Asian Shrimp

A Round Up of the Gables’ Favorite Seafood

By J.P. Faber//Photography by Jon Braeley

December 2019

Ah, that tiny crustacean, so small and humble. Yet for anyone who watched Forrest Gump, the various ways shrimp can be prepared are, well, darn near endless. When it comes to Asian cuisine, shrimp is like the chicken of Western cooking: it can take on many guises. We searched the streets of Coral Gables for Asian variations on the art of cooking shrimp. Here is a survey of the best – and most interesting.

Rock Shrimp Tempura

These are lightly battered fresh rock shrimp, the deep-water cousin of pink shrimp, small and flavorful. Cover them with a secret, tangy chipotle-like sauce and voila: Scrumptious. MesaMar, 264 Giralda Ave. $22

Shrimp in Lobster Sauce

It’s an old Cantonese standby. But when it’s done right, served over white rice, and shot with just the right amount of soy sauce? Chinese comfort food! Canton II, 2614 Ponce de Leon Blvd. $10.25

Shrimp Shumai

This steamed shrimp dumpling is usually the province of dim sum eateries, none of which are in the Gables. This version fills in nicely, served with ponzu or plum sauce. Red Koi, 317 Miracle Mile. $6

Tom Kha Shrimp

This soup dish takes you to amazing (and delicious) new tastes, combining shrimp with coconut milk, Thai herbs, lemon grass, cilantro, scallions, mushrooms, tamarinds and lime juice. Malakor, 90 Miracle Mile. $7

Crispy Shrimp

This is a house of soft ramen noodles, but when they want to go crunchy, they excel. It might just be the dipping sauce, but you can’t stop eating these addictively tasty bites. Ichimi, 2330 Salzedo St. $9.95

Spicy Shrimp Salad

A light and spicy salad that combines the flavors of lemon grass, lime juice, and chili, so it’s both cold and hot at the same time. A winner for a warm day. Miss Saigon, 148 Giralda Plaza. $11.95

Shrimp Pad Thai

The quality of Pad Thai is a telling mark for any Thai bistro, sort of like duck at a French restaurant. It can be too chewy or too cloying. Here, with shrimp, it’s just right. Moon Thai & Japanese. 1118 S. Dixie Hwy. $9

Shrimp Donburi

This is the shrimp version of the traditional donburi rice bowl. Here it starts with battered and fried shrimp and vegetables over the rice, with a sweet, savory sauce. Su Shin Izakaya, 159 Aragon. $10.95/$9.95 lunch