Tap Tap Miami Beach

I was recently in Miami for the first time for only a night. Consulting LTH for the perfect surgical strike for our one dinner, Jazzfood's praises for Tap Tap and the fact that I was virgin to this cuisine made this an obvious choice.
With all the talk about Haitian food going on lately and the truly memorable meal we enjoyed, it seems appropriate to grant this wonderful gem its own thread.
The space is way cool, painted nearly floor to ceiling in murals of island scenes. Obviously Miami Beach has its own fun-in-the-sun vibe, but the ambiance of Tap Tap surely transported us to a tropical respite worlds away from the winter-locked dullness of home.
Our server was affable and very helpful guiding us through the menu.
Dig the painting on the menus, there was a replicated mural of this scene in one of the stalls in the men's room:


We started with drinks. Mojitos with Barbancourt Rhum seemed appropo. My only complaint with these were perhaps that they were too refreshing and easy to kill in a couple of sips. Rough life:


We started with the fried sampler appetizer, including from left to right: goat "tidbits", sweet potato, plaintain, and malanga or acra (which we ignorantly expected to be okra).

Everything fried crisp to hard, very good. Goat, marinated, braised and fried hard, great with tangy green sauce on right, made of watercress, creamy and mild with an acidic finish. Plaintains, good, standard fare, elevated paired with Pikliz (the other condiment), which with visible big chunks of scotch bonnet was hitting high Scoville notes and enlightening my palette. Sweet potato, lightly fried, starchier, not so orange, and less sweet than typical American sweet potato. Malanga my favorite of the group, a breaded croquette filled with mashed creamy starch with a garlic note.

Grilled chicken plate, half a bird, lightly sauteed cabbage:

All the meat on the menu was described as free range, organic, or natural. The chicken in particular had dense muscle tissue, full flavor, and healthy long bones. You don't find chicken like this around these parts too often, even what's labeled as natural or organic. These birds for sure had taken a spin or two around the yard. Lightly charred, deep marinade, absolutely divine. I ate probably half a bird off the two plates ordered by my dining companions.

Fried pork, mixed black beans and rice:

Very good, not up quite to my neighborhood standard of Masa de Puerco at Habana Libre. Fried really hard, lacking an unctuousness on the interior. Beans and rice really very good for such humble, standard fare with a discernible coconut flavor.

Grilled conch:

Amazing. Hadn't ever ate conch as a steak before. Had a pleasant resistance on par with grilled octopus. Also a surprising buttery aftertaste close to lobster. Deep citrus and garlic flavors and a kiss of char. Grilled onions playing their part. Delightful.

If ever in Miami Beach, I'd say this is a requisite stop. A charming place with solid to stellar food and a much more laid back atmosphere than the nuttiness of the strip.

819 5th Street
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 672-2898
http://www.cafe-creole.com/taptap.html

great post, foods looks great to

I just went to tap tap as well this week for lunch

started with the goat tid bits, didn't get the green sauce but they gave me a sauce that was somewhat like chili oil, good with nice garlicky flavor

then i had the conch stew, with the cornmeal red beans and the coconut spinach
i really should have gotten the white rice instead since i can easily eat all the rice with the sauce from the conch stew
the conch was very tender but meaty at the same time
the coconut spinach was exceptional as well, i absolutely love the fact the spiniach still retains its shape and not mushy at all

i was so stuffed i couldn't get any dessert... ah, maybe next time

I'm going to miami at the end of this month and look forward to checking this place out. Thanks for sharing Jazzfood and Jefe!

Back from Miami. I dragged some coworkers to tap tap (they also loved the place), but unfortunately they didn't want to share dishes! How depressing is it when that happens? I ended up ordering 5 dishes to eat all on my own... The whole snapper, the goat tidbits, pumpkin soup, akra, and the conch ceviche. My favorite dish was the goat tidbits, really tender and moist. I really loved the coctails there also, strong and refreshing. I'll be back for sure, next time I'm in miami.

laikom wrote:Back from Miami. I dragged some coworkers to tap tap (they also loved the place), but unfortunately they didn't want to share dishes! How depressing is it when that happens?

manage expectations, in the past I've always prepped coworkers, you can order X, I'll order Y so we all can sample what the restaurant has to offer. I will admit, not always easy to do as some just do not have the share mentality. I grew up in a family where none of us could order the same thing at a restaurant so the four of us could each try 4 dishes. (I can see how this would be problematic for larger families. )