Sunday Brunching In Brickell's Backyard - Welcome to AWA Miami

The words "backyard" and "Brickell" are usually not used interchangeably but there is a great new spot that's been open for a couple of months at 25 SE 5th Street in Brickell, featuring 6 bars and 8 foodie destinations, called Riverside. Riverside is a trendy, 120,000 square-foot waterfront venue that combines the best of Miami's entertainment, gastronomy, and culture in a beautifully landscaped setting in the heart of Brickell. It is here that we experienced AWA Miami, an Izakayan concept led by Chef Gonzalo Arganaras, that offers contemporary Japanese cuisine with Asian influences.

AWA Miami just started offering a Sunday Brunch that is a full-on Miami experience. Imagine sitting by the river, enjoying the warm breeze as you sip on Bottomless Mimosas. Sound appealing? I thought it would. There are two price fixed menus to choose from. The first is for two people - $94 (which is the one we shared) and the other is for three -$144. Two hours of Bottomless Mimosas are available for an additional $30 per person.

I'll start by saying the brunch includes an amazing sampling of dishes. They really combined a flavorful variety of their signature favorites to create a well-balanced and memorable brunch combination. For starters, we indulged in Edamame topped with Maldon Sea Salt, Brussel Sprouts, and Shrimp Panko served with Spicy Mayo. Between admiring the colorful plating of the dishes, and enjoying some good old people-watching, we couldn't think of a better place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Let me stop here to tell you that the Brussel Sprouts taste unbelievable. I could easily have taken some home to eat on the couch. Sweet and crispy, the tanginess of the balsamic tsume and the texture of the toasted almonds took each bite to a new level.

Since the dishes are served family style and as they are ready, next up we tried the four Main Courses. The first was the Awa Poke, a fresh salad prepared with green cabbage, avocado, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and a boiled egg, then drizzled with wasabi oil vinegar. Our waiter also brought out the Chicken Bao Buns and the Awa Salmon Roll. The warm, fluffy steamed buns were harmonious on the palate, and the chicken was mixed with cabbage and a creamy spicy mayo that brought it all together. The maki salmon roll was made with avocado and tuna inside, then topped with crispy rice, aji amarillo, eel sauce and salmon. All of this was bathed in my favorite ingredient in the whole creation - truffle oil. Can you just imagine the flavor explosion? The last dish in the main course line up was the Pork Hot Stone, a flavorful blend of fried rice and pickled vegetables.

The dessert that was on the menu were the Thai Donuts, however, we got to enjoy their signature AWA Lava Cake. I don't have to tell you the smile on my face when our server brought it to the table- being the chocolate lover that I am. Even though we were both tugging at our tight clothing, we went to work on that happy ending. When we finished spooning the chocolate molten cake with the raspberry coulis and the scoop of vanilla ice-cream, we sat back, took a deep breath and smiled as we sipped our last drops of mimosa.

I highly recommend a trip out to Riverside, Brickell's Backyard, to treat yourself to an amazing Sunday Brunch at AWA Miami. You will be truly mesmerized. For more information, you can contact them at 786-859-8990.