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Eat, Drink and Be Oh So Very
From Size to Location to
Artwork to Cuisine, There’s Nothing Ordinary About Karu & Y
Executive Chef Alberto Cabrera is into alta
cocina — or deconstructed — cooking, playing with gelatins,
purees and foams.
Wagyu Sirloin. Photo by Andrew Meade
By Mark Goldberg
Let’s get a few things out of the way quickly. The name: Karu means
eat in Brazilian and Y means water. So Karu & Y could mean eat and
drink. That would be appropriate. Now, the location: Three blocks
west of the new Performing Arts Center could be considered no man’s
land. But Karu & Y — with its 42,000 square feet and $23 million in
classic art and stylish cuisine — is being billed as more than just
a sanctuary in the area. Rather it’s the beginning of a rebirth of
the neighborhood.
So let’s walk past the outdoor waterfall and through the foyer
falls, where you literally walk over water, and pick up our
complimentary cocktails. Crowning the 126-seat dining area is the
aptly named “Blue Icicle” chandelier, created by famous glass artist
Dale Chihuly. Opposing walls boast bronze panels by Richard Boprae,
and Venini Studio made the glass wall sculpture in Mas Alla, a
gorgeous private room. Karu & Y is also working on the Y Gardens and
Totem for catering. But you’re probably reading this more for the
food than the pretties, so here goes.
Let’s begin with the Octopus Carpaccio ($22). Brought to table in a
deep bowl resembling a skateboarder’s half-pipe, the razor-thin
octopus lines the sides. The octopus was confited and cooked in
rosemary with thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns for four hours
before the cooling and slicing. Once plated, it is dotted with
capers and splashed with lemon; a dollop of lemon sorbet is added to
the bottom of the bowl along with duck cracklings for texture. A
perfect starter. The Japanese Fluke Tiradito ($23), a Peruvian dish
with Japanese fish, turned a beautiful piece of tender white fish
into a fascinating center of a sweet potato ice cream sandwich,
dashed with an aji Amarillo powder and served with cancha corn
chips. Roasted Veal Sweetbreads ($20) work well in just about any
pairing, but Karu’s wild porcini mushrooms were perfect for this
earthy dish. The plate featured little Spanish touches, like the
addition of bits of Serrano ham.
Executive Chef Alberto Cabrera, who has plied his skill at Baleen,
Norman’s and La Broche, is into alta cocina — or deconstructed —
cooking, playing with gelatins, purees and foams. Another style he
prefers, that the French have actually been using for decades, is
sous vide. Take your meat, add your herbs and seasonings, vacuum
seal it and boil it slowly at about 150-degrees. You can’t overcook
it, it doesn’t dry out and there is virtually no shrinkage. That’s
why our Pan Seared Foie Gras ($25) was the biggest (a quarter-pound)
and tastiest we can remember. Add to that a Valrhona chocolate
reduction, bits of duck sausage, guava, jack fruit and even
mini-funnel cakes and it sounds like a mish-mash. Actually it was a
deliciously workable dish with all ingredients coming together.
The Seafood Mixed Grill ($42) didn’t fare as well. This take on the
Argentine parrillada of meats was a clever concept and the
headlining skate wing was excellent with a salsa verde cover and
olive oil and potato puree. But the bay scallops were tiny and chewy
and the peeky-toe crab with coconut agar and passion fruit aioli was
surprisingly tasteless. The 14-Ounce Double Pork Chop ($39) arrived
with all of its weight displayed, thanks to the sous vide
cookery. The chop was cooked in brine for two hours, so the flavor
got all the way to the center. And it was served with a refreshing
citrus salad. But it was the truffle-infused black Chinese rice that
stole stardom on the dish, nutty and filled with texture. We were
looking forward to the Pan Fried Mullet ($34), a fish we “over here”
think of as bait, but which is actually quite good when flown in
from Spain. Unfortunately, ours must have been on a long flight,
because it arrived cold. We still enjoyed the flavor, with its
green-olive tapenade, sweet onion tart and sprinkle of tomato puree.
But, still. Then there was the outstanding Colorado Lamb ($42).
Thick, meaty sous vide loin with yogurt, prepared medium
rare, tender chops and spicy harissa-laced sausage, all paired with
a carrot puree and cauliflower couscous.
Desserts run from the tasty-yet-familiar Chocolate Cake ($15) with
the liquid Gianduja chocolate center to a slice of Banana Cake ($12)
with a shot of very memorable cinnamon-infused white chocolate milk
to an enjoyable Chocolate Pineapple Croqueta ($14) in a pineapple
caramel consommé.
Karu is not for the cheap at heart. But, if you go, it’s a rich
experience you’ll long remember.
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Karu & Y
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ADDRESS: 71 NW 14th St., Miami
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PHONE: 305-403-7850
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HOURS: Tuesday - Sunday 6:30 p.m. to midnight;
until 12:30 a.m. weekends
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FOOD: Contemporary Spanish
à la alta cocina
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SERVICE: Personable and extremely knowledgeable
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PRICES: Appetizers $16 to $32, entrées from $34
to $75
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WINES: Impressive international and domestic
lists
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ATMOSPHERE: An artful sanctuary designed to
impress
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RESERVATIONS: Requested
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CREDIT CARDS: MasterCard, VISA, American Express,
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