Tikl Raw Bar & Grill, the latest project from chef Simon Stojanovic, former toque for Miami Beach's Altamare, marks the entrance of the small plates concept to Brickell.
It's a welcome addition to a neighborhood flooded with high priced, mediocre restaurants. Tikl for the moment plays to the business lunch crowd, who filled the cavernous dining room to capacity on one visit. Plates flew out of the kitchen at breakneck speed. Meanwhile, at dinner, there's less buzz and tapas comes at a slower pace.
A small plates restaurant is a project Stojanovich said he's wanted to do for some time.
"We saw at Altamare the younger crowd was coming in and ordering five, six, or seven appetizers and sharing everything," Stojanovic says. "I like to cook like that. I like to eat like that."
Tikl's menu features mostly Asian-inspired dishes ranging from makis to steamed buns and hot pots. Yet it's not a one-trick pony, and Stojanovich brings in dishes like a Middle Eastern inspired Lamb Zatar and a range of well-executed vegetables. It deserves attention beyond the hurried business lunch.
