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First of all,
have the car drive you around to the 20th Street
entrance, back by the cul de sac near the ocean—so that you enter on
the residential side of the Setai complex, the side with the
40-story tower—whereupon you’ll proceed through a somewhat
unprepossessing pair of walnut doors and into an understated lobby
where the concierge will direct you through another pair of
sublimely crafted walnut doors—and out into the balmy Miami air.
Take a deep breath as you stroll under a pergola along a peaceful
walkway lined with contemplation pools and open-air
conversation-and-cocktail pods. And then through another set of
doors—into a jaw dropping, awe-inspiring courtyard with a massive
reflecting pool surrounded by banquette seating, Zen stones,
statuary, candlelight and plantings. The proportions are
staggering—and just as inspiring, there’s an equally impressive calm
about the courtyard. Something about this space provokes
respect—and a correspondent reverent behavior, the kind perhaps more
often witnessed within great cathedrals or Japanese temples.
Originally
built between 1936-38 as the Dempsey Vanderbilt Hotel, The
Restaurant at the Setai rings the reflecting pool courtyard and is
divided into three areas—the Grill, the Bar, and the Restaurant—each
one flowing naturally into the other. To walk the periphery of the
reflecting pool and then into the Bar and along a vast hall carpeted
with Asian rugs and then around a corner to the maitre d’ who
escorts you to your table is to feel you have arrived—finally,
happily—at your destination. Here you are, at last, where you want
to be: where the beautifully-laid tables are perfectly spaced, as if
to enhance the art of thoughtful conversation—as well as perfectly
sized to accommodate the refined table settings.
As for the
food, there’s an amuse-bouche to commence: a cordial of aspic topped
with cauliflower cream which is both unctuous and refreshing. And
then a salad of Asian pear with young organic vegetables and shoots,
drizzled with a
ginger
vinaigrette and a dollop of green apple foam, where the textures
complement as satisfyingly as the contrasting tastes. For an
entrée, it’s Gaeng Kheow Wan Gai, which apparently, roughly
translates to fried bean curd with mixed Thai eggplant and bamboo
shoots—artfully presented on a rectangular lacquer plate and a
handmade pottery bowl. The fragrance is astonishing—rising above
the table and enveloping us in a fantasy of an idyllic Thai island.
There’s a wine pairing for each course—moving us from a French
Sancerre to a Napa Chardonnay—and then on to dessert: a Kaffir lime
leaf parfait with fresh toasted coconut and sapelot.
We linger long
after the final bite. We luxuriate in the spell. We listen to each
other and consider what we’re saying. There’s a kind of acute
presence which has taken over—enabling us to be in the here and
now—and to appreciate the serenity within and without. Few places,
and even fewer restaurants, provide solace for the soul as well as
sating the palate. The Restaurant at the Setai revives faith: in
the joy of eating and the good intentions that can follow from
eating well.
Best always,
Mark and Robert
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