Good morning from Miami. Unfortunately, it’s overcast out right now but we’re not going to let that keep us from having lots of fun and relaxation this weekend!

Last night, we decided to try a local and relaxed restaurant versus going to one of the many New York imports such as Sushi Samba, BLT Steak, Bond Street, Gotham Steak or Nobu.  Luckily, Bo discovered Tap Tap during his Zagat search and we were able to make reservations for 9:30 last night. 

 Tap Tap, a Haitian restaurant which receives wonderful Zagat reviews, is known for being a cultural experience that’s more than a meal. From the outside, the restaurant is no more than a concrete building with a small front porch.

But, once you walk through the door you are greeted by bright. vibrant murals, painted tables, and friendly service.

We were quickly seated and greeted with two menus, a drink menu and dinner menu. The drink menu took priority, but unfortunately for our crowd it was primarily rum based. Bo ordered their mojito while the rest of us stuck to basic cocktails.

Bo’s mojito was delicious, even for someone who doesn’t like rum, though a little sweeter than most mojitos.

Due to our hunger level, we quickly ordered a few appetizers which were recommended by our kind waiter.

Plat Fritay: Platter of fried akra, sweet potatoes, pork, and plantains with ti malice and watercress sauce. 

This appetizer platter was the perfect size for our our group of four people and was a great sampling

Our next appetizer, Lanbi Pike Nan Ji Sitwon, was a marinated conch salad. It was typically Caribbean but unfortunately the conch was overpowered by the bonnet peppers which made it VERY spicy. If it had been just a bit milder our group would have enjoyed it far more.

We shared each of our main courses family style, each person choosing one main dish that they wanted to try, and then placing them in the middle of the table. Everything on the menu, especially the grilled entrees and seafood, sounded amazing but I’m glad we controlled ourselves and only chose four.

My favorite dish was the Pwason Neg, or grouper in lime sauce. The grouper was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and when paired with the avocado it had the perfect texture profile.

The rice and black beans were featured with each main course so there was plenty for sharing. I was surprised that the black beans were not actual whole black beans but instead a sauce for the rice.

The table’s favorite dish was Griyo, the lightly fried and marinated Berkshire pork chunks.

After trying the pork on the appetizer platter we knew we had to have more, which made this entree an easy choice. I loved the spicier black bean rice that was served with the pork versus the plain white rice.

Our other entrees weren’t as memorable but still quite flavorful.

The Lanbi Boukannen, charcoal grilled marinated Turks & Caicos conch was chewy but flavorful, exactly what you’d expect of conch. It was refreshing to enjoy it grilled versus fried, as you typically find it in many restaurants. It’s chewiness made it a bit polarizing at our table but I would easily enjoy the conch, pork, and grouper any day of the week!

Last but not least was the Kribish Kreyol o Koyoke, the shrimp in Creole sauce. I felt this was underwhelming due in part to portion size and lack of creativity. It was quite literally a side dish sized bowl filled with four shrimp and Creole sauce. However, Bo and Michael really liked the Creole was more flavorful than expected and a perfect when paired with the rice.

Including six cocktails and tip, this dinner was $180 which isn’t bad considering all  the food we were able to sample and the wonderful atmosphere and service. The combination of fun music, bright decor, and delicious food left each of us stuffed, happy, and wanting to return soon!