Chef Profile: Chef Diana Tandia of Essensia at The Palms Hotel and Spa
Essensia Restaurant and Bar at The Palms Hotel and Spa in Miami Beach has long been known for its locally sourced farm-to-table cuisine. So the appointment of Diana Tandia as Chef de Cuisine last year was a perfect fit given her long-standing commitment to principles of sustainability and using the freshest local ingredients.
Born in Mauritania, in French-speaking West Africa, Chef Diana was influenced from childhood by her family’s home cooking. Only the freshest ingredients were lovingly transformed into delicious meals to be shared with family and friends. Chef Diana explained that her mother’s Berber heritage meant they ate a diet rich in vegetables seasoned with local spices. That said, she spent summers with her grandmother in Senegal which introduced her palette to seafood and an even wider variety of ingredients.
After attending college in New York City, Chef Diana chose to follow her passion for cooking and enrolled in the French Culinary Institute. From there she went on to work for Daniel Boulud and Jean Georges Vongerichten. She also worked at Gramercy Park Tavern in New York City. Her culinary education was further enhanced by her extensive travels throughout Asia and Europe.
Back in New York, Chef Diana opened an “elevated” Berber street-food restaurant in Lower Manhattan. Hers was one of the first restaurants in New York City to introduce Afro-fusion cuisine: a creative melding of traditional African flavors combined with French, Asian and Mediterranean ingredients and cooking techniques. Chef Diana describes herself as a storyteller who shares tales of her rich family heritage and travels to foreign lands through her thoughtful and expressive recipes.
Some highlights from Essensia’s current menu are Tomato-Watermelon Gazpacho, finished with a drizzle of basil oil.
and a Corn & Leek Velouté Soup.
Both soups are vegan, rich in flavor and satisfyingly creamy.
For a first course be sure to try the Grilled Jumbo Sun Shrimp. These beautiful local shrimp are expertly seasoned with a sambal sauce and kafir lime butter -- so full of bold yet balanced flavor and with just the right touch of spicy-heat.
The Pan Seared Local Black Grouper entrée is a thick cut portion of firm white fish, expertly seared on the outside while still moist on the inside, perched on a layered bed of beluga lentils and ratatouille.
For meat lovers, the Sonny’s Farm Rosemary Lamb Shank served with organic mushrooms, winter vegetables, cippolini onions and cauliflower-parsnip purée is heavenly!
Another must-try is one of Chef Diana’s signature dishes, her Jungle Seasonal Vegetable Curry served with Black Forbidden Rice. The vegetables in this dish are crisp-tender and hold their identities in the creamy coconut milk-based curry sauce which is infused with notes of lemongrass. This dish evokes dreams of travel to gloriously exotic places!
Be sure to leave room for dessert. The Citrus Olive Oil Cake with Orange Blossom Sabayon brings to mind the flavors of the Amalfi coastline.
For a lighter finish, the Fruit Salad (a medley of dragon fruit, lychee, mango and berries) scented with orange blossom water and topped with a lavender-hued Hibiscus Granita is a light and refreshing ending to a wonderful meal.
All of Chef Diana’s dishes are beautifully presented and garnished without being fussy or pretentious. Her unique, seasonally changing menu emphasizes her ability to expertly combine complex, culturally diverse flavors in ways that come together in perfect harmony and will keep you coming back for more. Whether you are a guest at The Palms Hotel or a local looking for a unique dining experience in a beautiful tropical setting, the Essensia Restaurant and Bar is not to be missed.
