3.5 stars for José Andrés’ fun, sexy Bazaar at the SLS South Beach

3.5 stars for José Andrés’ fun, sexy Bazaar at the SLS South Beach

"Olives" pop like tiny water balloons, blue cheese is frozen into mini sandwiches, bread melts like meringue, and frozen caipirinhas waft in like fog. These are just a few of the smile-inducing offerings at the new Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel. This is no game of smoke and mirrors. Andrés is a culinary clinician who has considered every reaction his food will elicit, weighing not only its depth of flavor but its every hue, aroma, sound, texture and mouth feel.

The menu can seem bazaar-like, but smart, well-trained waiters, handsomely dressed in white shirts and ties, are eager to explain the drill. Basically, two sections, “Miami Meets the World” and “Spain Yesterday and Today,” are comprised of more than 60 small, shareable plates.

Ambience: One of the world’s most exciting chefs has found a home in South Beach, and what a natural fit for this adult wonderland. Not just the meal but the décor, the waiters and the experience are sexy, fun and adventurous. The first of two high-ceilinged dining rooms is swathed in blood red with black accents including deep leather couches and matte mica tables. Beyond the hostess stand, a slightly more formal room is dominated by a shimmering white chandelier encrusted with tiny shells. With a long standup bar separating the two rooms and an open kitchen along one wall, the place has the vibe of a good party.

What Worked

• Intensely flavored quinoa with 20 vegetables with an array of Lilliputian roots and shoots and a husky tamarind broth
• A side of Brussels sprout leaves as fresh as a just-cut lawn tossed with slivered almonds, green grape halves and lemon foam
• Bagels and lox - a tiny pastry cone filled with cream cheese, bright orange beads of salmon roe and toasted black sesame seeds
• Bite-size empanadas made of golden-fried wonton wrappers around a wisp of cod mousse with a drizzle of honey
• Thoroughly tropical and utterly dramatic dragon fruit ceviche of diced tuna and avocado with toasted pecans and bright lime juice served with a crown of pink hibiscus foam
• Plump Mediterranean mussels with carrot diced as small as coarse salt grains served in an oval can with the lid jauntily tipped to the side
• Black rossejat - a paella-like noodle dish with a rich aioli dotted on a creamy layer of tiny toasted pasta sticks infused with black squid ink and topped with perky shrimp
• Kueh pai ti - four little cups of crispy potato filled with shaved veggies, salty peanuts, chopped shrimp and chiles as hot as summer sidewalk
• A tropical embrace of creamy coconut rice with chewy bits of sweet and sour tamarind and seared scallops
• Peruvian papas a la huancaina draped with briny whole sea urchin, studded with marble-sized purple potatoes and served with an assertively salty and bracingly spicy velvety sauce
• The triumphant Cuban - warm dribbling Swiss cheese, tiny squares of yellow pickle, a swipe of mustard and stellar Iberico ham on a puff of bread
• Deconstructed Key lime pie
• Cchocolate mousse mini cake with coffee ice cream
• Frozen banana skin filled with mojito sorbet and topped with meringue towers and shavings of lime and mint