Enjoy this In The Kitchen guest article by Nick The Food-e who got ready for the South Beach Seafood Week with Chef Nicolas and Chef Kiichi Lure Fishbar.
It’s officially South Beach Seafood Week and I (Nick) am really looking forward to the lineup of events coming our way.
A few days ago, I got prepared for what’s to come by making my first visit to Lure Fishbar, located on beautiful Miami Beach on the Loews’ property.
Lure Fishbar is home to two of #SobeSeafood Week’s (and Miami’s) top chefs:
Chef Nicolas Cabrera and Chef Kiichi Okabe
Both Chefs are hitting the sand on Friday, October 20th for their first shot at a VIP #ChefShowdown Title.
The Chef Showdown is one of five events during South Beach Seafood Week, and one of my favorites. I’m even judging this year so I had to let the Chefs know that this meal would NOT be swaying my vote at the big event!
Editor’s Note: The Chef Showdown assembles 16 of Miami’s top executive chefs for an evening of competitive cook-offs where YOU are the judge. It’s a perfect combination of competition level cuisine, tropically fresh cocktails, and live entertainment! The Chef Showdown tours guests through the best of Miami’s culinary scene in one EPIC night. At the time of publication, there were only 48 tickets left.
Chef Nicolas will be competing in Battle Shrimp, coming in as the Challenger against two-time Champ Mondrian South Beach.
It’s going to be a heated battle; I can tell Chef Nicolas plans to take that title! Can he do it? Let’s learn more about him:
Chef Nicolas Cabrera
- He is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Chef has worked in Buenos Aires, Miami, New York, Chicago and London.
- He’s been cooking for 20 years, and this is the third time he has come back to Miami professionally.
- He is a family man and says he does everything for his daughter.
- He puts the same love and passion for his daughter into the dishes he prepares.
- Finally, Chef noted that sometimes a dish can be beautiful but not taste good. That’s not the way he cooks. Everything must be equally as delicious as it is beautiful.
If you love sushi, you’re going to love Chef Kiichi Okabe. He is also heading to the Chef Showdown this Friday to take part in the first ever Battle Sushi!
Originally from Tokyo, he has worked all over the world. Prior to his time at Lure Fishbar, he was the Executive Sushi Chef at Kuro at the Hard Rock. Let’s learn more about him:
Chef Kiichi Okabe
- He has worked in Dubai, where he was the Head Chef at OKKU.
- While working in Vegas, he called Sushi Roku at the Caesars Palace home.
- He has also worked in Hawaii and now is experiencing Miami.
- Chef Kiichi truly cannot wait to battle at Chef Showdown! He says he is super excited, and nervous too.
They Chefs prepared a number of amazing things for me, including:
Hokkaido Scallops
English Peas, Citrus Segments, Carrot-Orange Purée, Togarashi
Crab Salad
Hawaiian Hearts of Palm, Grapefruit, Aji Amarillo
Spicy Tuna, Fish Croquetta and Tomato Soup
We also enjoyed delicious dessert – ice cream sandwiches!
South Beach Seafood Week is one of the best times of the year because it celebrates the kick off of stone crab season.
The main event. #SobeSeafood Fest, is on Saturday, October 21st! It’s a four-block-long party on the sands of South Beach and you do not want to miss it!
Purchase your South Beach Seafood Week tickets here!
Make sure you use code ‘FOODE’ at checkout for 20% off!
See you there,
Nick, The Food-e
