Philippe

I love Chinese food and, up until the recent addition of Heaven's Dog to San Francisco, I've been disappointed with the offerings 'round these parts. There's just something about East Coast (aka NJ/NYC) Chinese food that is very different, and in my opinion much yummier, than its CA cousin. We weren't sure what to expect from Miami Chinese food, but we went with what can only be considered the gold standard of Chinese cuisine in the area - Philippe. Located in the gorgeous Gansevoort Hotel, and brought to you by renowned chef Philippe Chow, you should only go if you have dollars to spend. This is fine dining at it's best - impeccable service, great presentations, the whole sha-bang. There's even an all glass wall so you can watch your chefs hard at work:As with just about any fancy-pants place, the staff are oh-so-accommodating, and they ensured me a vegan meal to delight my palate, even offering me a tofu entree not on the regular menu. Hooray! The husband has some prawn dish and we also got some vegetable dumplings to share. Here are the veggie items:










After eating, I gotta say, we weren't that impressed. It seemed like pretty standard Chinese food. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere, staff, and ingredients are all top notch. There was just nothing with WOW going on like we experienced at Heaven's Dog. In fact, it really just made us want to go back there.... and we will someday soon I bet!



On the other hand, dessert of watermelon and mango sorbet was divine. So fresh and flavorful! And, while I got a pretty standard fortune in my cookie, my husband got the following, which definitely ended the meal on a high note:




So true, so true. It doesn't even matter that squirrel is misspelled. In fact, it kind of makes me like Philippe even more. All in all, it's over-priced for what you're going to eat, but if you want a lovely fine-dining experience and you've got the dough to spend on it, I say go for it... and let me know if your fortune comes true.