Supper at Omen: A New York Layover Before Art Basel

While thousands prepared to descend on South Beach in December for another installment of the most prestigious art fair in the Americas — Art Basel Miami Beach — I was flying the friendly skies, making connections and brief layovers in some of my favorite U.S. cities.

One such city was New York. An old friend and art curator was in town before heading south for the art extravaganza, and despite the short layover we managed to meet up for supper at an old New York establishment: Omen, in SoHo. We caught up over saketinis.

Omen offers authentic Japanese cuisine in a rustic and relaxed atmosphere. We sat in the back room, which seats around eight. The menu featured a variety of Kyoto-style dishes, and my colleague and I delighted in small portions throughout the evening.

We started with spicy tuna tartare with shrimp, avocado, shiso, yuzu, and wasabi; an avocado and arugula salad with cucumber, red radish, and sesame dressing; and a mix of edamame, fried soybeans, and adzuki beans.

For the entrée we shared Kobe beef shabu-shabu — a fondue-style preparation of thinly sliced Kobe beef, meatballs, shimeji and enoki mushrooms, vegetables, and noodles, served with sesame sauce.

We ended the night on a sweet note. Dessert was just the right portion: a house parfait with chestnut, sweet potato, berries, and organic purple rice syrup, and a chocolate mousse with brandy in a mist sauce.

For more upcoming events across South Florida, visit the Premier Guide Miami Events Calendar .