A Charismatic, Caring and Talented Chef

There are a plethora of exquisite dining options available in Miami with new venues popping up every month. So when we want to act like Gordos, besides scrumptious food and a comfortable ambiance, it is nice to find sincere and passionate chefs who are committed to the environment and sustainability. Chef Kareem Anguin of The Oceanairedefinitely fits that bill.

Though he moved to Miami when he was 12, you can see and taste the colorfully vivid Caribbean influence of his Jamaican roots. From “Shrimp’n’ Grits to “Steak & Cake,” Chef Anguin says he draws his inspiration from the foods he loves to eat. A huge advocate of sustainability, he will not serve fish that are out of season and chooses the restaurant’s daily seafood offerings personally. Such is his commitment to his craft, he has even travelled to Alaska to fish for salmon as a means to better understand the food he serves.

The only thing fresher than the fish, is the MENU. It’s changed twice a day, every day… yes, EVERY DAY!!! There are always new options on the menu and you can customize practically everything. We will highlight some of our favorites of the night.

 

The first dish, the jumbo lump crab cake, was a golden, savory, mound of crab heaven. While most crab cakes we have encountered contain loads of cake and a sparse amount of crab, this treat was just the opposite. Huge chunks of crab dominated this cake and was served with a nice mustard mayonnaise sauce.

Eager to try everything on the menu we decided on the seafood mix grill, an orgy of magically delicious seafood served with dirty rice. The jumbo shrimp were grilled to perfection and bursting with flavor and a slight pleasurable kick. The juicy and moist scallops seduced every iota of our palates. For the fish, the chef served cobia, an expensive fish with a firm texture and fantastic flavor. These particular cobia were actually hatched at the UM Marine Biological center and then shipped to Panama to grow up in an ocean aquafarm. The cobia was not fatty yet so freaking flavorful. Crab-meat stuffed shrimp were the final piece of this succulent, seafood feast. It just might inspire us to stuff our turkeys with crabmeat this upcoming November.

We also tried the Maine sea scallops a la blue crab Oscar. This incredible plate consisted of five juicy seared scallops with a slight crispy skin, doused with Bearnaise sauce with chunks of blue crab meat and grilled asparagus.

Even though we were stuffed to the gills, we had to take the waiter up on his recommended dessert of warm spiced banana bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and hot caramel sauce. This gargantuan treat was, in a word, magnificent. The banana taste was slightly subdued making the warm cake light yet potent. The dessert was quite addicting.

We were very impressed by the stellar food, impeccable service, and refined yet comfy ambiance that The Oceanaire delivers. Chef Kareem Augin is cool, affable and cares deeply about his food and the Earth, which is clearly reflected in his offerings. We will definitely be back to try his famous Jerk Fish (pictured below)!

Looking for a great opportunity to try it out? Swing by on Valentines Day weekend for the incredible prix fixe meal that’s sure to please.

One thing is for sure… We shall see you soon, Chef Kareem!

 …and because I couldn’t seem to stop taking pix of this edible art, here are some more foodie images to enjoy.  :)