Travel for Insight

Miami

Divino Ceviche: Peruvian Fusion Cuisine in Miami

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Inside look of restaurant.
Divino Ceviche

While we were in Miami, Lisa had some other things to attend to.  My Dad and his girlfriend spend half their year in Florida.  So, I arranged to meet with them for lunch.  I read reviews for a few seafood places that were being considered.   I knew I had the place to try when the reviews for Divino Ceviche raved about their signature dish.  Can you guess what it is?  Yes!  Ceviche! Miami is a very culturally diverse area.  Luckily, that means there are a wide variety of food choices from many cultures available.  While visiting Miami, we enjoyed Cuban, Nicaraguan, and Puerto Rican cuisine.  So, why not add Peruvian while we were at it?  Divino Ceviche is Peruvian fusion cuisine, a delicious blend of fusing modern local cuisine with traditional Peruvian cooking techniques that result in a bright, modern cuisine. 

Sweet potato chips and corn nuts waiting on the bar top.
Sweet potato chips and corn nuts waiting to be served.

I recently told Lisa I had a craving for ceviche.  However, little did I know I would be having this restaurant’s ceviche an additional two more times on this trip! 

Peruvian Cuisine

But, before I go into the specifics of this fantastic ceviche, let me pause here to share my history with you of my prior Peruvian experience.  My grandparents traveled the world extensively.  When I was in my early teens, they brought me with them on a trip to South America, including Peru.  I didn’t have a taste for much back then fancier than a cheeseburger.  On that trip, I don’t have any specific memory of ceviche, because I’m sure I would not have liked it at that time of my life. 

Some of the popular foods in Peruvian cuisine run the gamut from a stir fried beef dish, ceviche, creamy chicken, and even guinea pig!  I may have tried some of these dishes when I was a teenager, but I know I didn’t eat guinea pig.  I wasn’t and still am not interested in eating an animal we consider a pet.  And that is another topic for another time: the reality that what is a pet in one culture is food to another culture.

In Peru, I do remember three drinks though: Inca Kola (a lemon cream soda), the pisco sour (a cocktail), and coca tea (a narcotic tea to help with altitude sickness).  This young teenage boy traveling with Baptist tea-totaling grandparents has some interesting tales! So, stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing more about these beverages in another post. 

Appetizer on plate.
Appetizer: Tequenos Rellenos de Lomo Saltado
Menu Description: “Fried wonton filled with one of the best Peruvian dishes “Lomo Saltado”: Sauteed beef with onions, tomatos, cilantro and a touch of Peruvian yellow pepper served with Huancaina sauce.”

What is Ceviche?

Now, let’s get back to Ceviche.  Ceviche originated in Peru as small pieces of raw fish that are not cooked in the traditional sense.  They are “cooked” by marinating in an acidic citrus juice mixture. In this case lime juice.

Bowl of ceviche.
“Ceviche Divino” One of many kinds of ceviche they offer.

I ordered the “Ceviche Divino” dish from this restaurant.  It contained white fish with avocado, mango, onions, cilantro, sweet potato, and giant Peruvian corn called choclo.  The fish was firm, yet soft, with all of the fresh ingredients being distinctive yet melding together to create a harmonious union.  The dish is fresh and bright from the acid of the lime juice, with a little bit of spiciness. 

Our Return Visits and Delicious Crunchy Corn Nuts

I raved to Lisa about the phenomenal ceviche and she expressed that she would love to try it also.  We went the next day and she was equally impressed.

While we waited for our “Ceviche Divino”, the server brought us some cancha (corn nuts) as a welcoming snack.  They are a toasted or deep-fried kernel of corn and were well salted.  Cancha taste like popcorn, but the kernels easily give way while chewing.  They are not hard like unpopped popcorn kernels.  We enjoyed them so much we bought extra to take with us.  In addition, Lisa also inquired about how to make them and where we could buy the ingredients to make our own.  We were told about a grocery store to visit to buy the Chulpe corn to make the cancha.

Bowl of cancha.
Cancha (corn nuts) to go.

Corn and Take Out

As a side note, we did stop at the grocery store and after we looked in all the places we could think of for the dried corn, we finally asked and were brought to the correct location (with the dried beans).  Besides the bags of Maiz Chulpe (Chulpe Corn) to make the corn nuts, they also had bags of dried choclo.  We bought two bags of each to take home with us.

Bag of dried Chulpe Corn in the grocery store.
We found Chulpe Corn in the grocery store.

The day we were leaving, we called in our take-out order for the “Ceviche Divino” and shared it in the car before we drove to the airport.  That really makes us die hard fans of their Peruvian fusion cuisine.

Locations

Divino Ceviche’s Doral location is located in a strip mall and is surprisingly spacious and contemporary.  It has an upscale modern vibe, but it’s not pretentious.  They have two locations.  The second location is in Coral Gables.

Photo of restaurant from outside.
Outside of the restaurant.

Information and Menu can be found on their website. Divino Ceviche

Have you had ceviche? Would you try it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Interested in a Cuban Sandwich? Read our post about it.

Taste Cuban Cuisine in Miami at El Palacio de los Jugos

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Something for Everyone

Customer in line at El Palacio de los Jugos.
One area of the restaurant.

For a taste, a great taste, of Cuban cuisine in Miami, visit El Palacio de los Jugos.  They have a huge assortment of delicious foods to indulge your taste buds.  I dare say everyone in your party will find something to enjoy.  We ventured there to try their Cuban sandwich, which was touted to be one of the best in Miami.  Luckily, we were not disappointed! 

Steam tables full of many Cuban food choices.
Look at all the options!

A Wide Variety of Food Options

El Palacio de los Jugos is an open air takeaway restaurant with many choices including juices, sandwiches, chicharrones (more on those later), native and tropical fruits.   Prices are reasonable and seating is available under the tented area.  They have 10 locations for your dining pleasure.

Get in the Correct Line

This is a busy place during the usual times you would expect.  However they move the lines efficiently.  There are separate counters for certain types of food.  Since we wanted a Cuban sandwich, we got in that line at that counter.  In addition to our sandwich, this line also provided fresh fruit juices.  The list of all the types you could get was long.  When I saw passion fruit on the list, I immediately knew it would be mine! 

Cooler of large selection of juices.
Large selection of juices.

While waiting to order, we enjoyed watching the server hammer the corer into the coconuts and give them to the patrons with a straw in them.  Nothing like fresh coconut water!

Coconut being cored.
Coconut being cored for juice. First the hammer is used to insert the corer.

The Cuban Sandwich and Fresh Juices

The menu listed two options for the Cuban sandwich, the Cubano Regular and Cubano Especial.  You may be wondering what the difference is between these two sandwiches as we were.  Well, the Cubano Especial has more and additional meats added to the sandwich.  We inquired as to which one, the woman taking our order, would recommend.  She said without hesitation, the Cubano Especial. 

Cuban sandwiches on the grill with mustard being applied
Delicious Cuban Sandwiches on the grill.

The Cubano Especial comes made with the perfect thicknesses of meats and cheese.  It has turkey, ham, Serrano ham, chorizo, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and mayonnaise and is grilled.

Finished Cuban sandwich on plate.
Perfection! A Cuban Especial sandwich.

Juice Happiness

We ordered one sandwich to share and I ordered my large size passion fruit juice.   And wow!  It was large!  It was all juice and no ice.  So, unless you will be sharing or know you love a large quantity of juice, I recommend you select your favorite juice, or a new flavor to try, in a small size.  After some time, I had consumed my limit and ended up throwing the rest away: a sad outcome for someone who loves passion fruit and doesn’t get it that often.

Large size passion fruit juice on counter.
Large size passion fruit juice. Passion fruit is tangy and sweet. It’s a very unique flavor and is comparable to the flavor of guava fruit.

Other Items Available for Your Foodie Pleasure

While we waited for our order to be made, we wandered around to look at items in the store we don’t normally see in our local supermarkets.  It was interesting to see the uniqueness of the different types of snacks, fruits, and beverages.

Cooler with fruit and desert selections.
Lots of fresh fruits and delicious dessert options.

We sat in the outside covered area and enjoyed our delicious sandwich and juice and talked about coming back again to try some other items.

Return Visit

And come back we did!  Another day we stopped in to try the Chicharrones and I tried a blackberry juice, this time a small size.  Chicharrones are fried pork belly and look huge in the case.  When you order one, they cut it in pieces and place them in a bag for you to enjoy. 

Cut up Chicharrones on plate.
Cut up Chicharrones (fried pork belly).

In addition, we also purchased a few snacks to try during our travels.  We bought a container of shredded coconut formed into balls with a hard caramel coating on the outside.   And, we also tried a peanut bar, which was good.  However, the best find for me were the bags of passion fruit juice that had been processed and didn’t need to be refrigerated.  I promptly bought two to take home with me and felt happy as a clam passion fruit!

Chewy coconut balls in container.
Chewy coconut balls enrobed in a hard caramel.

El Palacio de los Jugos

Ten locations. We ate at the Flagler location in the Little Havana area of Miami. Look for the iconic red and yellow striped awning and coverings.

Have you tried Cuban food?  What are your favorite Cuban foods?  Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Everglades Airboat Tour: A Unique Adventure!

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What are the Everglades?

“There are no other Everglades in the world.” – Marjory Stoneman Douglas  (“The Everglades: River of Grass” 1947)

View from airboat of another airboat on the river.
Another airboat in the distance.
Sawgrass emerging from water.
Sawgrass in the Everglades

The Everglades were the first nationally protected land in the country and they contain a complex web of ecosystems.  Marjory Stoneman Douglas was the fearless woman credited with saving the Everglades from demise.  She fought to preserve and restore the land that developers were attempting to drain and modify. They were wanting to grow crops there year round and develop the land.  But when the wet season arrived, the area flooded, just as it did every year.  The Everglades provide a home to many animals including alligators, cranes, birds, and fish.  Luckily, Everglades Airboat tours are available so that you’ll be able to experience this grand adventure for yourself.

Two baby alligators floating in water.
Baby alligators.

Best time to visit the Everglades

The best time to visit for an airboat tour is before summer, between December and April.  The water is lower and temperatures are cooler.  Which means you’ll be able to spot more wildlife and be comfortable doing so!  However, if you are in town during the summer months, you’ll still have a great time.

Alligator on river bank in the Everglades.
Alligator on river bank.

What is an airboat?

Captain Korey took us on a tour of the Florida Everglades.  We boarded the Airboat, and yes, it’s called an Airboat.  I made the mistake of referring to it as a “fan boat” and found out that is not the correct name for it.  Anyway, an Airboat is a flat bottomed boat with the engine above the water.   It’s basically an airplane engine with a propeller that is in a cage.   The propeller pushes air behind the boat which causes the boat to move forward.  Steering is accomplished by rudders attached to the back of the boat, which direct the air that is pushed out the back. 

Captain Korey standing in front of airboat on river bank.
Captain Korey and the Airboat.

We took our seats and captain Korey went over the rules of being on the boat. After that, we departed into the vast expanse of the Everglades, the “River of Grass” as Marjory Stoneman Douglas called it.   There was also a cooler on the boat with beverages available.

Alligator swimming in Everglades.
Alligator swimming.

What does it feel like?

The feeling of the airboat over the terrain is a feeling of floating.  You can’t even really feel the sawgrass you may be traveling on top of.  I found it so enjoyable when our captain turned and I felt the feeling of floating and turning at the same time, like skidding, but so smoothly.   On your tour your boat can travel at 30-40 mph and is a lot of fun.  Some people actually race airboats, and those can get up to 130 mph.  We encountered a local on our tour and he stopped to chat with captain Korey and us on his retired racing airboat.

Airboat ride.
Local man and his retired airboat.
Local Florida man and his retired racing airboat.

Wildlife

We loved watching the numerous cranes ascend in the air, only to fly to another spot to search for fish to fill their bellies.  Captain Korey knew where to find specific alligators that he knew along our route.  Others he would expertly spot and point out to us.  It was amazing he could spot these cool blooded animals so easily in the water and lush greenery of the mangroves.  One such alligator was a female who had babies near her.  We stopped for awhile and watched them, the babies floating with mama in her den with her head above the water.  She appeared to be used to the airboats stopping by and did not seem threatened.

Watch baby alligators floating and their Mother (in her den).

If an alligator doesn’t want to be seen it will dive under the water and swim away.   There were times when we would see air bubbles emerging from the water, a sign an alligator was below.  Captain Korey taught us a lot about alligators and it was spectacular to experience them, and the other animals, in their natural habitat and learn about the Florida Everglades.

Alligator on shore.
Did you spot the alligator?

What to bring on an airboat tour and some advice

I recommend you bring a few items with you on your Florida Everglades airboat adventure.

  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug spray
  • Poncho, if rain is predicted.
  • Keep your mouth closed while the boat is speeding along.  You don’t want to end up with bugs in your mouth. 
  • Wear clothes appropriate for the season.  You may need a jacket or have to dress warmer or cooler.  Dressing in layers is recommended.
  • Wear the provided ear protection, the engine and propeller are very loud.  When the boat stops, you can take them off to listen to your guide and then put them back on when you head to the next location.
Captain Korey at front of airboat looking for alligators.
Captain Korey looking for alligators.

Taking an airboat tour ride of the Florida Everglades is a fun and unique experience.   We toured with The River of Grass and I recommend them.  We opted for the longer tour experience of 1 ½ hours and felt it was a very immersive experience.  They have both private tours and group tours available.  We opted for the group tour, but no one else was scheduled at our tour time, so it was just the two of us and captain Korey.

Have you ever taken an airboat tour? If so, where? What were your thought? Tell us about it in the comments below. You may also enjoy reading about Drift Snorkeling off the Coast of Bonaire.