Phuc Yea Awards

Phuc Yea Restaurant Review:

What is Viet-Cajun cuisine? It’s the eclectic fusion fare that life and business partners and former The Federal owners Cesar Zapata and Aniece Meinhold are cooking up at Phuc Yea. You might recall Phuc Yea from its inception in 2011 when it popped up as just that: Miami's first pop-up concept. Five years later, the duo has finally set down their roots and gone brick-and-mortar. But they've changed things up a bit, borrowing influences from Meinhold's Vietnamese heritage, which shaped the original Phuc Yea, and throwing in some Cajun spice and Miami flavors. The result? A robust menu that includes noodles and rolls; Cajun woks with a choice of protein and "sauss" (think Cajun, green curry, garlic butter or chili garlic); spicy chicken wings doused in fish sauce caramel, garlic butter, lemongrass and chiles; and caja China coca-cola hoisin duck. Wines have been handpicked by Meinhold because of their old-world sensibility and acid structure, and the makers’ sustainable practices. Perhaps most important, however, is their ability to pair with the food. For brunch, they've brought back The Federal biskits and are dishing out more dim sum than you can probably eat. Expect bottomless booze in the form of strawberry holy basil mimosas, too. Housed in a former hotel, the restaurant has a trio of areas. From a lush lobby lounge complete with a raw oyster bar to the speakeasy style main dining room and a Lantern Garden with a bubbly happy hour every Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., it's mid-century-meets-street-Asia. There's also a late-night hip-hop happy hour every Thursday from 10 p.m. to midnight complete with a DJ and cocktails like the Pho Money Pho Problems, which mixes gin, Ancho Reyes, green papaya, yuzu, bird eye chili and black peppercorn into one tantalizing concoction.