THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cafe Sambal

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cafe Sambal Restaurant Review:

Long overshadowed by the Mandarin Oriental's formal indoor restaurant Azul, its more casual cousin nevertheless has advantages. Most notable: its relaxing, romantic waterfront setting, featuring a cascading waterfall and an outdoor patio with spectacular views of Biscayne Bay. The largely Asian-influenced food, however, has had dramatic ups and downs, dependent upon the chef in residence. Fortunately, current chef Eduardo Quintana is a winner. This is obvious starting with the bread basket---actually a portion of mini-wontons, with the accompanying wasabi-miso dip serving notice that Sambal's saucing is first-rate. We recommend the delightfully light pad thai, flavored with a well-balanced sweet-sour-savory tamarind fish sauce that avoids the cloying heaviness too often marring this dish; sesame brittle-garnished tuna carpaccio atop a salad of greens and daikon, with a habit-forming mirin-mustard dressing; and tender citrus/anise-spiced boneless short ribs (with sesame rice cake and garlic chives). To drink, try something from the saké selection, which ranges from a refreshing Junmai to rarities like a complex, aged Kijoshu dessert saké.