Posted March 7, 2016
By CLARISSA BUCH
Hallandale’s Hyde Beach Kitchen + Cocktails appears mysterious.
The two-story building, which opened this past fall, is too small for a hotel, but too large for just one restaurant. It looks slightly misplaced in its quiet, Hallandale Beach neighborhood, oozing a South Beach vibe with its swanky design and neon-colored lights.
The oceanside building includes a restaurant, bar, spa and small bite and juice bistro — the essence of miscellany. There is no one word to describe what Hyde is, but its food and ambiance is nevertheless worth a visit.
The restaurant, located on the second floor, is helmed by Chef Danny Elmaleh, who oversees American hospitality group SBE’s entire restaurant portfolio. Elmaleh is the executive chef at Miami Beach’s Cleo, which is also owned by SBE.
Seating is offered inside, which boasts a nautical-like theme; and outside, with a mixture of booths, tables and high-tops. Outside seating gives diners a prime view of the shoreline. Arrive just before sunset to experience it as you dine.
Hyde’s dinner menu illustrates the true meaning of eclectic, boasting more than 30 plates ranging from Mediterranean-influenced dishes, to Asian, Indian, Spanish, Italian and American too. Though the beachside eatery calls it “contemporary American,” it’s a hodgepodge at best.
There is no wrong way to design your evening meal at Hyde. Order five or six plates to share or split an appetizer and elect for a one-person entree. Because the restaurant’s menu is so diverse, it’s suggested to teeter your evening toward tasting-style rather than limiting dinner to one dish only.
Whatever you do, begin with orders of the pumpkin butter rolls and the hen of the woods, which are by far the best appetizers offered on the menu. The mushroom dish, cooked to a crunch on the outside, is flavored in a heavy teriyaki-like sauce. The pumpkin butter rolls offset the stark mushroom taste with a sweet, cinnamon taste. It’s topped with rosemary salt and served with maple butter.
Other appetizers include tomato buratta, with nicoise olives, basil pesto, arugula and persian cucumber; hamachi sashimi, with avocado, citrus, serrano and white ponzu; and a quinoa and kale salad, tossed with roasted vegetables, red quinoa, farrow, mint, cilantro and goat cheese. Though light, the salad is enough to share between two or three diners.
For something seafood or raw bar-oriented, elect for wasabi tuna tartare, which is one of the restaurant’s best and more unique options. The small-sized dish is placed on a bowl of ice. Avocado is served in between two patties of tuna and citrus ponzu and bubu arare are sprinkled on top. Also on the menu is a ceviche, with yuzu, lime, serrano chili and cilantro; wild caught scallops; and crab cake.
Entrees range from pastas and pizzas, to sandwiches and meats. In terms of pasta, find oxtail bucatini, made with red wine braised oxtail ragout, garlic bread crumbs and marjoram; mushroom gnocchi soaked in a truffle sauce; and pescatore, which adds clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari to a spaghetti in red sauce dish. If you have to choose one, order the pescatore, as the red sauce balances the plate’s otherwise fishy taste.
Forego pasta for a sandwich, like a lamb gyro or chicken panini. Or choose a specialty dish, including the branzino, with cannellini beans, nicoise olives and artichokes; ginger and soy glazed chicken with baby bok choy and mashed potato; fried chicken and waffles; or salmon, served in a red wine reduction with a side of quinoa.
End your meal with dessert — key lime tarte with lemon meringue; cheesecake in a jar, with mixed berries and strawberry coulis; and, the best of all, black out chocolate cake with peanut butter, which falls on the rich side, but is worth every bite.
Pair dinner with a handcrafted cocktail, wine or beer, and take it with you post-meal as Hyde guests can legally drink on the sand. The locale was given a rare license allowing them to serve alcoholic beverages directly on the portion of Hallandale Beach that belongs to them.
An evening at Hyde is the perfect dining destination for indecisive eaters. It highlights cuisine from a medley of different cultures, and gives guests the options of noshing on pizza or pasta, or something more dynamic, like hen of the woods or ginger and soy glazed chicken.
- Place: Hyde Beach Kitchen + Cocktails
- Location: 111 S. Surf Road, Hallandale Beach, Fla. 33009
- Telephone: 954-699-0901
- Alcohol Options: Wine, Beer and Spirits
- Hours: Dinner is served Monday through Sunday beginning at 6 p.m.
- Ambiance: Classy Casual
- Noise level: Medium
- Wait Time: 10-15 minutes
- Price Range: $7- $35
- Service: A
- Food Quality: A
- Rating: A