Aurora N.
Yelp
Motek has been on my foodie radar awhile, but I wasn't aware they had a location in Brickell. We had stopped off for an early dinner at River Oyster on New Year's Day, only to find out they don't serve dinner until 6pm. They did serve happy hour though so after cocktails and a few small bites, we knew we needed some real food to soak up the booze.
Conveniently, right across the street was Brickell City Centre. We had tacos on our radar but when I got up to the level the Mexican place was on, I spied Motek. It was a sign from the food gods!
Overall if I'm being honest, I did not love LOVE the meal here. But I think that was more of short-sightedness on our part, and not Motek. I wanted to try the fried cauliflower, my man wanted the zucchini latkes and the falafel, so that ended up being a lot of fried, fried, and more fried. Bad move. Each dish was technically very well balanced, but we really could have done with more variety.
On to a breakdown of the food.
1. Pita
I think who ever makes the pita sold their soul the devil. It's like nothing I've ever had. So fluffy and delicate, like a giant pillow from made of hopes and dreams and a little char to keep you grounded. It was so beautiful I could have cried.
2. Hummus Roasted Eggplant
The hummus was really interesting. It had a poached egg, but was deep fried...so Idk if that's really something you can call poached. The hummus was unique though, and unbelievably creamy. Definitely some witchcraft happening there. I dig it. The eggplant topping was cooked to perfection.
3.) Crispy Cauliflower
This was actually my least favorite thing out of what we ordered. It was just a bit too sweet for me, but that could be because my body has been detoxing from a diet of sugary crack from the holidays and it has just had enough.
4.) Zucchini latkes
These were pretty tasty, but like the fried cauliflower, there was too much sweetness happening for my taste. Thankfully it was just in the labneh, and the menu does mention it. I just avoided it so no biggie. The latkes by themselves were quite good though - crisp and flavorful for days!
5.) Falafel
This was a very petite portion but as I was all fried out, it was perfect. I loved the fried eggplant served on top. It was like butter on the tongue!
While I wasn't sold on all of the food, the service was attentive and fast, and the server noted that gratuity was included. Most servers won't tell you and will just bank on you tipping double unknowingly. While not in any particular hurry, I would return again in the future. I think this could be a fun place for happy hour with a group where we can try a variety of hot and cold mezzes. Or perhaps a dinner for date night where the entrees get to stand out.