Ola Restaurant Review
Sanctuary South Beach
1745 James Ave. (17th & 18th Sts.) 
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Miami Beach, FL 33139
305-695-9125 | Menu
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Cuisine
Open
Dinner nightlyFeatures
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Outdoor dining
- Open late Fri.-Sat.
- Valet parking
- Business casual
* Click here for rating key
 The Miami chef who’s generally recognized as the “father of Nuevo Latino cuisine,” Douglas Rodriguez, isn’t actually in the kitchen of Ola (Of Latin America). But protégé Jose Luis Flores ably executes the master’s recipes, including this place’s must-not-misses: the ceviches. These range from an almost-classic tomato-spiked Ecuadorian-style shrimp model (garnished wittily with popcorn as well as corn nuts) to more far-out fusion treats such as the "Fire and Ice": cobia marinated in sour orange and spiked with Thai chilies, jalapeño and cilantro, plus refreshing Asian pear granita. As for the rest of the menu, some signature items, like fried oysters Rodriguez (with porridge-like fufu, creamed horseradish spinach, and highly aromatic huacatay sauce), are definitely for those of a “too much is not enough” mindset. But plenty of dishes are lightened takes on Latin classics, like a starter of chicharron, here rice-corn-flour-dusted crispy rock shrimp with zesty panca sauce and micro cilantro. Actually, though entrées are fine, the richness and complexity of Rodriguez’s dishes make a grazing meal of starters and ceviches a pretty ideal meal.
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