Earth to Table
Faena Hotel’s signature restaurants prepare locally sourced, quality ingredients using globally inspired culinary styles.
LOS FUEGOS BY FRANCIS MALLMANN | PAO BY PAUL QUI
“My aim is to make main dishes for vegans as substantial as a steak,” said Argentine chef Francis Mallmann, creator of Los Fuegos restaurant. Hailed around the world for his live-fire cooking, Mallmann launched a vegan cookbook at
the behest of his younger, eco-conscious fans who don’t eat meat.
“As paradigms shift, Los Fuegos is adapting its menu by adding more and more vegetarian-vegan options that are prepared in the same signature wood-fired fashion,” says Sebastian Benitez, executive chef of Los Fuegos.
Dishes include grilled artichokes with sesame yogurt, sourdough breadcrumbs, toasted sesame seeds, and preserved lemon,while wild mushrooms feature homemade smoked ricotta and salsa verde. Beets “al rescoldo” carpaccio, a fan favorite on the menu, is a delicious combination of pistachio yogurt, crisp arugula, shallot vinaigrette and garlic chips.
“The most important thing for us is to source the best quality ingredients and choose the correct fire technique for each one,” Benitez explains. For example, a new entrée on the menu, the smoked cabbage stuffed with rice, wild mushrooms, sesame cream and roasted walnuts, is strung from an eight-foot iron dome and slow roasted for hours over an open flame. “I like the challenge of making a good dish based on vegetables,” he says.
"My aim is to make main dishes for vegans as substantial as a steak” - Chef Francis Mallmann
At Pao, dishes are anchored in Asian flavors. “Filipino cuisine derives its inspiration and ingredients mainly from Chinese and Malay recipes,” comments chef de cuisine Paulina Ornelas. “Traditional flavors from the Philippines frequently feature soy sauce or patis (anchovy sauce), which greatly enhance the flavor of the dish.”
The chefs at Pao prioritize quality in sourcing their ingredients. “We get all our premium Wagyu cuts from Miami Purveyors,” she notes. A succulent tenderloin found on the menu is cooked sous vide and accompanied by mushroom escabeche topped with black truffle and shio kombu (seasoned seaweed).
In-season fruits from Mr Greens in Allapattah, an up-and-coming neighborhood in Miami, adds brightness and zest to the menu. “Right now, I am working with a pineapple for our aguachile ceviche and avocado for the A5 beef tataki,” says Ornelas. “My favorite ingredient to use in the summer is lychee because the flavor is so unique and exotic. I serve it fresh or in a vinaigrette to make the flavor pop a little bit more.”
Nuances of Japanese and Mexican gastronomy can also be tasted in Pao’s inventive dishes, but Filipino cuisine always remains its base. “Pao’s dishes are served family-style because in the Philippines there’s always enough food prepared for the whole family to share.”
"Food is about memories, familiarity, and comfort” - Pao by Paul Qui
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