Tonight the highly-anticipated Red Ginger restaurant opens up in the South of Fifth neighborhood. Helmed by former Top Chef Masters contestant Herb Wilson, it features Asian cuisine in a chic, South Beach setting.
The restaurant is the latest concept from the Menin Hospitality group who operate places like the Bentley South Beach, Gale South Beach, Kaskade Suites at Gale, Sanctuary South Beach, and Raffaello Chicago; nightlife venues Drumbar Chicago and Radio Bar South Beach; and restaurants Pizza Bar South Beach and Bodega Taqueria y Tequila.
On the Red Ginger menu expect an assortment of sushi and dishes made using the binchotan charcoal robata grill. We got to try a variety of dishes but standouts included Thai Coconut Soup, tiger prawns, PEI mussels, tapioca pearls, serrano chili; Short Rib on the robata, truffle miso, chives; Shishito Peppers, Szechuan sauce, crispy garlic, bonito; Miso Eggplant, sesame, sake; and the Seafood Curry, tiger prawns, PEI mussels, langoustine, Peruvian potato.
The dark onyx bar was packed when we arrived and we forsee it staying that way. It offers one of the largest assortment of whiskeys in town including high-end options like The Owner’s Cask Hukushu 1992, a rare single cask from the early 1990s; Karuizawa Asama, an aged vintage; and Karuizawa Kohaku, a discontinued whiskey aged 10 years.
As for the space, it keeps the Southeastern Asian trend going. The 136-seat restaurant feels surprisingly intimate and features bamboo marble flooring throughout, hand carved wood panels with patterns derived from sea fans in the coral reefs of Thailand and natural coral walls. The space also features a shell wall covering from the Philippines complete with brass sea urchins and limestone columns inscribed with Buddhist prayers inspired by the Khmer Rolous Temples built 1,200 years ago in Cambodia.
Red Ginger officially opens tonight at 736 First Street in Miami Beach. Right now only dinner will be served with lunch and brunch coming later on. Until you make it by there, check out some of the delicious dishes below.
