15 January 26 - February 1, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | 1819 79th Street Causeway, North Bay Village, FL 33141 • 305.866.1570 Voted Best Outdoor Restaurant in Miami — New Times Best of Miami® 2022 Visit us at the Happiest Place on the Water! miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ WEST KENDALL FOOD TRUCK OPENS RESTAURANT WITH ARTISAN PANCAKES When Joaquin Ortiz and Henrik Telle opened the Jealous Fork food truck in 2019, they didn’t realize how popular their pan- cakes would become. The partners and friends for a decade and a half soon realized that their recipe for suc- cess came in batter form. The pancake-fo- cused food truck was a hit, and people would wait upwards of an hour for stacks of hot- cakes, both sweet and savory. The truck reached national acclaim when it was fea- tured on the Food Network. Ortiz and Telle realized that they were outgrowing their little food truck. They looked around for a brick-and-mortar space, thinking for a bit about opening a spot in the Design District. Then, they realized they be- longed in the community where they regu- larly parked their food truck: Kendall. “We looked at a few spaces, but being in Kendall was the right choice. As much as it sounded cool to be in Wynwood, this is our home,” says Joaquin Ortiz. The partners signed a lease about a block and a half from G Holmes Braddock Senior High School — a perfect place to cater to families in need of some af- terschool or post-game sustenance. The Jealous Fork restaurant will soft open next Monday and offer the same pancakes that wowed customers at the food truck, along with two new pancakes — peanut but- ter cup and banana walnut. In addition, Jealous Fork will serve a menu of savory items in what amounts to “stylish American cuisine,” according to Ortiz, who says there will be about a dozen different dishes to start, with more items introduced in time. “The menu we’re starting with will have an all-day brunch theme. Once we stretch our legs, we can add more,” he says. Items will include brown sugar bacon with red chili and black pepper, barbecued chili ribs with fresh cilantro, and a complete breakfast in a Mason jar. “We start with sweet potato puree, applewood smoked bacon, eggs, and fresh chives. When you mix it together, it’s the perfect breakfast bite,” says Ortiz. Jealous Fork will offer what’s sure to turn up on every Instagram feed in Miami: corn ribs. The restaurant partner describes the dish as fresh corn on the cob quartered into long slices and then flash-fried. “They look just like ribs — but they’re corn,” explains Ortiz. The corn ribs are served with home- made crema. The restaurant will also offer a few vege- tarian and vegan options, including an udon noodle stir fry. In the near future, there will also be an all-vegan pancake. The restaurant will also serve nearly two dozen craft beers, espresso drinks, and cocktails. But the secret ingredient to all of these dishes is love and respect. The partners, who also own Tea & Poets in South Miami, say that their philosophy is to be kind to all. “We have real conscious servers and waitstaff. When someone comes into our restaurant or eats at our food truck, we have the opportunity to give that guest a memorable experience. If you’re doing things with kindness, the re- sult has to be phenomenal.” As for the little food truck that could? Well, it’s up for sale, according to Ortiz. “Peo- ple have been suggesting we keep it for cater- ing, but I feel that would divide our focus. And we want to give the restaurant all of our energy to make it spectacular.” The pancake entrepreneur then pauses for a second. “On the other hand, if it doesn’t sell, maybe there is a Jealous Fork traveling op- tion. We’ll just leave it out there for the uni- verse to decide.” Jealous Fork. 14417 SW 42nd St., Miami; jeal- ousfork.com. Daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. LAINE DOSS ▼ EDGEWATER TANKA SERVES AFFORDABLE, MODERN CHINESE FOOD If you’re longing for a modern Chinese res- taurant that has neither the inconsistency of takeout nor the extravagance of Hakkasan, a new restaurant at the Doubletree Grand hotel in Edgewater strikes the balance between au- thentic, affordable, and fun. When South Florida chef Taek “Taka” Lee set his sights on a Miami location, he wasn’t intending to focus solely on Chinese cuisine. It wasn’t until Lee brought on executive chef Davide D’Agostino — who formerly led the culinary team at Etaru in Hallandale and Miami’s Zuma, as well as Roka and Buddha- Bar in London, England — that he took inspiration from D’Agostino’s expertise in Chinese fusion. Lee, who began his career in Seoul, Korea, is best known for his take on Japanese fusion. In 1998, the chef left Korea for Japan, intent on honing his skills. Several years later, he re- located to the U.S., cooking in cities like Phila- delphia and New York before coming to Miami, where he helmed the kitchens at | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Jealous Fork photo Jealous Fork’s peanut butter cup pancakes
