Just a few nights ago, I attended a friends and family night at the soon to open Mamey. Mamey is a tropical-themed restaurant developed by the inspiring Chef Niven, owner and chef at Ghee Indian Kitchen and future owner of Italian restaurant Erba.
After my hairstylist, makeup professional, and personal shopper finished getting me ready, my mom and I jumped in the car. Yes, I am joking. Hm. I am very humorous aren't I? We did drive there, though. In fact, Mamey is going to flourish in the new South Miami THesis Hotel. On a corona cautious note, the event was at an open-air rooftop and all seating stood a considerable distance apart. There were hand sanitizing stations around the hotel and every staff member wore masks and gloves. In addition, the menus were found on our iPhones instead of on shared cardstock.
Now for the fun part: FOOD! To start, we ordered yucca and plantain chips with tomatillo salsa and ceviche. The chips were naturally delicious and the dip was the perfect mix of fresh and flavorful. I'm not too fond of the taste of fish, so I was reluctant to try the ceviche. When thinking this, I forgot one thing: Chef Niven can make anything tasty. The dish danced with
lime and, when eaten with a yucca chip, crunched happily. We also got the corn and callaloo empanadas. They were delicious, but as my spice tolerance is as low as a groundhog, it wasn't for me. Their other downside was that they made our nose's run, which isn't the best thing during a pandemic.
Following our waiter's suggestion, we ordered the Vietnamese caesar salad. While the special dressing complimented the lettuce well, their croutons stole the show. Obviously made from scratch, they were cooked and seasoned just enough to be addictive and subtle enough not to take the salad's spotlight.
Next, entrees! My mom and I both ordered fish to honor the tropical restaurant vibe. She got the lemongrass glazed grouper and I had the creole Mahi sandwich. Did I mention that mine came with fries? Due to the fact that I practically inhaled those, their yum factor was a ten. They had lots of meat (meaning the amount of potato inside) and were seasoned with something AMAZING, and red...Maybe paprika? As for the Mahi sandwich, it was pretty nice. The bun was toasted so it was both crisp and soft, the fish was smooth and flavorful, and the pickled vegetables tied it all together. Unfortunately, my lack of fish fever kept me from enjoying it to its full potential.
I am entirely aware that you want to hear about the desert, but I have decided to make you wait. Sorry! First, I will talk about all of the things that I want to eat next time I visit. As everything on the menu looked mouthwatering, it was tough to choose on our first time there. From the appetizers, I am craving the tostones and Bahamian conch fritters. Wow, talking about this is really getting me hungry. From the entrees, I need to try the burger and the pork belly pad thai, which has brussel sprouts! To say the least, I loved Mamey and will eat even more the next time I visit.
All right, time for dessert. When we couldn't decide what to choose our waiter suggested we order them all, at the time it was a joke but then something came to mind. "Is Amy the pastry chef?" asked my mom. "Yes," replied our waiter. Amy is also the pastry chef at Ghee and used to be at the pop-up restaurant Erba. She is ridiculously talented. We ordered two out of the three desserts, oops: rum cake with ice cream and key lime cheesecake layered with flan. I didn't get a chance to try the cheesecake because once I had the cake I refused to let go of it. Not only was it light and fluffy with the perfect hint of vanilla, but the ice cream complemented it with creaminess and looove. Did I mention there was a warm drizzle of goodness on top? I finished it in about two minutes. If you noticed my vagueness about the ice cream flavor and "drizzle of goodness," it's because I'm not sure what they were. What I do know is it was out of this world.
I am so thrilled to have been invited to Mamey and experience Chef Niven's new project. I will go again and I advise you to try it yourself. The food was incredible and the service admirable.
Thank you so much for reading! If you like how I portrayed this restaurant, let me know and maybe I can do it more often. Have a fantastic day.
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