Ghee - Dadeland — Restaurant in Kendall

I recently had a dining experience at Ghee, a Michelin-rated Bib Gourmand Indian restaurant in Miami. While the Bib Gourmand distinction isn't a Michelin star, it does signify good quality and value, so my companions and I were excited to see what this spot had to offer. We opted for the Tasting Menu, which came highly recommended, and we were eager to explore the array of flavors promised.

To start, we ordered a couple of drinks. I chose the Indian Summer, which was light, refreshing, and a perfect way to begin the evening. I also tried the Mumbai Mule, which was another great choice, particularly for someone like me who enjoys a strong ginger flavor. The drinks here are mixed with soju or sake, so if you're expecting something with more alcohol content, you might need to adjust your expectations. However, both drinks were well-crafted and complemented the meal nicely.

The Tasting Menu began with a selection of appetizers and snacks. The Yellowfin Tuna Bhel was a solid start, with spices that really stood out, earning it a 7/10 in my book. Next was the Green Papaya Salad, a nice change of pace that was surprisingly good for a dish not typically associated with Indian cuisine, which I rated a 7.5/10. The Burrata Chaat was one of my favorites; the combination of the creamy cheese with the chaat was a delightful mix, earning it an 8/10. The Green Millet was a surprise hit, especially since I'm not usually drawn to vegetarian dishes, but the flavor here was next level, deserving of a 9/10. The Lamb Scotch Egg was another standout, with its rich, savory taste and perfect presentation, also earning a 9/10. The Peri Peri Chicken Wings rounded out the appetizers, delivering a big hit of flavor with a decent level of spice. My girlfriend and her son liked them even more than I did, but I still found them to be very good, rating them an 8.5/10.

Moving on to the main courses, we started with the Chicken Tikka Masala, which was the weakest dish of the evening. It was overly sweet and lacked the depth of flavor I was expecting, so I rated it a 6/10. However, the Kerala Lamb Curry more than made up for it. This dish was absolutely sublime and easily the best lamb curry I've ever had, deserving of a 9.5/10. The Dal Makhni was a solid dish, with nothing particularly remarkable about it, but no significant flaws either, earning it a 7/10. The Turmeric Marinated Fish Curry was another strong dish. While the turmeric wasn't overpowering, which was a relief, the overall flavor was solid, so I gave it an 8/10. The Seed Naan was the final main course. I found it odd to consider naan as a main dish, and while it wasn't bad, it didn't stand out either, earning a 6/10. I would have preferred a more traditional garlic or butter naan.

To finish the meal, we were served two desserts. The Sticky Date Cake with Ginger Ice Cream was absolutely mind-blowing. The texture and sweetness were spot on, and the combination of dates with ginger ice cream created a unique and potent flavor profile that truly delivered, making it one of the best desserts I've ever had at a restaurant, easily a 10/10. The Coconut Kheer with Seasonal Fruit, while decent, couldn't quite compare to the Sticky Date Cake. It was still enjoyable, but I rated it a 7/10.

Overall, Ghee was a great experience, offering a taste of quality Indian food that lived up to its Bib Gourmand status. I also appreciated that, unlike many places in Miami, they didn't solicit us for reviews, which was a refreshing change. I would absolutely recommend Ghee to anyone looking to try something new, and I'll definitely be returning on my next trip to Miami to see what new dishes they have on the menu. A quick note for those driving: the restaurant is part of an innovative shared parking lot structure where you're directed to the closest spot for your destination, and you can get your ticket validated for free parking, which is...

I’ve been wanting to try this place FOREVER!!!

Now that I’ve gotten that out the way, I’ll begin with the review.

So I had jus my left the dentist about half a mile away, and it was lunch time, so I thought about this place I had thought of so many times and saw they had a lunch special on their website. I ordered 3 different lunch combos and 2 different naans.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA MEAL ($21)

This is a classic, had to get it, I got it for myself. Honestly, this was very good, nice light sauce, good tender chicken and a decent amount, could have a bit more chicken, but it’s decent. There was a lil spice to it as well which was nice and it was delicious and filling without making me feel gross. Only real criticism, there isn’t enough rice and could use a bit more chicken.

TURMERIC MARINATED FISH CURRY ($32)

This was for my mom, she LOVED the sauce. She enjoyed the fish as well but it was WAY TOO SMALL as you can clearly see in the pic, and for $32 that’s just not gonna fly. She really like it though, kept the leftover sauce for weeks and it was still good and she put it over some tilapias she would make herself for dinner, so she really really LOVED that sauce.

KERALA LAMB CURRY MEAL ($21)

My dad is a big Lamb guy, anything with lamb he wants to order and try it, he liked it, but didn’t love it. He said it was just missing a special factor and was good, but nothing amazing. I think of all the dishes this had the most protein of all, so more lamb than the tikka masala had chicken, and tumeric marinade had fish, so that was a good plus.

GHOST PEPPER CHEDDAR NAAN ($11)

Way too expensive, and pretty spicy but it was good, I enjoyed it. My dad LOVED this naan, he also really loves spicy things, so makes sense. With the lunch combo it’s a $4 extra charge I believe, but on its own it’s $11, and that’s way too much.

GARLIC NAAN

I forgot to take a picture of this, but it was good, nothing crazy, lacking a bit of garlic flavor. And it was also weird, all the naan had seeds in them, which is the first time I’ve experienced that with naan.

AVOCADO BHATURA ($9)

I went back to try this another day because my mom loves avocados and bread, so… yea. It was alright, would rather get the naan, my mom liked it more than me, but still just different than expected, and again way too expensive.

CHARRED CORN & SMOKED PANEER

Got this the same day as the avocado bhatura, yo eat along with it. Again, way too expensive, literally just corn and cheese, and the cheese isn’t great to be honest. It was ok. Not worth it, wouldn’t get again.

In the end I would say, you can tell Ghee knows what they’re doing and how to cook, but the food is a bit too expensive, and all the sides are WAY overpriced. But the lunch combos would be perfect if the were 5 dollars cheaper and had a bit more rice.

I would go to this restaurant again though, high...

Ghee Indian Kitchen 8965 SW 72nd Pl., Miami, FL 33156

5 Stars

I have tried to find the secret to how Michelin-starred and Michelin-recommended restaurants get picked, all to no avail. I have reviewed some outstanding places and some hellholes. Thankfully, Ghee Indian Kitchen falls into the first category. In fact, I would place Ghee Indian Restaurant right behind Bacan as the all-time greatest Michelin restaurant yet to be sampled by BBDO.

Nicole is my server, and she is a real pro. They are playing some Deep Indian House Music that adds to the positive vibe of the place. It's not often that I can listen to trance, but this works. The shelves are packed with hundreds of spices—a true sight to behold.

I asked Nicole for some Saag Paneer, Samosa Thali, and Mango Lassi. I relaxed in the inviting atmosphere, awaiting Nicole's return with my repast, and was totally lost in the vibe. My olfactory sense soon alerted me to Nicole's presence. Snapping the regulatory pictures of the victuals, I grabbed my tools of culinary destruction and proceeded to the job at hand—stuff...err, reviewing food for my reading public.

I started my journey with a sample of their Saag Paneer. Saag Paneer is an extremely popular Indian vegetarian dish made of spinach and other leafy greens (saag) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese). This dish comes from the province of Punjab in Northern India. The greens are ground into a paste, seasoned with spices and fried paneer is added on top. One forkful in and I knew this was what it was supposed to taste like. It is smooth, creamy, bursting with flavor and the tofu is so fresh I wouldn't be surprised if they make it in the back (I checked, they don't).

Next up was the Samosa Thali. As you can mix and match their Samosas in this dish, I asked for one Yukon potato, one paneer, and one chicken-stuffed Samosa. The outside was light, tasty and crunchy. The insides were filled to bursting with delicious delectables. Each one was better than the last, but that can't be, as they were all outstanding. This filled me with ineffable joy to consume. I wish I lived closer.

Moving on to the Mango Lassi. For those not in the know, Lassi is a popular, traditional, yogurt-based drink from India. Indian Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices and oftentimes, fruit. In this case, the fruit was Mango. This was so dang thick and creamy I had two before I could move on. I also ordered one to go. Yes, they are that good.

The Big Boy says, “If you think our local Indian restaurants in Brevard County are great...well, I hate to burst your bubble, but they are the equivalent of an Indian McDonald's compared to Ghee Indian...