Bringing the Kitchen to the Bar with Culinary Cocktails
There’s no better place in the world to talk about life, food and cocktails than one of the world’s culinary capitals of the world: Lima, Peru.
Chef Eileen Andrade of Finka Table and Tap and I embarked on a culinary journey with other chefs from around the world. We started with a Cusqueña, one of Peru’s most popular beers, at Isolina Taberna Peruana, recently named one of the best restaurants in South America. Andrade is no stranger to these journeys, whether it’s finding the best local ingredients for her restaurant, or traveling halfway across the world to study cooking techniques in South Korea. As a female chef in a male-dominated industry, she carved her own path and has introduced a farm-to-table kitchen in a part of unincorporated Miami-Dade.
We made our way to the local market, Mercado Surquillo No. 1, where chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino from top-rated Malabar, talked herbs and spices with Andrade. Here, they comfortably chatted about seasons, the varieties of corn and passionfruit and how the climate lends itself to growing great vegetables. At Malabar, the conversation continued, and Andrade was invited to cook for the group. Fearless, hospitable, she is – most of all – curious about ways to become better.
Back in Kendall
In Miami, I went to the bar at Finka, filled with smiling faces, beautiful glassware and fresh herbs. She joined me in another Cusqueña to talk about her path in the restaurant world.
Andrade’s family has a long history in the restaurant world, including her mother, Nancy Andrade, who opened the legendary Isla Canarias in West Kendall, famous for its croquetas. “My mom is a workaholic,” says Andrade. Growing up, she didn’t see much of her parents, who were busy operating the restaurants throughout South Florida. Her first introduction to cooking wasn’t by her parents but her abuelo and abuela, who would cook one of her favorites, masitas de puerco.
Seeing how hard her parents worked turned her off from the restaurant world. Andrade studied fashion merchandising and worked in the industry but made her way back to Islas Canarias, where she worked every single station. Here she met her cooking mentor, chef Omar Caycho. He had been executive chef at a local bakery that was closing. The owner brought Omar to the door of Islas Canarias and said, “You’d be stupid not to hire this guy.” They did.
Food Truck Beginnings
Working with Omar, Andrade was inspired to open CubanCube, a food truck, with her brother. “This was my culinary school,” she says. CubanCube catered events all around town. Her mother, who had always told her to think big, asked her to test out a Latin-Asian fusion concept, so she trotted off to South Korea. Here she took cooking classes from a retired female chef and adopted a routine of waking up early, going on walks, meditating and drinking tea. Andrade knew that cooking would be her life’s work.
Finka opened in 2014 to rave reviews. Andrade met the challenge – showing the Kendall neighborhood to think outside of the box and enjoy cocktails and unique foods – and Finka attracts a hungry and thirsty crowd every week. She loves cocktails and the artistry of creating cocktails. The bar at Finka is surrounded by houseemade syrups, fresh herbs and many unknown brands. Her approach starts with the glassware and tools and focus on locally sourced ingredients in season. And the cocktails don’t disappoint.
