Miami Offers Ultimate in Fusion Cuisine

On the ROAD in 36hours of itshar in theirkitchens with can havebarramundi Wish inSouthBeach way almostasquicklyitarrives. salmon filletsfromSantiago,isunloadedandsentonits Cargo fromaPolarAircargo747,includingChilean Michael Reidrat Coral GablesandE. Oudin atPascal'sin Ortanique, Pascal Cindy Hutsonat seafood, chefslike imported fresh U.S. entrypointfor silt tireasamajor freight andMiami's ferent cultures. inspired bymanydif choose fromdishes hottest chefscan prepared bythecity's the trendiestnewfish By LisaDuchene pot withseafoodfromallovertheworld Chefs celebratethecity'sglobalmelting fusion cuisine ultimate in Miami offers Thanks toair A in searchof Miami tourist - - - the cruise-line indus departure point for destination andkey melting pot,tourist as aninternational the world. from allcornersof blends ethnicflavors seafood scene,which Miami's culinary development on typify thelatest snook. Thesechefs wild stripedbassand that's acrossbetween di, afarm-raisedfish embracing barramun group ofMiamichefs Oudin areamonga northern Australia. vest offthecoastof Miami's identity Reidt, Hutsonand - - coconut broth for$28. corn, lobsteranda chanterelles, sweet pumpkin, ramundi withroasted from Australia. Tasmanian seatrout barramundi and chefs uniquefishlike the worldtobring importers, whosearch for Miami's sole sourceofsupply is bynomeansthe hub. seafood distribution makes itakey and SouthAmerica proximity toCentral met, sinceMiami's demand isreadily seafood. Andthat huge appetitefor try givesthecitya million peopletooka Miami in2001,and3 million touristsvisited Tourist haven:10.5 Miami in2001. entered thecountryvia air-freighted imports 290 millionpounds,of ume, 65percent,or States in2001.Byvol entered theUnited freighted importsthat percent, oftheair- $549 million,or59 Air hub:Miamihandled Miami's manyfaces Reidt servesbar But LatinAmerica - - in 2001. more than$40million seafood valuedat million poundsof duced morethan16 South Floridapro Seafood supplier: ally. about $1billionannu seafood salesare Florida restaurant Culinary gateway: in 2001. orders ofstonecrabs more than11,000 pounds andshipped cracked 491.692 Joe's StoneCrab Home ofseafoodicon: Miami in2001. cruise fromthePortof H&C barramundi Fla., company.Whole of theHollywood, Peter Jarvis,president ly $1million,says sales climbedtonear import barramundi, company beganto months sincethe Seafood. Inthesix specs isTriar supplier ofexotic ments for$23.95. Mediterranean condi tomato and serves itwithcandied try, bakesitand Oudin wrapsitinpas for $30to$32.And (Japanese soybeans) with edamame in anorangebroth orange-ginger glaze Asian-style, withan Hutson servesit A respectedlocal - - - - - On the ROAD curried coconut broth and mahimahi ina shrimp, diverscallops sels, KeyWest Mediterranean mus Florida lobstertail, bouillabaisse of signature WestIndian Hutson Featuredher November night, Ortanique. Oneearly Hutson's menuat vors allenhance North Americanfla Mediterranean and Caribbean. South American, city's diversity.Asian, scene reflectsthe America. Central orSouth Caribbean islands,or "transplants" fromthe European touristsor accents spokenby many languagesand the city,you'llhear Miami. ships atthePortof people boardedcruise additional 3million visited Miamiandan 10.5 milliontourists of flavorssaysJarvis. a globalmeltingpot national trend,buton Miami andsparkeda that originatedin of "new"Latinfood decade-old movement like NuevoLatino,the one culturalinfluence, bases itscuisineon $8 apound. wholesales for$5to Miami's culinary Walking around In 2001,about Miami nolonger - - prepare seasonal, allows herfreedom to a descriptionshefeels "Cuisine oftheSea." ing hercooking food andbegancall from purelyJamaican Hutson steppedaway Gables in1999, Ortanique inCoral Shirley opened est fish. accepts onlythefresh and atOrtaniqueshe fishing charterboat, as captainofasport many yearsworking freshness duringher how tojudgeafish's zine. Food andWinemaga Child ofJamaica"by dubbed the"Julia a Jamaicanchef Shirley, is Norma mother, Delius Shirley.His with herpartner, she openedin1994 South Beach,which Reach inMiami's called Norma'sonthe Jamaican restaurant began atatiny sional cookingcareer jasmine rice. served overaromatic When Hutsonand Hutson learned Hutson's profes - - - - - Mediterranean Seas. the Caribbeanand day culinarycruisesto Radisson Hotels'10- guest chefaboardthe as Hutsonisnowa increasingly diverse, menu isgrowing Hutson. Ortanique’s market, predicts fish tohittheU.S. will bethenextbig Australian species ramundi. That her attention,likebar her supplierbringsto sels and Mediterranean mus els, including discovered inhertrav products Hutsonhas remainder isseafood pompano. The Key Westshrimpand grouper, spinylobster, diversity offish." every day.Ilovethe going intomykitchen fantastic time.Ilove artist, I'mhavinga "To me,asaculinary quality," saysHutson. intent onthebest of ethnicingredients. fish withafullarray regional orimported In theheart of the Eighty percentof "I amjustvery the seafoodon in trendySouthBeach. for themenuatWish menu islocal hand picksseafood species like stone crab, snapper, E. MichaelReidt Executive Chef species - - - picks seafood forhis Wish, where hehand- executive chefat Miami tobecome mid-2001 forsunny left thepartnershipin opened Bomboa,then Back Bayclosed,he restaurant inBoston's at Zinc.Whenthe to workfortwoyears hometown ofBoston ing in1998tohis Hawaii beforereturn years cookingin ters. fish, skateandoys New Englandmonk pus, seascallopsand around Japaneseocto Reidt createsdishes seafood. Instead, which is60percent role onReidt'smenu, pompano playaminor snapper, grouperand color insidethelines." was neveroneto lines," say'sReidt."I should haveguide ticular culturalidea influences, hesays. come withcultural worry aboutrulesthat and techniquesthanto work withgoodideas more importantto trying toshake.Itis cooking, alabelhe's his French-Brazilian name forhimselfwith The Hotel,madea four-star restaurantat chef ofWish,aMobil strip, Reidt,executive trendy SouthBeach Reidt spentthree Local specieslike I don'tthinkapar ------menu, mostly from promoting seafood New England and from around the world Florida. at Disney's Epcot Pascal Oudin, Center in Orlando. owner of Pascal's on "In my new book, Ponce in Coral [barramundi] is one of Gables, also brings in the top fish on the Miami is the home port for many cruise ship companies, a lot of fish from market," says Oudin. which pamper guests with seafood such as smoked salmon, shrimp and Maine lobster. ROAD northern waters, like The barramundi But American Airlines with an average 1 5 Dover sole, turbot, imported into Miami by far has the most percent annual growth loup de mer, dorade, is a mere fraction of flights - about 200 in trade between

On the cod and halibut. the millions of pounds daily - in and out 0f Miami and Latin He says that of seafood shipped Miami, although all America. except for Triar, he's from South and carry both passengers The increase in had trouble finding Central America into and cargo. U.S. imports of high-quality seafood the city and then MIA has the infra- Chilean salmon is part from big Florida sup- moved by truck and structure to move of that growth. pliers, says Oudin. He air throughout the rest fresh seafood, fruits, Chilean salmon has been cooking in of the country. vegetables and flow- makes up about half Miami for 20 years. Most of the fresh ers fast, as perishables the volume of the As the fish flown into the make up 73 percent of seafood handled by exec- United States its incoming cargo. Boston distributor arrives at On an early Slade Gorton's Miami Miami November Monday facility. Since all of International afternoon, for exam- the seafood moving Airport. MIA ple, a Polar Air Cargo through the plant Delius Shirley and Cindy had just unloaded pal- (about a half million Hutson call let after pallet of pounds weekly) is utive Ortanique's packed, iced Chilean fresh, turnaround time chef of cooking "Cuisine of the salmon fillets from is quick. the Grand Sea." Santiago via Sao Tuna, snappers Bay Hotel in Coconut handled 59 percent (or Paulo, Brazil. Cargo is mahimahi, wahoo and Grove, Oudin $549 million) of the unloaded and sent on swordfish also are explored total value and 65 per- its way almost as fast trucked in from the Caribbean/French cent (more than 290 as it comes in, says airport, inspected for food, but is now going million pounds) of the Schreiber. quality control, bro- hack to classical total volume of U.S. MIA is expanding ken down into Slade French cooking. air imports in 2001. cargo capacity with a Gorton's orders for "French people - LanChile tranports $500 million cargo other we have a limitation the most seafood into development program distributors/whole- on how crazy we can Miami International that will add 15 new salers or retail chains get with food," says Airport, both in cargo buildings and and either trucked or Oudin. freighter planes dedi- double the warehouse flown to customers He recently cated to cargo and space from 1 .4 mil- throughout the coun- cooked barramundi within the cargo holds lion square feet to 3 try. covered with chopped of passenger planes, million square feet. The operation artichokes, eggplant says Bunny Schreiber, Fhe improvement will began as a distribution and zucchini for 700 an aviation marketing help MIA keep up point for salmon but people at an event specialist with MIA. is now a sales office cruise ship takes on house and offices just year at a time and and profit center in its about 4,000 pounds of outside Miami in give Excel lists of own right, says sushi, smoked salmon Medley, Fla., Excel what they will need Nicholas DeSantis, and high-end fish fil- procures center-of- from one October to seafood coordinator. lets like grouper and the-plate proteins for the next. Products snapper, 2,000 pounds the cruise-ship indus- include scallops, The cruise-line of shrimp and 2,000 try and delivers prod- mahimahi, swordfish, trade pounds of spiny lob- uct to ports world- lobster tails, king ROAD The cruise-ship ster and Maine lob- wide. Up to 70 per- crab, shrimp and industry does not ster, according to the cent of Excel's total salmon. release the annual Florida Department of sales of $125 million Whether eating at

On the number of cruises Agriculture and represents products the city's hottest from the Port of Consumer Services, delivered directly to restaurants or aboard Miami, but most of For frozen cruise ships in Miami. a Caribbean cruise, the 13 cruise lines in seafood, many cruise Seafood makes up Miami's tourists and Florida, representing lines turn to Excel, a about 25 of it's total natives alike have a 100 vessels, have a division of Cargill sales, says B. Kevin world of seafood to strong Miami pres- Foods Co. in Waters, Excel's gener- savor. ence. Minneapolis. From its al manager. For a two-week 60,000-square-foot The cruise lines trip, the average cold storage ware- plan their purchases a

Lisa Duchene can be e-mailed at iduchene@ divcorn. corn