The New York City-based dim sum concept adjusts to local tastes.
June 26, 2024
For the past 13 years, dim sum chef Joe Ng has focused on making modern and inventive Chinese food at RedFarm in New York City. The restaurant was launched with late Chinese food expert Ed Schoenfeld, who had aspirations to reinvent the Chinese dining scene in New York City. But recently the concept has been opening in new cities. It debuted in Austin, Texas, last November, and at the end of February it opened in the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove.
The average per-person check is around $75
Partner Zach Chodorow recently discussed the Florida opening.
What do you most want people to know about RedFarm as a dining concept?
RedFarm brings a [farmers market] sensibility to modern Chinese food and super-charged dim sum. The menu changes frequently based on seasonality and ingredient availability, although certain signature items like our Pac Man dumplings and Ed’s Pastrami Egg Rolls will always be on the menu. Our dim sum master, chef Joe Ng is not afraid to do things outside of the Chinese realm and is always coming up with new and inventive dishes.
What drew you to the Miami area for this expansion of the brand?
Anything from New York that we’re possibly looking to expand is going to be in Miami — it just makes sense. The Chodorow family roots are in Miami, and we have been running restaurants here since the opening of China Grill in 1995.
How does this outpost reflect the local community and products?
We treat every restaurant like it’s the only one. Anytime you have multiple locations of something you’re always trying to find that balance of what works in different markets. At our Miami location, the cocktail program [developed by RedFarm beverage director Shawn Chen] has been injected with tropical ingredients, like our Sandia Mia, crafted with tequila, Aperol, watermelon, mint, and cucumber, and the Nitro White Wine Kumquat Sangria, featuring Chardonnay, brandy, Grand Marnier, kumquat, apple, and seasonal berries.
Tell us about the design of the space.
We’ve worked with Crème Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design on all RedFarm locations. Taking inspiration from Miami, our biggest location to date, Crème created a distinct aesthetic within the 7,000-square-foot space, blending modern-rustic décor with the Magic City’s bold spirit. Various details have been injected into the space to capture the essence of Miami, such as neon accents alongside colorful wallpaper, Cuban-style wooden ceiling details, and elegant Art Deco mirrors. The design captures RedFarm’s signature vision while fitting seamlessly into the vibrancy of Miami.
Is there anything unique about this menu as compared to the other locations?
We always use our New York menu as our starting point, and then some items are removed if we can’t consistently get the ingredients we need, or if there are other reasons why it can’t be made to our standards. There are also ingredients available in Miami that aren’t available as readily in NYC, so we’ve created a few dishes around those items; fresh bamboo shoots is one example. We always adapt our menu at every location to the local market and tastes, while trying to remain faithful to what we’ve created in NYC.
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