared directly in front of diners from the fuego, elevating the seafood traditions of Mexico. When you combine that with the immersive design of the restaurant, it provides an environment that truly feels like you are being transported to a different place.”
The dinner menu features whole grilled branzino caught in local waters, such as Pescado a la Talla: snapper that is butterflied, grilled and painted with two marinades - green on one side and red on the other. Tikin-Xic is a Mayan preparation of whole fish flavored with bitter orange, habanero chiles, and achiote, cooked in banana leaves, and unwrapped, fragrant and steaming, at the table. Tableside presentations add a theatrical flair, whether a traditional Caesar Salad (a dish born in Tijuana, Mexico) or hand-chopped Tartar de Pescado (fish of the day), tingling with spices.
WHAT WE HAD
VEGETARIAN
Vegetable dishes are roasted in the fuego's Josper charcoal oven and served in cast-iron pans, including Esquites, roasted corn with homemade garlic aioli, morita chile, and cotija cheese; and Charcoal Oven-roasted artichokes with roasted jalapeño aioli, buttery herbed bread crumbs, and charred lemon. Many dishes are accompanied by tortillas, ground and pressed in-house and cooked on a comal, the traditional Mexican griddle.
MEATS & TABLESIDE
Other dishes on the dinner menu include Alambre al Pastor: pork tenderloin grilled on skewers with pineapple and spring onions, a variation on Mexico City's beloved al pastor tacos; a rotating selection of traditional Oaxacan-style mole sauces; and meat dishes, including Chuletón (ribeye steak), Filete (filet mignon), and adobo marinated rack of lamb all of them flame-grilled in the fuego and served with a variety of house-made sauces and condiments.
BARRA CRUDA (RAW BAR)
A barra cruda (raw bar) sits on a monolithic, rough-cut stone in the middle of the dining room. Dishes from the barra cruda come with a Mexican twist, like oysters served with a pineapple-vinegar mignonette or a picadillo made with tomatillos and cucumbers. Como Como also features traditional coastal varieties of ceviches. At the center of the bar is a spectacular "tequila tree" sculpture made of hand-blown glass spheres and copper pipes, symbolizing the distillation process that transforms the blue agave plant into tequila and mezcal. Tequila travels through this dramatically lit forest of glass and metal until it is dispensed by bartenders into creative cocktails.
DESIGN
Designed by Saladino Design Studios, the restaurant feels reverential and momentous, like the inside of a cathedral or a Pre-Hispanic pyramid. Diners enter through carved wooden doorways and archways of wrought iron and glass, with shelves displaying Mesoamerican artifacts, setting the scene for the main dining room, whose stone and brick walls are etched with Pre-Hispanic patterns. The centerpiece of the restaurant is the "fuego" (fire station), a theatrical feature that captivates diners with its compelling design and buzz of culinary activity. In the middle of the restaurant are a giant rectangular bar and barra cruda (raw bar) where a wide variety of shellfish and ceviches are prepared. The bar is made of carved wooden panels and a monolithic slab of rough-hewn black stone, inspired by the swirling patterns of Mexican crazy lace agate. At its center, a spectacular "tequila tree" sculpture of hand-blown glass spheres and copper pipes symbolizes the revered distillation process that creates mezcal and tequila. Tequila travels through this dramatically lit forest of glass and metal and is dispensed by bartenders into creative cocktails. The restaurant also serves diners at outdoor tables in the hotel's large central courtyard, a lush, indoor-outdoor space layered with colored tilework and hanging plants. Custom-made furnishings — including carved stone animal benches, canopy banquettes, and geometric teak stools — fill the space, which is separated from Washington Avenue by a breezeblock screen. An aquamarine neon sign spells out the words "Besos de Mezcal" — kisses from mezcal — hinting at the night to come.