Tikl

I remember my first love, Greta Brown, a beautiful blonde, who in the 6th grade let me hold her hand. Well, as years moved on, if found that I was better with falling in love with food, then with women, maybe food doesn't reject you, you always reject food. Without getting to graphic, food leaves one way or another, I prefer the non-projectile method!

I've fell in love with so many restaurant's and dishes, I'm truly practicing culinary infidelity. Now I think it's the real deal, big love for a small plate, my big love is Tikl, This newly opened small plate tapas bar, rocks, it has a fantastic vibe, just look around, all the women in the world who rejected me are here, with all there high dollar dates. less about them and more about Tikl, it's moderenesk appeal, and techno- Rave music sets an exciting pulse. Had I lived in the Brickell area, I'd be here everyday.

Ramsey our waiter, was apparently a good choice for the job, he was personable and quick to come by the table to see how things were, as a matter of fact, the owner came by at least three times to check to see how things were, and yes things were great. Tikl participates in Miami Spice, which for those who don't know provides affordable meals at an inexpensive price of $33.00, and some of those proceeds go to charity.

The Miami Spice menu items I found more exciting then the regular items; however, we opted for a Miami Spice side and a regular menu items. Me's thinks that Miami Spice items were in fact better.We ordered:

1. Yellow Tail Habachi.......................... very fresh and excellent
2. Diver Scallops and Pumpkin Seeds..............Perfectly cooked
3. Hanger Steak................................. OMG! need I say more!
4. Bacon Wrapped Oyster Mushrooms............OMG again and so easy to make!
5. Local Shrimp......................................Very good, could be a little spicer
6. Zatar Lamb......................................... :o( The only thing I didn't like.
7. Thai Mussel's........................ My favorite, truly my favorite!

OK, with great ambiance, beautiful people (even the hostess), a cool-hip atmosphere, great wine list, an eclectic menu, and great service what could go wrong? Well, our neighbors (and you are close) were douche bag's, never a good word to say about any of there friends, always negative, I imagined the'll be getting divorced in the next 3 to 5 years, I didn't even want to eaves drop on there conversation and I came to the conclusion that the wife had low self esteem and the husband thought very highly of himself, conclusion divorce 3-5 years. But, they too liked the food.

So see I don't fall in love with any piece of bologna, I'm an Iberico type of guy, Tikl is my new love, I'm sure you'll love it too!

My birthday dinner at TiKL was off a catastrophic start. 5 minutes after arrival and the decline was rapid...

Strike 1 - No apple martini's, missing a key ingredient the waiter says, Ok.

Strike 2 - Jalapeno Margarita, yes I know it's supposed to be spicy hence the name but what was served in that glass was an inferno of light green liquid! I can usually throw back anything but at $16 a pop, I decided not to torch my taste buds and sent it back.

Strike 3 - wine please. A bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Chardonnay. What came to the table was Pinot Noir.

Strike 4 - my slightly embarrassed waiter called in the manager to announce that the chardonnay was not cold enough...was there anything else I would want? At this point fully aware I was running out of options, I settled for a Cabernet.

I'm not going to lie. 45 minutes without a sip of alcohol and no food (we were waiting to order) and I wanted to kill myself. Whyyyyyyy oh whyyyyyy me???? And on my birthday??!!?

The turnaround:

My wine arrives! Yayyyyy!

Bacon bread - ehhhhh, its edible but who said this was delicious?

The Bloody Mary Bruschetta - wholly shit balls this little app is packing some major punch!!!! Order this over the bacon bread...trust me!!!!

The Cured Snapper arrives - good

The Hamichi Crudo arrives - Ohhh wowwww now this is good!!!!!!

The Spicy Tuna Bomb - Prizewinning dish of the evening, muted flavors perfectly balanced, so delicate and delicious, that we ordered a second.

Warm veal rilet - I liked the dish but it wasn't my favorite, it's like short rib meat with a poached egg on top, flavorful but I prefer Gigi's version of it (steak & eggs)

Short rib tacos - way better than the ones @ Gigi's! These little buns are made in house so they arrive as warm pillowy little tacos of heaven

Korean Hanger steak - who doesn't like churrasco?? Especially with the little scallions on top!

And in the end my birthday dinner was salvaged! My only other complaint is that despite my boyfriends repeated efforts to remind the waiter about my birthday dessert, he still forgot. :(

Luckily there was little room for cake!

Definitely come for happy hour - stay for dinner. Warning, this place is a bit pricey but it is well worth it.

I came on their second day open and was promptly seated. Soon after the place began filling up. The inside is super chic and contemporary. I love the decor, and can't wait for the upstairs lounge to open. The music was fairly quiet, which I appreciate since I went with my dad and we are both deaf. Our server, Ryan, was very efficient and recommended several tasty options. I can't remember the sake we ordered, it was by the glass so it's one of two options. I normally don't like sake but after sending back my less than stellar caprihina (would not recommend it) I wanted something different. The sake was really sweet, smooth, and better than a white wine.

We ended up ordered two different oysters, Maple Leaf and Malpeque, both of which were good, although I like the Malpeque better for appetizers, as well as octopus au jus (cooked octopus head). The octopus was really good, and very spicy, although it was a very, very small portion. For dinner we had curry muscles, veal kidneys, and beef cheek. The beef cheek was not anything to write home about. The kidneys were tasty. I was really surprised as I have never had organs before. They were well seasoned and kind of reminded me of pork sausages. I would definitely eat them again. Finally, the curry muscles were incredible. They were in a curry coconut milk soup and served with crispy sushi rice - **KISS**. Really good, perfectly balance.

To finish everything off we had some sort of chocolate lavender ice cream cakes. It lacked sweetness and was not very impressive. I'm hoping the chef will be able to fix this as the dessert has potential.

Finally, when it's cocktail hour, check out the menu. They have some unusual stuff that I am dying to try out. They have a jalapeno margarita. I am soooo curious.

New and Refreshing, Built to last. Welcome to TIKL, across from the 4Seasons. The raw bar robata grill creations that will make you want to order everything and return more and more often. The menu is well put together plus the staff can assist you with choices and recommendations, so when you order, dishes will begin arriving at a sensible pace and you can begin to savor all and enjoy the ride. Simple and easy.
The octopus with chorizo is a must and everything you order until the robata grilled peach with the muscovado carmel gelato will blow you away.
I'm a believer, and so will you....

Really loved this place. Did the spice menu with the honey and it was so much food that I was only tasting bites at the end because I was so stuffed. He said, "new top ten restaurant for sure!"

Our waiter was Jeremy and he really was so personable and awesome - I hope we get him again next time.

We ordered:


bacon toast. - not actually with bacon... but cooked with yummy bacon goodness to give it the flavor and richness. SO GOOD.

bloody mary bruschetta. - probably won't order this again knowing how good the bacon toast is... tasty... but just a bruschetta.

lobster salad. - so good. i think next time i might just get like three of these. poached lobster in an amazing sauce... wanted to lick the bowl... and nice big chunks too.

pork belly hot pot. - pork belly in a big steaming bowl of broth with sticky rice .... juicy melt in your mouth pork... and a PERFECTLY poached duck egg. i wish that I had saved some bacon toast to soak up more broth...

fried squid. very tasty... but a little mushy. i don't know if that's the right word... but i wish that the coating was a little crispier... but very nice taste.

octopus robata. one of the most tender pieces of octopus i have ever had... and i love the contrast between the almost sweet meat of the octopus with the savory paprika of the chorizo.

day boat scallops. beautifully tender scallops... but i didn't like the butternut dashi at all... it was almost bitter... but the scallops were cooked perfectly.

korean hangar steak. subtle citrus flavoring. i wish the kimchi scallions were diced a bit more... it wasn't really realistic to eat because the pieces were so big. meat was a bit cooler... not sure if that's how it was supposed to be... but it was nice and refreshing... which isn't something you usually can say about meat. lol.

try the native beer.... very nice.

really like this place and hope that it succeeds... but that block is a difficult block to attract foot traffic... so i think maybe they should do something better outside to draw attention... the windows are so tinted that the restaurant looks closed before you walk almost right up to it... and the sign for some reason makes it still look like it's under construction.

After careful deliberation, I decided I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. Since I can't, it looks like I'm going to have to round down- hence, Tikl is getting 3 stars from me. I have had my eye on this place since it opened and I finally gave it a go last night. It is a nice, trendy space and I thought the decor was a step up from Brickell's usual dining establishments.

The food was pretty good overall but nothing to write home about- with the exception of the Hangar Steak. It was very flavorful and perfectly cooked. Cauliflower, popcorn shrimp, and duck spring rolls were all 'just okay' in my opinion. Short rib soft tacos were tasty but too much horseradish if you ask me! The service was pretty solid. Our waitress was helpful, giving us a run-down of the menu and answering many of our questions.

I would go back to Tikl in the future but it's not on my priority list. Worth going if you want to shake up your Brickell dining scene.

I love tikl. Beautiful restaurant and the food is great. Small plates you can eat 3 different things for the price of one. I recommend you:

1.-Thai curried mussils

2.-Korean hanger steak

3.-Garlic bread fantastic!!!


Dont miss this restauran from the same owner of Altamare in South Beach

First off the restaurant looks great, you have a choice of sitting inside or out. The service was fantastic as well. The service was very good. The waiter was help full in explaining the menu and answering any questions that the group had about any particular menu item.

For appetizer we had the spring rolls, rock shrimp, and bruschetta. The spring rolls were alright, but the rock shrimp and bruschetta were exceptionally good. The korean hangar steak was amazing, that's the one item i will remember and will probably be a main factor in me going back.The members of my table also enjoyed the Fried Squid and Short Rib taco.

Tikl is worth going to if you are in Brickell and looking for a place to eat. I will probably go back next time I am in the area.

Came here for lunch on Thursday... the food was FANTASTIC!

You must try the Bruscetta, and the tacos, and the Skirt Steak... OMG, the skirt steak is awesome!


My one gripe is that the service was toooooo slow... I am not sure I'd go for lunch again... but definitely for dinner.

I cannot believe I haven't reviewed TIKL yet!

My hair dresser first told me about TIKL, then I found out it opened just across the street from my house. In the first 2 weeks of its opening I think I went 4 or 5 times, it is that good.

I am a sucker for Asian influenced food, so Chef Simon's menu is killer to me.
Sushi, raw options, robata, and daily specials flown in from all over the world (like Tasmanian trout!).

If you have never been you must try:
- TIKL roll (changes every day)
- Pork Belly Hot Pot
- Spicy Tuna Bomb
- Short Rib Tacos (on bao buns)
- Pork Belly Robata
- Asparagus (Truffle Butter)
- Jalapeño Margarita


TIPS:
-If you go with 4-6 people ask to sit at the Chef's table (there are 2)
-Ask to meet the chef, Simon, he is great!
-They have lunch specials that are decently priced if you work in the area
-Sit at the bar and have Alli make you one of their specialty cocktails and order a TIKL roll for Happy hour
-Make sure to get the City Social discount card! (in your check at the end): http://www.miamicitysocial.com/directory/tikl-restaurant/restaurants-miami

I have even heard "this is my favorite restaurant in Miami" out of a few mouths that I have taken here.