A few black and white photos are interesting. The restaurant changed hand about a year ago. The neighborhood, N Miami Beach is dingy. Parking in rare too. The name is bit interesting: Sichuan is a landlocked province.
It’s a great choice after the Miami Open when there was a rain delay, damp, then Pegula lost in straight sets.
Food is authentic:
– Beef with cilantro: wonderful
– Tiger pepper: great but (too spice for me)
– Spicy flavored boiled Fish: super, huge portion
The house pickled cabbage is good too. All foods are delicious. My lips are numb with medium hot selection.
When we got there at 6:30, there’s one table; when we left a little over an hour later, three more groups came. All are Chinese. Hong Kong pop songs plays in the background.
When I called to reserve a table (thinking it’s Saturday night…), the woman who answered has a strong accent. So I spoke to her in Mandarin. She insisted in English.
Three servers are doing minimum. Never changed our plates: essential minimum service in a restaurant is just right for me. If I can reduce raising my hand I would, like using empty plate or bowls for the discards. But there isn’t any that I can transfer the fish bones. So my small plate piling up quickly, to the brim. They never offered to change. I didn’t ask. The boiled fish has a lots of discards. The fish is fresh but it isn’t scaled clean – this, I do mind.
The white rice in the bowl is shiny – very yummy. Should have asked them what kind of rice it is.
We were looking for a First Watch then saw this one. So glad – this one is so above FW, from decor, to food. Good service at both places.
No wait before 10am but it’s nearly full on this Saturday. Love the tennis rackets on the wall – that drew us in – as we’re heading to Miami Open afterward. Btw, Jessica Pegula is playing this afternoon for the championship: do send your cheers and positive vibes to her. TIA
The server is upbeat, and sold me on their croissants even I can’t even finish my omelette. Their portion is large. The bread / baguettes are heaven. Coffee is delicious but comes with creamers in the smaller packs.
Their doggie bag container and bag are the best I’ve seen so far: nicely designed and produced. Many clothing department stores’ bags are not this nice.
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is Miami’s Lincoln Center, with multiple theaters. There are a lot of constructions going on, around and across the street. Actually, there are a lot of construction going on in Miami, period. I would think by now, Miami is pretty saturated, but guess it isn’t, still booming.
The musical.
It’s wonderful: I laugh and I think – laughs and thoughts. The cast is marvelous.
Nothing to dislike, from decor to service to food. If I’ll have to pick a bone out of eggs – nitpicking, is maybe to change the napkins to linen… hey I just found the perfect napkins for you: the Bombacio linen, used @ Sofra.
High ceiling. Young staff. Wood: handsome high chairs by the bar, beautiful tables. Other kind of chairs and tables are lovely but I like the wood one more.
We sit inside because it’s too windy out there.
Nice stems. Green water glasses are recycled from wine bottles, that they purchased from a vendor.
We’ve one flat of wines: love three except the Rosé.
For big plates – large portion
– Brussels sprouts: love the spice
– mini meat cakes: very good
– mussels: lemony delicious
Orchids, swimming pool, insulation, and coffee: it’s easy to operate and the last drop is always the most delicious.
The lobby is modern with large paintings. The restaurant Blue Matisse and Nau lounge to the left, looking appealing but we didn’t have a chance to try.
Nice length pool (about 40 yard) and I get to swim in the early morning alone. It’s pretty dirty on Friday afternoon: a receipt and a wide hair band are on the bottom, plus many leaves flowing above and below – this can understand that during the day. But the next two mornings, a staff did some cleaning, still leaving some … however, on Monday and Tuesday mornings, it is sparkling clean.
This airport hotel, doesn’t provide shuttle to the airport but offer for 3 miles radium near by (hope I get this right). The insulation is great: we didn’t hear roaring planes at all, inside our room.
Rooms 109-114 are super nice with a small patio, on the ground floor, next to the pool; especially 109 and 110, by the orchids.
Our bathroom doesn’t have any cups. It finally came after I asked for 3 times. We’re missing a robe: came after 2 asks. Hand soup and lotion came when I asked for half and half. On the morning of the last day, half and half never came, (our check out time till 12 noon).
No pen no pad. The bottom of the chair is uneven, so uncomfortable that I put a pillow on it.
The beds are on the soft side but comfortable. Four pillows are on the thick side. Shower has adequate water flow. The room cleaning could have been better. Bathroom is very clean.
At check out, there’s a charge of taco from yesterday.
“We didn’t order.” I said. Too many good restaurants here. We actually rarely order taco.
The young male staff said, “no problem, I’ll take it off.”
Actually I was hoping he’d it’s a wrong room number. It’s a little disconcerting. … Maybe use room key to pay, to reduce this kind of mistake? Sometimes people just forget their room number, mixed up or messed up.
The room keys are handsome. Suntan lotion at the pool is refilled (?) every morning – I see the staff bring it back a couple of times.
Smokers smoking out side of the entrance is terrible – everyone going in have to inhale…
the moldy grout and shoddy work at the corner
These could have been eliminated by the raised edges (?)
This isn’t a nitpicking 鸡蛋里挑骨头 but a desire to know.
I used to have a raised edges (low, like an inch) on my bathroom sink top / counter top that saved me a lot of headache. But all the newly built homes I’ve seen so far, are all flat.
This goes with the toilet tanks – why can’t we do like the Europeans, or Germans, built into the wall? Unions?
The funniest thing is when I get home, can’t find an item, so I called them.
“Hi, this is Irene Eng. I just checked out of Rm 234 a few hours ago. Wondering if your housekeeping find an item X?”
Woman 1: “… oh let me look…” When she came back a minute or two later, she said, “Mr. Eng, thank you for being a xx member and we so appreciate your support … ”
“Ma’am, I’m looking for a lost item.”
“Oh, just second, I’ll transfer you.”
A minute later, a man (William?) picked up my call … pretty much the same and then transferred me out again.
A minute later, a woman (Julia?) picked up … it’s all over again.
One little on going surprise is that there are so many cranes in the skies – I thought by now Miami is pretty built up and saturated = done with. But guess not.
At 11:30, it’s pretty full. We sit by the fountain on a 80 degrees day, feeling comfortable.
Delicious foods, slow service, with ultiple servers come and go. Melon guitar music playing in the background, brings Godfather scenes but the name Haus seems more German than Italian. Maybe there’s a story I missed.
We’ve gyro and poached egg – they forgot to the fruit, which is fresh. They offered rice pudding which is creamy.
My cellphone reception is weak. They charge 3% e-payment fee. Spacious bathroom.
An odd place for a Chinese restaurant: Hooters, Dollar Tree, Pizza Hut … Google maps directed us into Webb Dixie parking lot.
When we finally find it, I was taken back at its appearance: it’s big, vacant and looks like take out place, or canteen. We went in because we didn’t have time to look.
What a surprise! We liked both dishes:
spicy beef 水煮牛
mapo tofu 麻婆豆腐
Although they’ve beers in the fridge but they couldn’t serve because their liquor license lapsed. Oh well. Food deserves 4 star Service 4 Decor 2 -:)
It was empty when we arrived and was empty when we leave. Hanging there, we’ll come back again.
The final played out in two days at the Gusman Concert Hall. Six kids made it. The organizer divided them into two groups, three tonight and the rest of three tomorrow afternoon. The link up on Saturday is:
William Ge
Angeline Ma
Anthony Ratinov
Parking again, is problematic. There are at least three signs.
The organizer sent us an email, directing us to park at a garage but the attendant, an elderly gentleman looking puzzled, then said, “we’re across the lake from the Hall.” Then gives us the direction to the purple parking lot near the Gusman Concert Hall.
As soon as I get off, I see a valet parking sign and a few men huddling around a sign with their phones in hand. Inside, there is another sign, asking the patrons “Did you remember to pay for parking?”
I think that’s it for me. Hopefully the next one, in five years, will be hosted elsewhere or they got to improve their act.
Among the three kids, I like the last one, Ratinov who’s far more polished.
We didn’t get the Sunday ticket because someone has an event to go. The winning order is:
