The head chefs of the China Grill chain of restaurants are set to converge on South Beach to brainstorm.

Last week the Miami Herald ran an article on how so many upscale Miami and Miami Beach restaurants are closing and that we diners are looking more to budget-minded evenings out in our own neighborhoods. Norman Van Aken, who had already closed his restaurant, offered his negative thoughts. What did you expect?

I would have asked Steven Haas, general manager of China Grill, whose 12-year-old restaurant is serving more than 600 diners a night. In the summer. “We’ve definitely become a signature landmark of South Beach,” says Haas. “We’re still a celebrity haven. What we’ve never changed is our consistency to quality. And people recognize that.”

China Grill is a shining star in the 32-restaurant China Grill Management stable. There are five China Grills across the continent — from New York City to Mexico City — and, if you ask Haas, ours is the one with the most energy. China Grill Management is opening four more restaurants in South Florida this year, from a Miami Beach steak house to another China Grill, this one in Fort Lauderdale. Things don’t seem so negative, do they?

How does China Grill do it? According to Haas, “We try to be the first with ideas. Thinking out of the box.” Like a weekend Happy Hour that begins at 11 p.m., not 5. Or the Roll Your Own Wednesday nights, where a roll of the dice dictates the price of your drinks. There’s the monthly Dogs Gone Wild event where diners bring their dogs to dinner. On August 26, The Today Show will arrive to cover China Grill’s first Dining in the Dark event. And since China Grill is a Miami Spice restaurant, this summer there is something priced for everyone.

Of course, Executive Chef Keyvan Behnam’s quality menu doesn’t hurt. The Peking Duck Salad ($18.50) was a perfect example of China Grill’s family-style dining — the dish was ample enough to feed a family. Large pieces of tender, fat-free roasted duck meat were tossed with radicchio, chicory and frisée. Bits of toasted almonds and fried wonton were added to the mix and the dish was completed with a sweet/tart tangerine orange dressing. Chinese BBQ Braised Beef Short Ribs ($23) arrived off the bone, tender and savory, served with honey-roasted squash, flash-fried onions and an herb salad. The Chicken Satay ($22) took moist strips of skewered breast meat, marinated them in yellow curry and settled them over chilled sesame lo mein noodles in a spicy crushed chili ponzu.

That sounds like a lot of food for appetizers, but the China Grill philosophy is to share. Your waiter will probably recommend an appetizer, a salad, two entrées and a side dish to feed a table of four. Everyone is given a plate, but the platters come out when ready and are placed in the center of the table. To aid in the sharing, each main item is sliced before it is plated and dressed, so everyone at the table can easily take what he or she would like.

The Blackened Pork Tenderloin ($36) was as tender as its name, but didn’t have the expected heat of a blackened dish, perhaps because of the sweet pomegranate/Chinese apple reduction and chunky Mandarin orange salsa. The Pan Seared Spicy Tuna ($36) was a prize, cut a touch thicker for a marvelous texture and enhanced by a crunchy wakame salad. Duck Two Ways ($36) included a moist pan-seared breast and a confit of leg and thigh, delivered in a lychee black vinegar reduction along with caramelized Asian fruit salsa and crisp-fried sweet potatoes.

There are 10 side dishes to choose from, but if you’re only going to pick one, make it the Crispy Spinach ($10). This giant bowl of flash-fried spinach leaves spent about five seconds in the wok, then was air dried and sprinkled with sea salt. The result was a light, flavorful veggie that melts in your mouth like cotton candy.

China Grill may think out of the box, but for dessert, order the Bananas in a Box ($10). A tall caramel tuile box will arrive at table, overflowing with whipped cream. Break it down and discover caramelized bananas and a caramel cream within. It’s been a signature dessert for 12 years.

Next week, all the China Grill executive chefs are meeting here to discuss menu changes. “Any time we have all our chefs together it’s very creative. They’re all coming in with their ideas. At the end of the week, we will be deciding what dishes will be added,” says Haas.

And diners will fill China Grill. That’s the way it is in South Florida’s successful restaurant community. To paraphrase a movie line: Do it right and they will come.

China Grill ADDRESS: 404 Washington Ave., Miami Beach PHONE: 305-534-2211 HOURS: Lunch: Noon to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Dinner: 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday, 6 p.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. FOOD: World cuisine with an Asian touch SERVICE: Dedicated professionals PRICES: Appetizers $17.50 to $35.50, entrées $28 - $47 WINES: Quality list of domestic and international labels ATMOSPHERE: Rich character in a “semi-club” environment RESERVATIONS: Recommended CREDIT CARDS: American Express, Visa, MasterCard

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