I first met Chef Timon Balloo while researching a MIAbites “Chef Profile” about him and his wildly popular restaurant, Sugarcane Raw Bar in Midtown ( see link )

Sugarcane, with its unique 3 kitchen concept and sharing plates had opened in late 2009 and has anchored the Midtown area ever since.

Fast forward to 2020, and while his Sugarcane empire has expanded with outposts in Las Vegas and Brooklyn, Chef Timon has returned to his roots with Balloo, inside the lobby area of the Ingraham Building in Downtown Miami. A Caribbean oasis awaits as you walk down the long brightly lit lobby hall to Balloo, where Chef Timon’s delightful wife, Marissa, and daughter greet you.

Of Asian, Trinidadian and Indian descent, Chef Timon has always enjoyed cooking for his family and friends using the spices of the islands and blending them with Asian and Indian touches. Pickling celery, marinating in chili sauce or jerk spices or roasting in curry are the earmarks of Balloo and its creative and flavorful menu.

Once you step inside Balloo, you are no longer in Miami, but transported to a small intimate yet casual restaurant on a Caribbean island…perhaps off a side alley. Brightly colored décor, flowered table covers, family photos, and a bar/sharing table area complete the ambiance. And the most amazing aromas are coming from the open kitchen as Chef Timon and his partner, Chef Melissa Sosa create some of the best dishes I have had in a while.

The menu offers small, medium and large dishes all meant to be shared, and trust me when I say, you will want to share everything as the flavors are so varied and truly enhance the experience.

We started with the Pickled Celery, which has been marinated and carries both sweet, sour and spicy flavors and the Jerk Beets atop a curry aioli.

Under Medium dishes, we selected the Burnt Cabbage which came with chunks of crispy pork, and peanut nam prik. The contrast between the crunchy peanuts, crispy pork and soft cabbage were remarkable.

We also chose the Roasted Curry Calabaza, a West Indian pumpkin squash that came complemented with creamy labneh and homemade roti bread to dip. Instructions were to mash it up and scoop up with pieces of roti.

And the Sticky Chicken Wings with Caramel Fish Sauce were meaty and delicious.

The Main dishes were all of a sharable sized and we selected the Trini Spiced Oxtail, with pigeon peas and rice, and tomato and avocado salad, the Crab Mei Fun Noodles, string-like noodles tossed in curry spice and smoked bonito furikake, an Asian spice mix of sesame seed, sea salt, nori and bonito flakes. Our final main course was Jamaican Curry Goat, which was tender in aloo chana curry sauce, potatoes, and with more homemade roti to dip into the sauce. A Thai Coconut Curry Snapper is also offered on the menu.

Optional sides include a creamy coconut lime rice and more roti.

Beverages include both Thai and Jamaican beer, natural wines and homemade elixirs like sangria or a hibiscus oolong kombucha. We chose a delicious bottle of Cabernet from Andes Plateau in Maipo, Chile for $50.

We hesitated when it came time to order dessert but were fascinated by the Pineapple Jell-O with whipped cream, which was exactly that and a chocolately hazelnut peanut cookie pudding. Somehow, we managed to finish both with a flourish.

But the best part of the evening was seeing Timon and his wife and daughter smiling and stopping by each and every table to greet both new and old diners alike. It felt like we had been invited to their home for dinner. Very special. Welcome home, Chef and thank you for welcoming us into yours. .

Balloo

19 Southeast 2nd Avenue Suite #4

The Ingraham Building

Miami, FL

786.534.2768

Reserve: https://www.tbdine.com/book/restaurant/balloo-restaurant?idApp=68703&language=en