At Toro Toro they infuse Latin America’s diverse cuisines into small plates, salads, entrées, and desserts.
Being that it’s located in a downtown hotel, you know you’re going to pay a premium price for those dishes. Part of that is geography, you are located in the center of everything in downtown Miami. Part of that is because you are in an upscale restaurant and the service is impeccable. But the problem is, the kitchen doesn’t seem to be quite up to the task on some dishes.
We stopped in on an early Saturday afternoon and for most of our meal had the dining room to ourselves. I know from having worked in the hospitality business that being slow can be more detrimental than being overly busy. We started with a pair of appetizers. Shrimp aguachile featured poached shrimp marinated in aguachile rojo, a touch of horseradish and cilantro oil, and chunks of avocado. There were only four shrimp in total in a dish that cost $26. Crispy prawns presented five whole prawns, but the panko breading was so thick (and overcooked) that one could barely taste the shrimp. The melcocha sauce/arugula/mango gel/chili threads underneath added much-needed flavor and moisture.
The Toro Toro burger was cooked well beyond the medium rare ordered, but the bacon morita jam was delicious. It was topped with avocado and cheddar and chipotle aioli and was accompanied by fries, and at $25, not a bad price, considering where we were. The salmon burger fared better. More fillet than burger, and topped with poblano tartar, arugula, and pickled red onions. The heirloom burrata salad was delicious and presented beautifully with wedges of heirloom tomatoes as well as the grape variety. Toro Toro is known for its steaks, dry-aged, USDA prime cuts, prepared on a wood-burning rodizio. At lunch, there are only three offered, so I went for the mid-range 14-ounce rib-eye, which carries a hefty $70 price tag. The menu didn’t mention that it came with anything, so I ordered a side of grilled asparagus. I opted for medium-rare. The steak arrived sizzling hot with a wedge of potato and grilled whole mini-peppers. It looked delicious and tasted almost perfect, except that it was cooked medium to medium well.
We were having such a good time catching up with our friends Vicki and Jeanne, that I ordered a dessert I spied on the menu that looked like one we could share. Little did I know it would be the highlight of the meal (and worth a visit for this dish alone!) La Bomba is $28, which seems pricey for a dessert, but there’s easily enough for four to six to share, and there’s a show involved! Your server puts down a sheet of acetate with La Bomba written in chocolate. Then a chocolate half sphere filled with cookie crumble, scoops of cream cheese mousse, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream, and fresh berries is raised over the table. On the count of three, it is dropped onto the sheet of acetate. The globe shatters into chocolate shards, its contents spill out, and are topped with dulce de leche, vanilla, and berry sauce, Spoons are handed out and you dig in. It is a delightful experience. If you’re fancy, I suppose you could ask for small bowls and serve everybody (it would be more hygienic), but why spoil the fun?
Toro Toro
InterContinental Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza
305-577-1000
torotoromiami.com
