Tikl Raw Bar and Grill
Photo by J. Albert Diaz
Tikl Raw Bar and Grill
Photo by J. Albert Diaz
Miami financial adviser Steven Arch’s passion is hunting wild game. He spends most weekends searching for wild boar, elk or deer, freezing his spoils in commercial-sized freezers at his Pinecrest home, and hosting lavish barbecues for his friends to enjoy the fresh meat.
So it’s no surprise that on his first visit to TIKL raw bar grill in Miami’s Brickell financial district, Arch ordered the barbecue pork sandwich. A traditionalist, Arch was a little put off by the mango sauce slathering the pork, but he enjoyed the duck spring roll appetizer and the ambience, and said he would return.
“I liked the atmosphere,” the Wells Fargo senior vice president said. “I could see it had a nice vibe to it. The mango was a little weird for me, but the pork was very authentic. I’d give it a seven.”
TIKL is the newest restaurant addition to Brickell, opening in September at 1450 Brickell Ave. With a built-in clientele of suits upstairs at Brickell’s new luxury office skyscraper, the place seemingly should have no trouble becoming a power lunch spot.
But surrounded by a bevy of new condos and hotels, TIKL has done a better job so far of capturing the dinner crowd.
“Dinner is stronger than lunch right now,” said Iskuhy Ututhian, co-owner of the eatery. “Our diners understand the sharing plate concept. We have somewhat achieved what we’re looking for. We’re doing better than when we started. We’re still growing our lunch business.”
To attract the savvy business lunch crowd, TIKL is offering a 10 percent discount to diners with business cards displaying a Brickell address.
The restaurant’s name invites patrons to “tickle their taste buds” with a variety of small plates from cured Tasmanian ocean trout ($16) to pork belly with pickled fennel and chili sauce ($12) to Korean hanger steak with citrus soy and kimchi scallion ($13).
There also are salads, sandwiches and large plates like Thai curried mussels with crispy sushi rice ($17), pork belly hot pot with poached farm egg ($16), and robata grilled pork chop with roasted garlic mash and carmelized onion ($19).
Welcome Addition
TIKL was opened by seasoned restaurateur Claudio Giordano, the owner of Altamare in Miami Beach and former owner of Claudio’s Restaurant Bar & Club in Coral Gables. His plan was to offer foodies the freshest farm-to-table food prepared by rising star chef Simon Stojanovic, formerly of Michael’s Genuine.
With sky-high ceilings, wooden floors and paneled walls, the space has the minimalist, urban feel of a converted warehouse. A blackboard with daily specials scribbled in chalk occupies an entire wall.
Some Brickell businesspeople are calling TIKL a welcome addition to the avenue, particularly on the south side, where fine dining establishments are sparse.
“I eat there at least three times a week and have drinks with clients twice a week,” said Jose Ferrer, a litigation partner at Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod next door.
“The convenience is great, but I also like the creative menu. They don’t have a lot on the menu, but what they have is really good.”
Ferrer is a fan of the short rib tacos served with horseradish sour cream and scallions for $14. He also likes to sample the small plates.
While some find the prices on the steep side, Ferrer doesn’t complain. “It’s not the cheapest place, but considering that it’s on Brickell, the prices are fair,” he said.
Another fan is Philip Carroll, senior vice president and South Florida regional manager at Grandbridge Real Estate Capital. Carroll, whose office is at 1700 Brickell Ave., has been to TIKL about 10 times and is partial to the shredded pork tacos, the Vietnamese vegetarian tacos with pickled carrot, and the cobia fish special.
“The food is well-prepared and well-served,” Carroll said. “The ambience is very modern and young, and the service is excellent.”
On a recent visit with two colleagues, we were a bit disappointed when the waiter informed us the restaurant was out of arugula salad, the Caprese sandwich and the fish of the day.
But we found some other good choices starting with the duck spring roll, a tasty little bite neatly divided in three.
One colleague ordered pappardelle, broad flat pasta noodles, served with braised beef and roasted tomato ($17). The dish was hot, flavorful and plentiful, and he wound up taking half home, ostensibly for the dog.
My other colleague started off his meal with three oysters that came atop a bowl of ice with a tureen of cocktail sauce. He then proceeded to tackle the North Pacific surf and turf — a long plate of Korean hanger steak, tempura rock shrimp and steak fries.
He pronounced the sliced steak perfectly cooked and juicy and loved the rock shrimp, which was lightly breaded and piping hot. A ponzu aoli sauce went well with the large portion of thick fries.
I had the chopped salad, dotted with bits of salami, sunflower seeds, olives, smoked Gouda and scallions, and dressed in a fresh and tangy mixture. With the spring roll appetizer and a piece of crusty bread, it made for a filling lunch.
One warning to those coming from outside the Brickell area: if you can’t find street parking, you’ll have to use the garage in the pricey 1450 Brickell building, and the restaurant does not validate.
Julie Kay can be reached at (305) 347-6685.
