Sushi by Scratch is one of the latest omakase experiences to hit Miami, and its allure is thanks to the chef/owner team that boasts a California-based restaurant group with two Michelin-starred restaurants. At their Coconut Grove location, chef Phillip Frankland Lee and his wife Margarita Kallas-Lee channel the chef's fondest memories growing up in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley with an ever-changing selection of nigiri. Those in the know may be familiar with the original Sushi by Scratch in Los Angeles. At one time, the restaurant didn't have a name, a website, or a phone number. Instead, guests clamored for seats via a chalkboard system. It's now seven locations strong, and thankfully, Tock makes it easy to nab one of the Miami restaurant's ten bar spots offered during three nightly seatings, where diners can indulge in Lee's unique approach to "new wave" nigiri. Each of his locations serves 17 courses, a half-dozen that stand as the chef's signature creations, the star of which is a divine hamachi painted with sweet corn pudding and finished with a sprinkling of Kallas-Lee's sourdough bread crumbs. The rest represent collaborations by members of each location's talented team, often an array of outlandish but flavorful ingredients, many made from scratch, as the name implies. Think house-smoked peppers or beet-infused wasabi, which pair perfectly with expertly sourced fish and house-fermented soy sauce and vinegar.

At Ichimi Ramen Bar, each good old-fashioned slurp of warm, savory broth is followed by a satisfactory sigh. With a selection of nine broths, two noodles, more than five protein options, and even more veggies, toppings, and sauces, the ramen possibilities here are endless. The "Soul Ramen" is the signature broth, while the spicy "Black Dragon" is perfect for anyone looking to turn up the heat. There's pork belly, beef, and shrimp for the omnivores, but tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and plenty of plant-based options make this a vegetarian-friendly space. Don't skimp on the hanjuku egg. Like at any top-notch ramen shop, the soft-boiled egg is cooked just to the point where it's a solid but still runny enough to create the ultimate golden yolk experience. The popular ramen house has opened a second location in Midtown and announced plans for a third outpost in Homestead.

So you say you like your Peking duck set on fire. Well, you're in the right place. This inventive, well-run, high-end Chinese restaurant offers more than flaming fowl, however. Located in the former Tony Chan's Water Club location in the Grand DoubleTree, Tanka features what it calls "izakaya-inspired" dishes. That's shorthand for small plates like Wagyu dim sum, pork belly bao buns, grilled branzino with pickled mustard leaf, and fried rice with garlic miso butter and edamame. You can also indulge in sushi, which is fresh and delicious. But in a city where omakase abounds and Chinese-with-a-twist does not, we're going here for the truffle egg drop soup and lamb chops with mango-yogurt sauce.

Located in a nondescript Sunrise shopping plaza, Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant is not only one of the latest dim-sim serving restaurants to open in the region but, with 80 options in all, one of the most prolific. You're instantly greeted with a bevy of smiling servers eager to seat you and get you started on your Cantonese cuisine journey. The dining room's red umbrella-adorned ceiling will instantly transport you to a shop in Hong Kong, but it feels even more authentic when the carts, stacked with steaming bamboo baskets, begin to roll out from the kitchen. Here, dim-sim is served all day, but it's best when delivered hot and fresh for the busy lunch rush. From the delicate and savory to the adventurous and bold, each dish is made fresh and to order. You'll start with traditional dumplings, siu mai, and buns before the servers bring out the rice paste, noodles, and congee — expertly crafted and bursting with flavor. Don't skip the house specialties, which include crab meat dumplings in black rice paper wrapping (the meat is sourced directly from the live seafood tanks at the front of the house) and walnut buns, sweet chewy balls stuffed with a creamy nut filling. But the real treat just might be the black gold quicksand bun, a fluffy black sesame bao that holds a molten, velvety-smooth salted duck egg yolk paste at its core.

You can find Korean Kitchen in a North Miami Beach shopping plaza, but step inside, and its tarp-shielded outdoor courtyard is reminiscent of the country's pojangmacha street stalls. The authenticity expands into the menu, which features classics like bibimbap and budae jjigae (army stew) and delicacies like silkworm larvae soup. Don't forget the kimchi!

Basilic Vietnamese Grill serves dishes so fresh, simple, and authentic you'd think you were in Hanoi — not a North Miami Beach shopping plaza. The sleek dining room smells of ginger and lemongrass as crispy green papaya salads, fresh spring rolls, beef sauteed lemongrass vermicelli bowls, beef pho noodle soups, and other Vietnamese staples are prepared in the kitchen. The best part? No one will mind if you raise the bowl to your lips and slurp the last drops of pho.

Situated within a quiet strip mall off Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, Larb Thai-Isan specializes in flavorful cuisine from Thailand's northeastern region, particularly a meat salad known as larb (pronounced "lawb"). The menu includes longtime family recipes like duck curry, papaya salad, tom kha kai, and delectable desserts like mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream on brioche bread. The service is warm, and the restaurant has a relaxed vibe, with colorful Thai beer posters decorating the walls and a three-wheeled tuk-tuk taxi tucked in the corner. It's a no-frills spot that doesn't take reservations, so you might find yourself waiting for a table, but it's worth it.

It seemed the never-ending pandemic would rob us of one of the guiltiest pleasures in life: the all-you-can-eat buffet. But thankfully, the lunch buffet at Bengal Indian Cuisine hasn't gone extinct. Every weekday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the downtown Miami spot offers a bottomless plethora of Indian delicacies for $15.95. Soup, salad, naan, a variety of rice and entrees, including three or four vegetarian options, are all to be had at your leisure. The food is made fresh and frequently replenished. If you're not a glutton or prefer a more a la carte experience, you can't go wrong with the samosas or the eye-watering chana saag, a medley of spinach and chickpeas. When they ask you how spicy you want it, be warned that "medium" packs a punch of heat.

Most Mediterranean restaurants offer fare from the Greek Isles and southern Italy and can overlook dishes from the Mediterranean Sea's northeastern shore: Turkey. El Turco puts Turkish fare at the forefront of its menu and serves it al fresco under a giant Banyan tree. The restaurant offers many Mediterranean favorites you're familiar with, including hummus, grape leaves, yogurt, and fresh fish. Still, there are dishes that are meant to be explored, like the eriste, a homemade pasta dish tossed with walnuts, feta, and parsley, and izmir kofte, a casserole of meatballs, carrots, and potatoes in a fragrant tomato sauce. Finish your meal with a cup of rich, potent Turkish coffee. El Turco doesn't offer wine, but you can bring a bottle.

Calista Taverna's white-and-blue storefront looks as if it were chiseled off a Santorini cliffside and magically transplanted onto Giralda, the popular pedestrian street in Coral Gables. The housemade moussaka is the eatery's pride and joy, as is the Greek salad made with Greek-imported feta. Pescatarians can rejoice in the daily fresh selection of whole fish and seafood on ice in the back of the restaurant. But don't skimp on the turf-based offerings, including chicken souvlaki and lamb chops.