No Name Chinese Restaurant in South Miami (closed)

No Name Chinese is an elegant restaurant situated in the heart of South Miami. I was curious about the name, so this place has been on my bucket list since last year.

The Chef presented us with Fish Crudo “Yusheng”: Chinese style raw fish, pickled ginger and seasonal fruits, citrus, chives and white soy. The fish on that day was ahi tuna and the fruit, strawberries. Raw fish is one of my favorite things, and this dish was extra special because of the berries which added an enticing and aromatic fragrance – it was an unexpected combination of ingredients that was screaming with flavor.

The most celebrated dish in the restaurant is The Crispy Turnip Cake – a sumptuous and beautiful-looking Okonomiyaki Style Turnip Cake covered in Sweet Soy, Kewpie Mayo, Katsuobushi, Chives, Lap Cheong Sausage, Shiitake Mushroom. There were enough flavors and textures going on in this dish to make your tongue crazy with pleasure. No wonder this turnip cake is so popular.

The Salt & Pepper Crunchy Potatoes was another tasty treat. Super crispy potatoes seasoned with vinegar, Szechuan peppercorns and salt served with lots of herbs and a side of “Mouth Watering” sauce made with Thai chiles, Szechuan peppercorns, and Hoisin sauce among other things. These potatoes were sensational, and I was mortified when one of them flew under the table. I was able to retrieve it but of course, could not eat it….still miss that bite to this day. I could have licked every crispy bit off the floor if I had no shame. What a mind-blowing way to prepare the humble potato.

I must say that the Shrimp Dumplings were the star of the show for me: pink shrimp, chives, black garlic. It was delicious from the start. The taste of the dumplings was intense yet subtle, with a great rich flavor that came strongly at you without actually slapping you in the face. They were gently juicy, each morsel a burst of unforgettable freshness. Thank goodness I did not drop any of these on the floor!

The Kung Pao Chicken was made with smoked cashews, Tianjin chilies, scallions, orange, cilantro and Sichuan peppercorn. The chicken was soft, and tender and the chilies bumped up the flavor to the next level.

Our sweet delight was the Walnut Tart – Macau style egg tart, Chinese five spice marshmallow, and strawberries. This was a happy dessert, each bite an impressive mouthful of well-balanced ingredients. – loved the little sprinkle of five spice on the marshmallows.

No Name Chinese Restaurant is a place that you do not want to miss. Chef Pablo Zitzmann keeps the Chinese culinary tradition alive while infusing a good dose of modernity into the flavor profiles of each dish, in all the right ways. He uses locally sourced produce and pairs his dishes with great wines and craft beer.

Our dining companion, Miss E., the famous WokStar, graced us with her company and wrote an informative article that you shoud defintely check out here.

There is really no name on the building – Photo by Google

What’s behind the name? They simply could not come up with one that sufficiently described the essence of their cuisine, one that reflected the different perspective on traditional flavors usually presented in the local restaurants. There is literally no name on the building, so you are going to need a GPS to find it. Once you walk thru the doors, you will realize that name or no name; good food is always a winner.