Hung Huynh / Catch Miami

Here in Miami, we get a lot of spillover from New York. Catch Miami, a new addition to Collins Avenue located in The James Royal Palm, can be included in that category—the restaurant’s flagship is in Manhattan. One meal, however, and it’s hard not to get a taste for this location’s noticeably distinct South Floridian flair. Chat Chow TV sat down with Hung Huynh, Top Chef Season Three winner and executive chef of Catch Miami, to discuss what, exactly, makes this version uniquely Miami. “Catch Miami is located in an Art Deco building which is landmarked in the Shorecrest building,” for starters, he explains. Downstairs guests are welcomed by a calming sea-foam-green ambiance, the raw bar and a cocktail bar featuring creative concoctions like the Iris (Grey Goose, lime juice, and a champagne topper) and the Dirty Bastard, a Jameson-based beverage served in a copper mug. For dinner, venture upstairs into an exposed-brick-lined room with oversized sienna globes descending from warehouse-tall ceilings. “It kind of resembles New York but in a smaller, more intimate space. But yet, it’s still very relaxed and the colors are a little Miami,” he notes of the South Beach venue. The menu is where diners will notice the big, fresh-Florida-flavored difference. Locally inspired dishes include the Rich Little Po’boy, a Southern fried oyster topped with caviar; the short crust roll packed with spicy tuna, avocados and pico de gallo; tater tots of yucca and plantains; and the key lime doughnut (watch the video above to see why you should definitely save room for this dessert). Beyond Florida, chef Huynh prepares plates with a global seafood influence, taking inspiration from classic American and Asian dishes and making each innovation approachable. Miami sure is lucky to have him—he’s a real catch.