08/12/07

Love this place!

by pearljen

I love cafe sambal! I have been there multiple times, usually for lunch or dinner. The staff is always extremely friendly--particularly Drew, my favorite waiter. My friend and I always sit outside--usually on a really comfy couch that they have. The drinks are all wonderful. The lychee saketini is probably the best I have ever had. The wines are great. I had a really nice Malbec there, and when I returned I couldnt remember what type of wine I liked. To help me out, the waitress came with about 3 wines to let me sample until I found the one I had liked so much the previous time. The noodle chips they bring out with the most delicious wasabi mustard dipping sauce is TO DIE FOR!! I could eat just that alone. Then, I usually get edamame. For an entree, my friend and I usually share the pad thai. They always split the portion for us with no additional "sharing fee" that many places charge. The riceless sushi roll is also very good. For dessert, they have a delicious chocolate ball filled with chocolate mousse. I usually dont like mousse, but this is really delicious! The atmosphere is relaxed and scenic. Great for a date or to go with a friend to have great food, drinks, and conversation. I highly recommend it there!

• Pros:  Beautiful waterview, great service, great drinks!
• Cons: Not cheap, have to valet, extremely quiet--almost dead at times

10/08/06

lovely lunch

by glamore411

The setting is tranquil. The perfect spot for a quiet lunch. No one rushes you or tries to make you feel unwelcome. Quite the contrary. Everyone, from thr lovely hostess to our efficient waiter encouraged us to take our time and enjoy ourselves. The sushi is ever so fresh. Each bite is cool and crisp in your mouth. The Cafe is decorated beautifully-Asian themed with a beautiful long wall dividing space so elegantly. Everything is immaculate, from the floors to the waiter's uniforms. It's so peaceful and quiet, you can really enjoy your dining companion's conversation. This is a rare treat in cell phone obsessed Miami. The Management has done an outstanding job staffing, training and maintaining an extraordinary lunch spot. it doesn't hurt that it's inside the beautiful Mandarian Oriental Hotel.

• Pros: delightful decor, excellent service, quiet
• Cons: parking is expensive

09/24/06

Good Service, Great Food, Nice Views of Downtown / Water

by fll411

I goto Cafe Sambal regularly for lunch meetings, the Brickell location makes it very easy to get to from the downtown Miami areas. The service is always super, very helpful and knowledable if you have any questions. They have a wide variety of asian / japanese / thai inspired food. The sushi is very good and the Kobe Burger is awesome! One of the best places to eat, especially for business in the downtown / brickell areas of Miami.

• Pros: Great Food, Good Service, Nice Views
• Cons: A bit pricey, Must valet your car

08/24/06

worst sushi, overpriced, the view isn't that great either

by cristina72

This is the first time i ever write a review on a restaurant but i felt it important to let people know not to have great expectations about this place. I went because it was recommended by someone and because of reviews i read on this site. I took my husband there for his birthday hoping to having some really great sushi--needless to say it was the worst sushi i'd ever had. The she crab soup we shared was good but other than that the sushi, sashimi and rolls were bland tasting--and i'm being kind. The view is nice but not worth the price of the substandard japanese food. Service is okay but not what you expect from a restaurant in a five-star hotel. For some really great tasting sushi try Sushi Maki (any location) or Sushi Ko and for a better view of the bay w/better tasting sushi try Sushi Siam.

• Pros: Mandarin Oriental is a beautiful hotel
• Cons: But go eat somewhere else

Mandarin Oriental's casual cafe is more than just a spicy name.

by Contributor

In Short
Despite this cafe's almost-too-discreet entrance, inside it makes an expansive design statement with a seashell-inlaid terrazzo floor, rawhide chairs and a contemporary waterfall incorporated into a long dining table. The waterfront outdoor patio makes for fab alfresco dining. An excellent onion and Gorgonzola pizza comes with chunks of hard, under-ripe, barely caramelized pears; an adventurous-sounding veal chop with lobster polenta and wild mushroom ragout is just a well-cooked piece of meat with scant crustacean flavor.

03/31/06

I love this place!

by leolib

This is bar-none the best food experience I have had in a restaurant within a hotel. The Mandarin is fabulous, but the food here is the highlight! The sushi was delicious and fresh...I highly recommend the Brickell roll. The lo mein was tasty - I could not get enough. Our servers each of the 3 times we went during our stay were friendly and prompt (Not SoBe snobs). I can't wait to go back to Cafe' Sambal!

• Pros: Great fare!, View, Service
• Cons: Smaller menu

01/08/06

great view ... high prices... slow service

by pappano

seated for 10 minutes and were not acknowledged or even brought water or menu by. beautiful setting... we go out on sundays for brunch with our little dog to an outdoor cafe... but dogs are not allowed outside on the terrace here.??? they are walking by on the side walk but you cannot sit down... maybe that is why they were empty. anyway the food was very expensive... service was slow. i guess if you have unlimited $ it would be wonderful. for a cafe, it felt off balance for what they were serving and what they were charging.

• Pros: nice view, quiet, private
• Cons: expensive, $8 to park, hard to find

07/14/05

Great Place

by matt5mn

I highly recommend Cafe Sambal. One of the best Sushi dining experiences that my wife have ever had, which includes some notable places. Service is excellent as they brought out the wrong roll and gave it to us at no additional cost. The hotel is nice, quiet and away from the SoBe hustle. If you are looking for somewhere that is tucked away from the rest of Miami, and the ability to see some famous faces you will not be disappointed

06/14/04

Island Paradise!

by vrod

Cafe Sambal should be much higher on your list. The ambiance is sophisticated and international like that of Tantra. The quality and presentation of the menu is excellent, better than everyplace else on the list. Personally, I love Brickell Key and I'm long over South Beach. Brickell Key is a fantastic hidden gem in the middle of the urban jungle! Better parking, easily accessible, no traffic snarls over the causeways. Sorry South Beach, there are just too many choices on this side of the bridges. And speaking of which, what happened to Baleen at Grove Isle? My second favorite after Cafe Sambal. And if the Keys are part of the area counted, then you have to add the restaurant at Little Palm Island to the top of the list for outdoor dining!

• Pros: Fabulous View, excellent food, first class service

08/21/03

its says asian food

by corynavarro

what a concept restaurant.

its says asian themed,,,,but needless to say

when i dined at cafe sambal, i felt i am

in the middle east...or bagdad!

the music sucks! it keeps repeating every

30 minutes, same tunes all day long,

sounds sleepy, unrelaxing melodies.

the food in small portions in a large plate,

what a rip off, sauces, soups tasteless,

its like a hot water dump with powder/instant soup bases. and either curry...coconut..soy...salt and pepper mixes.

service can be either fast ..or slow..

waitstaff are not attentive enough, i observe if not busy they are all gathering around the bar

talk loud., giggling., joking.

onetime i sit outside the patio, the huge covered umbrella almost hit me due to strong winds.

i look around, cant find any waitstaff nor a manager around,

oh well, thats a big fan seems comforting me?

• Pros: apples at the entry, news papers, smiling hostess
• Cons: food portion, stargazing staff, drinks