Yelp Miami’s Monumental Journey

Let it not be said that there’s no jaw-dropping Asian fare
to be found in Miami. All one has to do is take a trip to find it. ‘Trip’ like
passports and airfare? Not this time. The only physical travel involved getting
to Lincoln Road and walking into Khong River House. Starstruck members of the
Yelp Miami Elite Squad learned this first-hand when they entered into a
culinary journey down the Mekong River for Yelp’s Khong Day Journey Into Night.

While breakfast might not be the first meal you associate
with northern Thai cuisine, it’s safe to say that after this event you’ll be
eager to start your day with papaya salad, mini coconut & sesame pancakes served with Mekong
rum punch, taro
root hash topped with poached egg & Thai hollandaise,
grilled pineapple skewers, and rotisserie
pork belly buns. And who needs OJ and coffee when there’s Cava
with guava, lychee or mangosteen & A Very Thai Bloody Mary
to drink?

Lunchtime got an upgrade. Why? How? Banh Mi Bites (pork
rillettes and grilled tofu) and Burmese
Egg Noodle with Local Vegetable are a good start. Rotisserie
chicken buns with kai soi curry and house-made pickles kept the momentum going
and Thai Iced Tea & Singha Beer
made sure that a post-recess nap was in the future for the thrilled guests.

But there was no time to sleep; dinner was upon this
road-tasted crew of urban adventurers. 
Stretched bellies were the perfect match for Famous Thai Fried Chicken Bites,
Burmese Fresh Noodle Wraps,
Korat Beef Jerky, House-made Chiang Rai Sausage,
and Slow-cooked Whole
Pork Leg with fresh steamed buns. The evening hour (meal)
called for cocktails and Khong answered with the Killer B (gin, lemon,
chili syrup) & The
Stone Cold Rocky (Gin, apricot liqueur, lemon, and bitter lemon
soda) made with Farmer's Organic Gin.

Who can go without dessert? Not these Elites. Luckily, there
was plenty of Thai Donuts with
assorted dipping sauces, Mini Chocolate Trifles, Guava Jellies, and Petit Fours
to keep sweet teeth sated. But the sweetest part of the evening was hearing
from the dynamic duo who made these spectacular eats possible: Chef Cristian
and Mama Pai.

It was an evening of culinary travel, exploration, fun,
music — and confession. Soul-baring Elites wrote down their most private
confessions or hoped-for dreams on paddles and laid them upon the wall for the
world to see and universe to handle. Intrepid photographer Alex H took all the
shots you want to see here. Elated Elites penned ecstatic reviews here. Being a
tourist in your own city has never been so fulfilling.

Rollin’ on the river,

Johnny T