Le'Jardinier in Design District of Miami

The design district in Miami has a good amount of quality restaurants including Florida's only two Michelin starred restaurant (L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon) as well as other Michelin one star restaurants. Since 2019, Le'Jardinier has been serving up well prepared and tasty food with a rotating menu that is bent, for the better, on local and seasonal vegetables.

The outside of the restaurant feels like being in a garden, walking through lush vegetation while the inside feels very modern. My table had a nice clean look with a spotlight to highlight the oncoming flavors and service.

Getting started with bread and drink

Freshly baked bread, still warm to the touch, with olive oil to dip and a concoction of red beet, carrot, ginger and lemon to wet your appetite and get your gastric juices churning.

I opted for the tasting menu with a flight of dishes called "A Celebration of Spring"  with a couple of things I added in and wanted to sample. The chef had given a complementary dish of the English Pea Veloute that included ricotta mousse, mint and walnuts.

English Pea Veloute with Ricotta mousse, mint and walnuts

Veloute is one of the five French mother sauces (used as a basis of other sauces) and generally what one thinks of when they think of gravy. When English Peas are used instead of meat stock or broth, it is simply divine especially when coupled with a ricotta mousse to offset the texture and flavor. The dish came out with everything placed except for the sides which were empty, the veloute was poured as part of the presentation. Of course if you were only eating gravy and mousse it would be too boring of a sensation on the tongue, hence the mint and walnuts to give it a spice and texture variation. The presentation of this dish was artful, with blips of olive oil and paprika and carrots for color. The flavors and textures were well balanced and I was in a great mood.

This was, quite frankly, a great start and I could not wait for the next dish. I was not disappointed when it arrived, which was the Asparagus served with Jamón ibérico and Royal Kaluga Caviar.

Asparagus served with Jamón ibérico and Royal Kaluga Caviar

What really made this dish special was the additional components of what appeared to be parmesan shavings, cauliflower and a hint of sour flavor drizzled over top. The flavors messed together very well with the saltiness of the caviar and the heartiness of the ham (Jamón ibérico).

I could not wait for the next dish at this point as my palate had been revving up for the next in what has been well executed and balanced dishes. I was not disappointed at all with the Diver Scallops with shitake chutney, wasabi and lemongrass emulsion.

Diver Scallops with Shitake mushroom chutney, wasabi and lemongrass emulsion

Wow what a dish! The scallops were so fresh, tender and savory, the chutney sauce was magnificent with bits of brunoise diced vegetables.  The wasabi, lemongrass emulsion foam was perfect for the scallops.

I had to restrain myself from completely devouring this dish in one bite so sliced through each scallop to make sure I enjoyed each bit of foamy emulsion that I could. I was later informed by the chef and server that although they have a menu of changing dishes, this one remains year round -- and I can see why. Onto the next dish...

Corn Ravioli, Roasted Tomatillos, Cilantro with espelette

Hand made each day, the ravioli had encased a corn paste like consistency with bits of roasted corn on top to give additional texture. The beautiful thing I've noticed so far is there is a lot of attention to textures and when you have dishes of mostly vegetables this is a very important thing to not get lost in a mush. 

This dish was a very good and elegant dish of vegetables and once again I had to restrain myself from eating the whole dish in one bite, lest I ruin the flavor profile which is to be savored the same way you would enjoy a fine wine. The tomatillo, cilantro and espelette sauce was enough of contrast in very slightly spice to the deep corn flavor.

Wagyu Bavette Au Jus, Artichoke Hearts, Mushrooms, Shallot

Just the mention of Wagyu is enough to make my mouth water as it is considered one of the best breeds of beef in the world due to its natural marbling. This dish does not disappoint as the bavette cut still allows for a not too fatty portion of meat.  The artichoke hearts were prepared so well that I thought I was eating a well seasoned piece of potato. The mushrooms and shallot gave a nice complementary hearty flavor to an all classic and favorite beef dish.

A good steak is a staple in any chef's repertoire and all the more important when you are running a vegetable forward restaurant such as Le Jardinier. But... back to the vegetables...

Miso Glazed Tofu, Thumbelina Carrots, Chives

I wanted to try the Tofu at a restaurant known for its vegetable dishes. The firm Tofu was good, not embedded with flavors but not consisting of the Tofu flavor itself, it was a blank canvas that allowed you to absorb the flavors of the accompanying vegetable broth.

The best way to enjoy this dish was to slice the tofu and try to absorb as much of the sauce as possible in each bite. Although I did find myself surreptitiously licking the plate of the sauce afterwards.

Foie Gras and Port Mousse, Hibiscus, Cocoa Nib Granola

I have a strange attraction to foie gras when I see it on the menu, I tend to order it. Even if it's placed on a burger I will still try to have it and when I saw it on the menu, despite not being part of the "Celebration of Spring" menu, I had to order it. This dish, served cold and in a half cracked egg appearing bowl was a nice lead in to dessert and the main course. Though it can be served earlier in the meal, it was well timed at this point. Again we have the elegant presentation and contrast in textures with the crunch of the granola and the thickness of the foie gras and port mouse combination. 

A nice cold dish that does indeed set up the final course of the evening...

Key Lime Tart, Pineapple Compote, Coconut Sorbet

The presentation was phenomenal with the lime flavored turtle drawing on the plate. The coconut sorbet was so good I again found  myself wanting to devour the whole thing in one bite. The pineapple compote was so sweet and the key lime tart so sour that the coconut ice cream gave a nice balance to it, the pastry encasing also provided for much needed texture. All in all quite a good dish and a perfect end to a great evening of food.

With each restaurant I go to, the desire to return is always there to try out the other dishes on the menu. The nice thing is the menus that change and take advantage of the local vegetables.