Alter - Miami

Crab shumai

It's almost painful for me to write this. Why you ask? Because it forces me to reflect upon the fact that Miami has an absolutely awful culinary scene and that the people of Miami don't comprehend what excellent cuisine should entail. People will read this and say NO way! Miami has an awesome culinary scene. Uhhh...no. I'm sorry. Compared to Manhattan and even LA, Miami is pretty far behind but has so much potential. 

Why are there not restaurants like Alter on every block? 

Why do people flock to Prime 112 and the like? Where the portion size is so big it sends you into cardiac arrest.

I
don't
get
it.

My favorite little gem used to be Shikany. That is now long gone and I've had quite the bone to pick with Miami residents for not supporting such a truly unique culinary experience. What went wrong? Who knows...but Alter seems to have it all together.

Ambiance:
Alter has an artistic yet rustic down to earth vibe. I feel as if the food does't really fit with the ambiance but I think that for Miami you have to play it down because Miami isn't ready for the total package (amazingly high-end decor as well as food). You kind of have to pick one or the other. I get it.

My friend Tim who is a local sommelier recommended that I try Alter and I didn't waste much time. I went for lunch the very next day. I love that Alter offers a prix-fixe menu even for lunch. For $48, I felt like we were getting a deal actually.

Food:
IF YOU DON'T GET THE TASTING MENU,
SHAME
ON
YOU!!!!

+++ Local Crudo with hibiscus ponzu, key lime curd, raw tomato, green apple - Started the meal off on an excellent foot. Extremely light and refreshing but bursting with flavor. I absolutely loved this dish. The plating was SPECTACULAR. Extremely creative and really well done.
+++ Blue crab shumai - with thai green curry, cilantro relish, kumquat, rice crisps - Again another really well plated dish. I seriously didn't want to eat it. So delicious. It melted in my mouth. 
+++ Risotto with royal shrimp, dill, boursin, preserved lemon - I've never had risotto with boursin cheese. Have you? If you haven't, what are you waiting for? I have stomach issues. Without going into much detail, I love risotto... BUT it literally destroys my stomach. It will hurt for like years. Boursin cheese? Light as air. It was so light and definitely the best risotto I've ever had. 
+++ Duck confit with pearl onion kimchi, young cabbage, cashew condiment, black garlic - I personally don't enjoy duck but I still tried it and it was pretty good although I cannot be an accurate judge of this. My friend tried it and loved it/ate my portion and loved it.
+++ Chocolate mousse with mint ice cream, chocolate streusel, hibiscus - Holy s#!T Helllllloo! Gosh this was amazing. I'm a huge chocolate lover AND mint ice cream lover. This sent me into bliss.

Service:
On point. It was lunch and the restaurant is relatively small so I don't think they will have issues as far as the service goes but I was not disappointed. 

For Miami, the food presentation of Alter is literally in its own class/category. There is not one restaurant that has this type of cuisine. None. Not only that, but the food is actually really delicious. The prices are extremely low for what this restaurant delivers and I just truly hope that Miami people will get their acts together and realize this!

Yum!