Here, too, the chopsticks would have come in handy, but there were none for this dish.

Oriente at Cardozo Photo by Angie Hargot

by Mark Goldberg

By 10 p.m. on Saturday night, the inside of Oriente at Cardozo was practically empty. It’s certainly not because of location. The area of 1300 Ocean Drive is teeming, as shown by the Oriente diners still seated outside on the terrace. But inside, well, nada.

It’s a shame, too, because it’s quite lovely inside: dark woods, huge mirrors reflecting the attractive bar, a marble fireplace filled with tea candles. In fact, the candles lit the entire dining room. Hundreds of them were everywhere in this hotel-lobby-turned restaurant. Not enough to read a menu by, but enough to set a mood.

Oriente has been open for a year. During that time owner Emilio Estefan and Executive Chef Rufino Rengifo have worked to bring the Far East palate and Cuban dining favorites together on the same plate.

To that end we began with … calamari? The Italian dish arrived cleverly with a Chinese take-out box tipped over on the plate and chopsticks protruding from the box. Actually, eating the crispy fried Calamari ($10) with the chopsticks worked quite well. The tubes and whole babies were tender beneath their crackling crust, and good enough for us to skip the too-sweet chili sauce accompaniment. The Crab Croqueta ($14) was deep fried and tasty, the fresh crab mingling with a few spices and herbs. The crab sat atop a layer of fresh avocado that, in turn, rested on a layer of pico de gallo atop a base of tabouleh. That sounds complicated, but it was simple and good. The Lobster Bisque ($9) was rich and creamy but had a salty taste. The Latin Spiced Seared Tuna ($10) was an appetizer to share. Four large slices of tuna were barely seared and layered against a crunchy Asian slaw. On opposing corners were strips of ginger and a bit of wasabi. Here, too, the chopsticks would have come in handy, but there were none for this dish.

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon ($19) was a very nice filet and the glaze was not overpowering. It arrived with a tasty wasabi mashed potato ball — deep fried so it was soft and with a little spice within and crunchy on the outside – and a sweet-and-sour sauce on an Asian slaw was actually the same teriyaki glaze. The Churrasco De Pollo ($16) was a unique take on the popular dish, but this double chicken breast with its attached wing drumettes had very little flavor. Apparently to compensate, the kitchen went overboard with the sweetness of the mashed plantains that buried all other flavors on the dish. And speaking of plantains, a long, thick-cut and tasteless fried plantain arrived erect, jutting out of each person’s plate. This garnish stood out, rather than complementing. The Mojito Glazed Grilled New York Strip ($29) was quite tasty, although we didn’t taste much of the mojito. The steak was thick-cut, dry rubbed and grilled to perfection. And while the garlic mash sported very little garlic, the grilled tomato was fabulous. The Duck Ropa Vieja ($20) was a tasty attempt at creativity that fell flat. The pulled duck was very good, but it was buried between tall layers of rice and beans in a Napoleonic mold. The rice was supposed to be coconut infused and sticky, but we couldn’t find that flavor, and the ring-molded creation crumbled like a house of cards the first time a fork touched it.

Desserts were lacking. The Key Lime Pie was rather gelatinous. Same for the Dulce de Leche cheesecake. The two ice cream flavors were standard vanilla and chocolate. The Fudge Cake was a saving grace, thick and gooey, in a chocolate sauce with gobs of whipped cream.

The Latin/Asian concept is picking up steam these days, with several restaurants trying it out. Perhaps the powers that be at Oriente would do well to check out the competition.

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Oriente at Cardozo

• ADDRESS: 1300 Ocean Drive, in the Cardozo Hotel, Miami Beach
• PHONE: 305-695-2822
• HOURS: Open for dinner 5 p.m. daily, until 11 p.m.; weekends till midnight.
• FOOD: Cuban with Asian flair
• SERVICE: Good
• PRICES: Appetizers $6 to $14, entrées $14 to $29
• WINES: Small but well-rounded list
• ATMOSPHERE: Graphically impressive
• RESERVATIONS: Suggested
• CREDIT CARDS: MasterCard, Visa, American Express