1. DINING ON THE SAND: ETARU’s location is just what being on Surf Road implies — it’s right on the sand with a great view from the terrace. It’s a bit of a hidden gem. You go right by the Fire Rescue Station and the big water tower with the beach ball to arrive on its cul-de-sac. Heed Spa is on the ground floor. Take the elevator inside or the stairway outside to reach ETARU. The view is outstanding. Etaru has been in Hallandale Beach for going on seven years and is part of a London-based Azumi Limited. Co-founders Arjun Waney and Rainer Becker opened Zuma London in 2002, followed by ROKA, ETARU, Oblix at The Shard and INKO NITO. Zuma, which has modern Japanese fare has an outpost in downtown Miami.
2. RELAXING ARRIVAL: It’s hard to top a beautiful Sunday morning and experiencing ETARU’s signature brunch. It’s a semi-buffet since the entrees are made to order. The experience starts with a cocktail upon arrival. The choices were a seasonal Bellini, Rita Okinawa, Bloody Mary and ETARU Breeze. I went for the Rita Okinawa, which had yuzu kosho-infused tequila, yellow chartreuse, lime and agave. Yuzu kosho is a paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt, which is then allowed to ferment. That gave a nice little kick of spice to the drink. The experience continued with the arrival of the chef’s premium sashimi selection to share — salmon, tuna and yellowtail plus an oyster with ponzu. Everything was super fresh and tasty. Wine is served throughout the meal.
3. BUFFET TIME: The buffet was artfully arranged and had plenty of options for grazing. I started with the crispy chicken katsu perched on a suiso waffle and then nabbed some of the dumplings (pork with mushrooms and a second with vegetables. Then it was off to the rice noodle salad with chicken and vegetables followed by potatoes with hot smokey salmon. The green lip mussels were divine with yozu and garlic and who could pass up the tiger prawns? You want rolls? How about prawn maki with avocado and sweet soy, avocado cucumber maki and spicy tuna maki? Tataki, you say? There’s both melt-in-your-mouth tuna and salmon. Still not enough seafood? There was delicious ceviche with ponzu. Sweet chili wings hit the spot as well.
3. THE MAIN COURSE: Yes, I could have just gorged until full on the buffet, but who would want to skip the entrees that are made to order? There’s teriyaki salmon, octopus with garlic yuzu kosho, chicken with spiced lemon, a signature burger and a spicy cauliflower hot pot. But there are also some premium entrees: $10 for a strip loin, and $20 for a half lobster, black cod with miso or New Zealand lamb chops with Korean spices. I went for the lamb, which was superb and tender. The spice level was just right.
5. DESSERT: After discussing the need for a walk at the nearby Spanish Monastery to burn some calories, the path was cleared for an amazing dessert platter. I loved the custard, the raspberry sorbet and a flavorful cheesecake. Sorry, fresh fruit, there was just no room for you, but you looked pretty.
WHERE: 111 S Surf Road, Hallandale Beach
PHONE: (954) 271-3222
WEBSITE: etarurestaurant.us
SHORT TAKES:
- If you want to make it a day at the beach, ETARU also has a beach bar with pizza, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, and other casual fare, but there are also some more upscale choices, such as lamb chops and salmon teriyaki.
- ETARU has a suiy?bi night (Wednesday) with Wagyu steak and lobster from the robata, which is sort of a Japanese barbecue style.
- The lunch and dinner menus on Mondays have half off the maki rolls.
- Happy hour runs from 5:30 to 7:30 on weekdays.
- ETARU is open for from noon to 4 p.m. and 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Brunch runs from 11:30 to 4 p.m. on Sunday while dinner is from 6 to 10 p.m.
Photo credit: Vitaly Kozlov
