El Turco Turkish Food — Restaurant in Miami

If you're looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion and have some money to spend, check out Branja in Upper Buena Vista! Upper Buena Vista is a charming oasis in Miami full of greenery and art, and inside you'll fine Branja, which boasts colorful and stylish mediterranean decor. We unfortunately booked a night that was raining, but our server was willing to accommodate when we asked if we could move inside (as long as we were out of the bar by a specific time for the next reservation). While sitting inside (they only have bar seating), made it difficult to have conversation with the group I was with, it was an incredible experience to have, as we got to see our food being made on the spot, and got to speak directly with our chefs and hear more from them about how the dishes were prepared.

Here's what we ordered:

Cocktail (don't remember the name, but it was rimmed with zaatar)- I've never before had zaatar with something sweet, but the zaatar quality was so fresh and zesty, and paired so beautifully with the butterfly pea powder cocktail prepared at the bar. Loved this drink!!!

Shabbat bread: This is a must try. The challah is fresh baked and comes out warm and toasted, and the zaatar sourdough was delightful and toasty (and this comes from someone who is very picky about bread). The spreads it come with were also homemade and delectable, the sage butter had beautiful aromatics and flavor, and the matbucha was the best I've ever had (the bar manager shared that they prepared it in a unique way, but I can't remember the specifics of what she shared).

Not a caesar- fresh and light with radishes, fruit and a lemon parmesan vinaigrette. This is a nice option if you're looking to add veggies to your meal, but was not mindblowing as a dish

Fishawarma- this dish is small and more like an appetizer size, but was fresh and flavorful, especially with the combination of sauces it comes with

Mama ligua "polenta"- this is also the size of a side dish. I'd normally never spend $33 on polenta, but this possibly was the best dish we had, it was incredibly creamy, and the flavors of the caramelized leeks and truffle slices in it made it perfection

Meat on a lemongrass stick (can't remember the name of the dish)- I didn't try this- I'm a pescatarian, but my family said this was the highlight of their meal because of it's quality and uniqueness, they loved the flavors that the chef seasoned the meat with and they said the meat tasted like it was very high quality.

Shabbat fish-(aka Branja's elevated version of Chraime). I don't normally like traditional versions of Chraime, but this was delectable. They make every part of this dish from scratch (just like every other dish), and it shows in every bite. The red sea sauce is drool worthy, and you're given unlimited warm challah slices to pair it with to scoop up the leftover sauce. It's one of the more expensive options in the menu (I've definitely never paid $68 for fish before), but it was a highlight of my experience here! This is also the most generously sized dish we had.

Layali Beirout- this pudding was a favorite of every other person in my group. I liked it, but I found the other dessert we ordered more unique in flavor!

Pistachio and tahini crack pie - tastes like a halva dessert, and the sweetness of it paired with the creme fraiche was so pleasing to end my meal with!...

I typically leave short and positive reviews on restaurants. Rarely I have the time and dedication to sit down and expand my true feedback after visiting a new restaurant. However, I had to do an exception on this after my experience in Branja this past weekend. The service was not only far away of meeting minimum service standards and customer satisfaction requirements but really disappointing and und unexpected for this day and age.

I went over to the restaurant with my partner around 5 pm just for a small in between meals bite as we had dinner rsvp in another place later that day. The server comes and I asked if we could do just (1) Miami Spice becase we were not that hungry. She agreed to that but then advises right after to get two instead because the plates are not that big. I tell her again that we are not that hungry. Intensively, she suggest that we trust her judgement and go with 2. Pressured by her continuous proposal, I agree. To which she follows up with cocktail recommendations. I kindly tell her that we are ok with water. She then leaves with a very denigrating attitude.

As soon as she leaves me and my partner saw one of the plates that we ordered being served to the table next to us. Realizing the size of the plates we figure the 2 Miami Spice was going to be a lot of food and not what we were looking for initially. Not even 2 minutes pass by and I call the server to tell her I wanted to do just 1 Miami Spice, she then says that would not be possible and that the food was already in the making. I ask her to please check with the kitchen because it was going to be a lot of food. She left to check in hostile fashion.

We proceeded to wait around 15 mins just for another server to come and ask if we are still interested in having just 1 Miami Spice. Disappointed, I stood up and left the restaurant.

You can tell from the Get Go as soon as I asked for just one Miami Spice she became very aggressive and climbed all over my back to force me into alternatives I was not looking for, and whenever I denied those suggestion she became more rude and hard to work with. Please understand that not everyone that seats down at a table is wanting to eat a full meal and spend over $200. Some customers just want to pass by, have a couple in between meals, enjoy a good time and leave. They should get the space and freedom to order what they want and still receive the minimum standard of customer care without ordering half of the menu.

Thanks but not coming back...

Miami's culinary scene has just welcomed an exciting addition with the opening of Tom Aviv's innovative restaurant. A melting pot of flavors, Chef Tom Aviv skillfully blends Israeli cuisine with diverse culinary influences from around the world. My dining experience at this newly established eatery was nothing short of extraordinary, leaving me eager to share my delightful encounter.

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