Ofa Opens In Miami Beach

By: Ismael Rodriguez

September was a sizzling month for restaurant debuts in Miami Beach, from Jeremy Ford’s Stubborn Seed to the long-anticipated Ofa, a modern Brazilian concept that opened its doors two weeks ago in Sunset Harbour.

Created by Felipe Ortiz, Carmen Rodriguez and Lucas Scudeler, Ofa is comprised of 2,200 square feet of prime indoor-outdoor space with brightly colored décor and a menu rooted in an array of famous South American dishes, including fresh and colorful ingredients into many of its items. The restaurant’s specialty dishes include, for example, picadinho, where mignon cubes are flavored in a meat sauce and served in a bowl with crispy kale, brown rice, and farofa topped with a fried egg.

“Brazil is a huge country with varied traditional dishes that go way beyond the Brazilian steakhouse concept,” Rodriguez told the Miami New Times. “Ofa’s cuisine is inspired by the bold flavors and fresh ingredients found in those regional dishes.”

The menu also reveals a selection of classic Brazilian dishes that range between $3 and $31. Some of these dishes include pão de queijo, fraldinha na grelha, and grilled octopus plated on a rich, velvety rice blend.

Other items on the menu include bobó de verduras, a Brazilian vegetable dish made with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and red bell peppers and blended with a yuca-and-coconut-milk sauce; salada de grãos, a grain salad made with chickpeas, lentils, barley, tomato confit, and baby greens topped with pesto and cashew aioli; and burrata com ragú de linguiça e cachaça, where burrata and cachaça-marinated pork sausage are plated with tomato confit, crisp arugula, and bacon-infused olive oil.

Rodriguez told the press that she recommends the first-time customers try the bolinho de arroz, rice cakes with a spicy black bean sauce; the burrata com linguiça na cachaça; the picandinho and bobó de verduras; and the cuca de goiabada.

She also said that in the near future, customers can even expect Ofa to start selling chopp, a popular Brazilian draft lager served just below freezing with a three-inch layer of foam.