Oh, the joys of South Beach: sun, sand and fantastic nightlife. If you are planning a getaway to South Beach though, you should know where to head for sushi on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. What is Lincoln Road? Lincoln Road is a fabulous open-air shopping center dotted with great eateries and wonderful shops. It is definitely worth a stop slightly north on Lincoln Road to eat … and perhaps shop a bit too. And fortunately for you, I have taste tested three of the sushi restaurants on Lincoln Road so I can give you the scoop.
1) World Resource Cafe
719 Lincoln Road; Miami Beach, Fla.
305-535-8987
My experience:
I ordered the bento box lunch special with sushi and sashimi ($12.75). It also came with miso soup, a California roll and a small salad. Like many of the other Lincoln Road eateries, World Resource Cafe is primarily outdoor seating that overlooks the walkways on Lincoln Road. It’s definitely a good spot for people watching.
The soup arrived quickly. I’ve said before that I love miso soup. This particular one was a wow. It was smooth and flavored just right. When it arrived, it wasn’t too hot and wasn’t too cool (I am feeling like Goldilocks right about now). I definitely recommend sampling this. When I finished the miso soup, my first thought was “I’d come back just for that.”
Then the sushi and sashimi arrived. I am a sucker for bento boxes. Seriously. I love the organization of the whole thing. Anyway, the sushi and sashimi looked really good. I tried the California roll. Although I am not usually a fan of California rolls, this one was different. It was really tasty. Mmmmm. Then a piece of sushi. Mmmmm. And a bit of the salad. (We’ll come back to that.) And then the sashimi. Mmmmm. The fish was tender and flavorful and had that quintessential melt-in-your-mouth quality. And the rice was perfect – soft and seasoned just right. What’s better, the pieces were the right size to fit into your mouth without overstuffing it. My mouth is watering just recalling the delicious . . . mmmm. I’ve eaten a lot of sushi in my life. I’ve had great sushi in Connecticut, New York and now Florida too. But here’s the thing . . . this Lincoln Road sushi might just be the best I’ve ever had.
The downside:
Now the salad, that was the only less than perfect element of the meal. The miso dressing left a bit to be desired – it tasted too gingery and seemed to be lacking other flavors to balance it. And the lettuce would have been better suited as garnish (it was that ultra frilly variety).
The verdict:
The salad may have left some to be desired but the food was A-W-E-S-O-M-E. The World Resource Cafe is a place to seek out and enjoy. And the prices are slightly better than other sushi joints along Lincoln Road, which is another plus. And the sushi is fantastic. If you only eat at one Lincoln Road sushi restaurant, make this one it.
2) Sushi Siam
647 Lincoln Road; Miami Beach, Fla.
305-672-7112
My experience:
Hungry after a long morning, I decided to try Sushi Siam on Lincoln Road for a quick bite. I looked over the lunch specials . . . none jumped out as me as WOWs. But I decided to try their Sushi Sashimi and Steak Teriyaki combo ($13.95). It sounded like it could be a good mix. It came with miso soup – my favorite – so I was happy.
Let’s start with the miso soup. At first it was hard to tell if it was any good or not since it was about 1,000 degrees. I’ve never had miso soup so hot before. But once it cooled a touch I was able to give it more of a chance. The soup was tasty, but not the best I’ve had. The miso was a little on the grainy side and the pieces of seaweed were too big. That made the soup messier than it should be. That aside, it was okay. Shortly after I finished the soup, my lunch arrived. Oh. My. God. This Lincoln Road eatery delivers a lot of food. So much, in fact, that I wasn’t hungry for dinner.
Anyway, the cute box presentation definitely drew an awed reaction from me. There were three pieces of sushi, half of a California roll, six pieces of sashimi and a large amount of steak teriyaki. I sampled the California roll first. It was better than most, which is saying a lot since I am not a big California roll fan. I did enjoy this one though. It was around this time that I requested a glass of water.
Then I made my way around the sushi and sashimi. The fish lacked that melt-in-your-mouth quality that makes sushi and sashimi so delightful so I was disappointed with that. Also, the sushi rice wasn’t as tender as it should have been and it wasn’t quite that slightly sweet scrumptiousness you’d expect. So, ultimately the sushi was okay, but not exceptional. Mediocre, maybe. Still waiting on that water, by the way.
Finally, the steak teriyaki. This is an easy dish to prepare. And it’s a very tasty dish if done right. Was it? Well, besides the fact that it was overcooked and not cut into thin enough pieces, the steak was tough. I suspect the teriyaki was of Kikkoman’s thick variety. And if I wanted to have that, I could do it at home for a fraction of the cost. And then I could get my own water.
I finished and was stuffed. But I still wanted the water. I requested the check. But only when she brought me that did she bring that glass of water. With profuse apologies . . . do you get the feeling that someone is finally looking to be attentive and helpful so she gets a good tip?
The downside:
My visit for sushi at this Lincoln Road restaurant was definitely punctuated by the poor and inattentive service. Since service is something I hold in high regard, that definitely put a dark spot on Sushi Siam.
The verdict?
Eh. If everywhere else on Lincoln Road was full, I would eat there again. Otherwise, I would try another Lincoln Road restaurant. Aside from the good California roll, nothing in particular stood out as a WOW! dish. Don’t seek this one out. And if you end up there, skip the steak teriyaki. Blech.
3) Sushi Doraku
1104 Lincoln Road; Miami Beach, Fla.
305-695-8383
My experience:
Sometimes it’s hard to talk about a restaurant experience because one part was good and another wasn’t. That is the case with Sushi Doraku on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. This little sushi place is out of the way (it’s further up Lincoln Road than a lot of people venture) but I wanted to try it.
I was seated immediately (indoors, for some strange reason – they have outdoor seating too). A waiter quickly took my drink order and headed off to get it. The decor inside the restaurant is a nice mix of blue and green with earthtones. It’s pretty and interesting. If you decide to sit inside, choose the booths near the wall with the cushion benches. They are very comfortable.
My miso soup came quickly and at first I was pleased. It was smooth and tasty. But the more I ate, the more I realized it was wrought with problems. For one, it was too watered down for my taste. For another, the scallions weren’t cut properly so I had long strands of scallions instead of small loops. It’s a shame because it had potential.
For my sushi platter, I choose to try the crunchy crab roll along with my sushi. The crunchy crab roll was delicious. The panko inside did indeed give it a pleasant crunch and it was real crab, not crab stick, which was a wonderful surprise.
But the sushi itself was a little disappointing. It was slightly tough, which is likely a result of it not being cut well. There were little hair-like pieces sticking up, which usually means that something is cut poorly. The fish pieces were also too large (talk about a mouthful) and of course didn’t melt in your mouth. Like Sushi Siam, there was just too much food too. I was stuffed and didn’t even finish the last two pieces.
The downside:
The pieces of sushi were large and put at an unusual angle, so they were a bit tough. But it could have just been a bad day.
The verdict?
My waiter was very attentive. Everything came out from the kitchen in a timely manner. And it could have just been a bad soup and sushi day. Good service can be hard to find, so that goes a long way in my book. I would give this Lincoln Road resturant a try. Definitely have the crunchy crab roll, and perhaps try the other rolls. But be weary of the sushi. They have an ample menu so there are plenty of other choices for you.
Reference:
- Check out Well Fed On The Town for more Lincoln Road restaurant tips.
