From SunLIfe to HaSalon: Exploring Miami’s Healthiest and hottest Eats

From sipping on smoothies to dancing on tables, consider this your official guide…

JUNE 2022

After two trips to Miami in the last two months, I’ve done my bout of research and nailed down my top spots for mostly healthy and always delicious food.

Here are my picks:

Juice & Java (a must)

Last time I was in Miami, I went to J&J almost every day; it’s THAT good. I like that the food is extremely fresh, the menu is so varied, and the ingredients are clean. Also, the ambiance inside is very nice and light. Shoutout to @bonberi for the rec!

What I ordered:

- Avo wrap w miso dressing: Fave thing I tried (a specific @bonberi suggestion).

- Custom green juice (celery, cucumber, lemon, ginger): My staple juice combo that certainly delivered.

- Celery Stalker juice (celery, carrot, apple): V refreshing and not a combo I’d make myself. Wouldn’t get again only bc I preferred my custom juice.

- Latin Scramble: Would get again.

- Java’s Famous Rice w black beans: Wouldn’t get this one again.

SunLife Organics (a must)

Ok. If you haven’t heard of SunLife Organics, you NEED to listen to Episode #187 of The Skinny Confidential where they interview the founder, Khalil Rafati. His story is CRAZY and as soon as I heard the ep, I knew I would have to try the spot. SunLife specializes in smoothies, but not just your average smoothies – they are the of the highest quality, made with extremely creative combos, and best of all, DELICIOUS.

This is what I got:

- Blue Majik smoothie (sub for vanilla vegan protein instead of whey and coconut water instead of pineapple juice): One of the best smoothies I’ve ever had, zero question.

- The Athlete smoothie: Liked but not as much as Blue Majik.

- Khalil Style beef bone broth: Nice and lemony, but wouldn’t get again only bc was too $$ for me to justify.

- Banana Chocolate cookie: Worked very well as a breakfast-plane snack. Was yum but a bit too sweet for my typical snack-preference.

- Truvani bar: I really like how SL sells a ton of products by other amazing brands. This bar was so good and very simple, clean ingredients; perfect travel snack.

HaSalon (a must)

Hands down the best service I’ve ever experienced. Our waiter, José, sat down with us and meticulously reviewed the entire menu, giving his honest thoughts about what we should order (literally starring and crossing out items on the paper menu). We loved that the vibe was super comfortable – José said that “HaSalon” = “the living room,” and that if we needed anything, we could shout his name. The interior was also beautifully designed.

If you know about HaSalon, you know that it is known for the table-napkin-dancing situation. We actually went on a Sunday so didn’t end up getting that *exact* experience but certainly ended up dancing on the tables, flinging napkins regardless. Next time, I would go with a bigger group (it was only two of us) on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Also, there is usually a minimum spend of $150/person. This didn’t apply to us – I think because it was a Sunday – but don’t let that deter you because it is 1000000% worth It for the unique experience. Lastly, I have to shout out the entire staff for really upping the energy. They were all SO enthusiastic, clapping/singing/dancing along to the DJ. My friend also told them it was my birthday and practically everyone, including the manager and chefs, brought out a tray of desserts for me while we were dancing on the table.

Oh, and did I mention that they ONLY use olive oil, S&P to season their food because they want the natural flavours of their LOCALLY-SOURCED ingredients to shine through?! Win.

What we ended up ordering:

- Tomato focaccia with a tangy yogurt dip: Kind of tasted like sour cream but in the best way (this was complementary); would eat this again.

- Beetroot carpaccio wrapped in a horseradish snow: Get this! Such a creative dish.

- The 12.5ft pici (there is this woman who comes in everyday and makes only 5-6 of these so we had to get it): Was fun to try but I would get a different pasta dish next time, maybe the ravioli.

- Eggplant melanzana (best comparison I can make is eggplant parmigiana): Liked but didn’t love.

- Vanilla bean ice cream platter + strawberries with olive oil, butter cookies and brownies: DELISH!  

Byblos Miami (a must)

Byblos is one of my favourite restaurants in general so I am slightly biased here…the vibe, the food (taste and the creativity of the dishes), the décor (hello, outdoor carpets!), the service, everything really. IMO, you truly can’t go wrong with what you order; “delectable” is an apt summary for sure. Note: Miami and Toronto menus vary slightly.

This is what we ordered (would get it all again):

- Roasted red beets: my mouth is literally watering thinking about this…get it! I am a big beets person and LOVE labneh. Thought this combo, with the pistachio topping, was pure excellence.

- Eggplant kibbeh: DELICIOUS.

- Middle Eastern fried chicken: I didn’t have this but my brother really liked it.

- Persian kale rice: SO. good. The labneh in the rice was perfection. (I also like the Black Truffle rice that I’ve had in Toronto.)

- Roasted brussels sprouts: ideal to get in some veggies/greens where possible so this worked well for that purpose. This one is negotiable if you’re getting all the other things and are ok to skip the veggies.  

- Hazelnut chocolate mousse: really, really good.

Delicious Raw

DR was my go-to for breakfast in Miami the last time I was there. I love ordering from places that only use fresh, heathy ingredients so I don’t have to go any guesswork, and this is no exception. They also open at 8am which was a plus for me on the days where I needed to order an early breakfast.

What I got:

- Celery juice: tasted exactly like how it does when I make it at home which I loved.

- Sunny-side-up eggs + side of baked sweet potatoes: Really liked this combo – simple and so good.

- VeTo Breakfast: Liked but would try something else next time.

Apple a Day Café

I was very pleased with Apple A Day’s selection of salads similar to what I would make myself. I am big soup + salad person which is what I gravitated towards from here both times I ordered.

Exactly what I had:

- Black Beans Salad: Really liked this. I added EVOO and salt instead of the pre-made dressing as wasn’t a fan of those ingredients. The salad on its own did have a great flavour from the black beans and sautéed red peppers.

- Lentil soup: This was warming and delicious – would def get again.

- Falafel salad: Wasn’t crazy about this, wouldn’t order again. I did like the amount of greens though and ended up saving some for the plane the next day.

Komodo

If you’re looking for the quintessential Miami dining experience, then Komodo is your spot (think: the TAO of Miami but outside). I was extremely impressed by the design of this indoor-outdoor restaurant with great music and exceptional service. I am neutral to eating here again as would prefer to try elsewhere of the same calibre (e.g. Swan, Sexy Fish), but also wouldn’t say no if I was with people who wanted to go.

 What we ordered:

- Truffle Mushroom dumplings: I didn’t try these but friends loved.

- Komodo Roll: Unique texture/flavour – very good.

- Dragon Roll: I didn’t try but friends loved.

- Vegetable Fried Rice: Really good.

- Korean Fried Chicken: I didn’t try but friends said 10/10.

Pura Vida

Another spot for healthy, clean, tasty eats. I like the fresh, calming atmosphere (definitely aesthetic) and their menu is quite vast. Again, love going to places that I know are conscious of their ingredients that I can trust. I also like how the portions are large enough to save some for later. Note: you may have to ask for extra salad dressing if you like everything coated the way I do. Also, there are plenty of good-looking meat/fish options so there is something for everyone.

Here’s what I tried:

- Garden Greens salad (they ran out of chickpeas so I had this with their vegan adashah (lentil + chickpea-based protein)): Liked but wouldn’t get again. While I loved the amount of greens, I didn’t like the ACV dressing (tasted like there was Dijon which I cannot STAND) and the adashah - which is not usually in this dish - was definitely my favourite part.

- Vegan Lentil bowl (subbed quinoa for extra greens): Absolutely loved – super fresh and light (although I imagine it might feel a bit heavier w the quinoa), and the ingredients worked really well together. Big fan of the adashah here as well. Make sure to ask for extra dressing.

- Vegan chocolate chip cookie: Yum but a bit too sweet for my usual palette. 

Blue Ribbon Sushi (a must if you want sushi)

I am classifying it as a must if you want sushi but not a must on its own - I love sushi but I don’t think it’d be my top choice if I had other spots lined up on vacation. That said, I would definitely go here again, if that makes sense. It was nice but not too dressy (we went there for dinner after our flight; I wore a jean skirt, white sneakers, and a green linen button-up and felt like I matched the vibe). The service and food were also fantastic. I realized afterwards that it’s part of The Plymouth Hotel which explained the fancy “waiting area” (lobby) and scenic background of the outdoor dining space. Oh, and it was really easy to get a reservation via OpenTable.

What we tried:

- House Salad: This was SO good. The dressing was an unexpected but very pleasant ginger/sesame combo. Love getting in those greens wherever I can!

- Hearts of Palm: This was an interesting (in a good way) dish. I liked it to try once but wouldn’t get again.

- Miso soup: A sushi-staple. Each bowl was served with the miso paste on the side in a traditional soup spoon. I loved mixing the miso in myself because I knew it was fresh.

- Avocado Rolls: Although you can never go wrong w avo rolls, some places do it better than others; this was definitely one of the betters.

- Cucumber rolls: another sushi-classic that my brother always opts for.

Matador Room

The food here was V good. The only reason I’m not putting it as a must is because the atmosphere wasn’t as lively as I would’ve liked. This restaurant is part of the Miami Edition Hotel so I do give points for the upscale-nature and classiness. We also had a lovely, attentive waitress. I saw a few young kids here but wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a kid-friendly space. Shoutout to @bonberi for the menu recs – we got pretty much everything she suggested.  

Here’s what it was:

- Sweet Pea Guac: A yummy, light starter. Would get again.

- Heart of palm and heirloom tomato salad with young coconut and avo: A positively very interesting dish. I’m a big fan of all the ingredients in the salad, in particular young coconut, so was excited to try. I liked a lot but wouldn’t re-order – I think it’s something you can try once.

- Crunchy potato nuggets with a spicy-tangy sauce and rosemary aioli: Really liked, especially the sauce. Good to try once but wouldn’t get again.

-  Sautéed organic mushroom tacos w mole, kale, and lime: Despite my struggle with my embarrassingly low spice tolerance, I would get this again. It was my favourite thing we ordered aside from the dessert.

- JG warm Valrhona chocolate cake: Chocolate lava cake-esque, REALLY good. Would get again.

LMK if you try anything based off of my recs! Have you been to these places in Miami before? What are your fave spots?!