Hidden Treasure

Lila's Bistro, though only a weekday lunch place, is a find. But that doesn't mean it's easy to find. It's not. Not even if some food-savvy friend has been kind enough to provide you with a copy of the menu, which includes these directions: "Inside pink courtyard across from Bank of America Tower in the heart of downtown Miami."

More helpful instructions would read: "In the hidden, very hidden, courtyard that's concealed behind the garishly painted strip of low-rent bodegas and shops at the intersection of SE First Avenue and SE Second Street, on the northwest corner, catty-corner (not across) from Bank of America Tower. Enter courtyard from SW Second Avenue. Restaurant not visible from entrance. Just have faith." Had I been provided that kind of detail, I wouldn't have spent an hour fighting midday downtown traffic while looking for a vacant parking meter and another twenty minutes on foot trying to find the place.

But Lila's was worth the effort. The courtyard was unexpectedly Old World charming, and the bistro's interior clean California contemporary. In contrast to the predominantly Third World lunch spots downtown, the décor's combination of casual and sleek makes Lila's suitable for even suit-and-tie business lunches. And the food -- a simple but tasty mélange of Asian, Mediterranean, Caribbean, and American influences -- was just as stylish, with nicely understated creative surprises.

The most unusual pleasant surprise in the chicken club sandwich was its homemade mayonnaise. It's hard to beat Hellman's on a sandwich; mayo from scratch often lacks sufficient body and instantly soaks the bread. But Lila's mayo was so good I'd have been happy to eat it plain, on a spoon: subtly sweet, slightly tart, and above all fluffy. Bacon was crisp, lettuce was a mesclun mix, tomato slices were red ripe, chicken was a genuinely juicy grilled breast with discernible smokiness, and the muenster was... Well, it was just deli muenster slices, but it worked. The only component that could've been improved was the sandwich's bread, a pretty blah baguette -- no chewiness inside, no substance or crunch to the crust.

A Bangkok satay salad ($8.95 with shrimp, $7.95 with chicken) was better than many similar dishes I've had in Thai restaurants. Perfectly grilled skewered shrimp came atop a large mesclun salad dotted with other vegetables that kept the mountain of greens from becoming tedious: carrots, scallions, and corn. And the peanut dressing was terrific, just thick enough to coat the greens and provide intense nutty taste, but thinned enough to avoid gloppiness.

A $4.95 Bistro combo, described as "for lighter appetites," changes daily. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the featured item is a filo-and-spinach pocket; Tuesday and Thursday it's a mushroom puff-pastry turnover. The spinach pocket was small and no different from a spanakopita. But light filling and a delicately crisp crust made it a good version of the common Greek classic. An accompanying green salad dressed with shallot vinaigrette, plus a cup of creamy soup studded with bacon made it an ample meal.

Salmon carpaccio ($7.95), one of five full entrées offered, was the only disappointing dish. The salmon was far too thickly sliced to be called carpaccio, and heavily smoked. It was also rather off-puttingly fishy. But it was served with a wonderful fresh beet and rice salad dressed with what tasted like that same scrumptious homemade mayo, plus a green salad unmentioned on the menu -- a generous touch.

Don't skip dessert, if some other diner hasn't scarfed down the last portion of soufflé Chantilly ($3.50), which isn't really a soufflé. It's an airy cake with toasted almonds, caramel and (be still, my heart) real homemade whipped cream. This item goes fast, so it's essential to get to Lila's early. Which will be somewhat easier now you that know the way.