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Sum Yung Gai
Now what could 'Sum Yung Gai' mean in Cantonese - oh, we get it. We dig the 1930s Shanghai opium den interior, which makes us want to carry a tommy gun on one arm and Zhang Ziyi on the other. And they make homemade bird's nest - impressive! - plus more standard black bean sauce-drenched Chinese-American favorites.
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Sushi Saigon
The stark simplicity of Japanese cuisine and the colorful (and delicious) energy of Vietnamese are an odd marriage, but this menu basically splits rather than combines the flavors, which is probably a good idea. Black and white photos from the two parent cuisine countries cram the walls and create a nice, Old-Asia atmosphere.
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Table 8
You know what? Forget that Table 8 has Oprah cachet. Forget that celebrity chef Govind Armstrong is a celebrity chef. If all that wasn't so, Table 8 would still be one of the best high-end restaurants on South Beach, partly because it never feels too high end.
That is to say, it delivers comforting innovation - duck breast with green beans and frisée (endive), mahi mahi blue crab chowder and kobe beef burgers - in an understated, accessible fashion.
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Tamarind
No surprises here (unless you've never eaten Thai food); there's the standard palette of Thai curry (red, green, yellow) and pad-everything. And it's excellent: food, service and setting. Sometimes, as the cooks at Tamarind happily know, you stick with the classics.
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Tantra
One of South Beach's coolest celebrity hot spots, Tantra is based on the premise that all senses are to be awakened...and it certainly delivers in the visual, aural and taste departments. Large portions of eclectic cuisine like Thai spiced duck confit with an orange-scented cucumber salad share the stage with Moroccan spiced lamb with mint and mango.
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Tap Tap
In Haiti, tap-taps are brightly colored pickup trucks-turned-public taxis, and their tropi-psychedelic paint scheme inspires the decor at this excellent Haitian eatery. 'Um, what do Haitians eat?' Meals are a happy marriage of West Africa, France and the Caribbean: spicy pumpkin soup, grilled snapper with lime sauce and Oh-God-yes curried goat. If you need some liquid courage, shoot some Barbancourt rum, available in several grades (all strong).
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Tapas Y Tintos
This dark, Nuevo-Spanish tapas bar is popular with the sort of good-looking young professionals who like their food and restaurants as pretty as they are. Try the octopus, or fried chick peas with Spanish ham.
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Tasti Café
The bagels at this Israeli-run, kosher café, which could have been plucked off the streets of Tel Aviv, are flown in from New York - now that's commitment to quality. If good bagels aren't your thing, pick from light, veggie entrees to hearty pastas and sandwiches.
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Timo's
When chef Tim Andriola left Mark's South Beach in 2003, he opened this classy bistro and brought Sobe style into a Nobe setting. His legend grows through dishes such as porcini-dusted veal and cheese platters topped with shaved black truffles.
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Van Dyke Café
One of Lincoln Rd's most touristed spots, the Van Dyke is an institution akin to the News Café, serving adequate food in a primo spot for people-watching. It's usually packed and takes over half the sidewalk. Service is friendly and efficient, and you get free preening models with your burgers and eggplant parmigiana. There's also nightly jazz upstairs.
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Versailles
Versailles (pronounced ver-sigh-yay) is an institution, and a lot of younger Cubans will tell you it's an overrated one. But older Cubans and Miami's Latin political elite still love coming here, so much so that folks say CNN has reserved a parking space for the day Fidel Castro dies. The Cuban cuisine is decent and unsurprising (there's no French food to be found, incidentally) but the real draw is coming as close as most outsiders can to the city's Cuban aristocracy.
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Wish
Lots of words like 'aioli' and 'foam' get thrown around at Wish, which likes to take run-of-the-mill classics and evolve them beyond all expectations. Aged-cheddar spaetzle mac 'n' cheese and a 'PB Jay' of Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Jam and Peanut Butter Gelato make this a great place for the unadventurous to try some innovative (and delicious) haute cuisine.
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Xixon
It takes a lot to stand out in Miami's crowded tapas stakes. Having a Basque-country butcher's and baker's gone hip interior is a good start. Bread with crackling crust and a soft center that fluffs your tongue, and delicate explosions of bacalao (codfish) fritters, secures your spot as a top tapas contender. The bocadillo (sandwiches), with their blood-red Serrano ham and salty manchego, are great picnic fare.
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Yuca
This was one of the first Nuevo Latino hotspots in Miami, and it's still going strong, even if locals say it's lost a little luster over the years. Maybe, but the Yuca Rellena, a mild chili stuffed with truffle-laced mushroom picadillo, and the tender guava ribs, still make our mouth water.
