This week on "Check, Please!, South Florida", a tiny spot turns out Asian comfort food in Lake Worth Beach.

Amazing, absolutely amazing.

[michelle] We offer toast to unique date night destination in Delray Beach There's nothing else like that in South Florida that I know about.

[michelle] And take a tour of South American cuisine on the heart of Fort Lauderdale.

It just made me really happy.

It was like comfort food.

[instructor] Cultural, culinary secrets, and global flavors.

We have a passion for blending ingredients and seasonings from around the world.

[woman] Additional funding for "Check, Please!, South Florida" is provided by George and Helen Weaver and the Friends of South Florida PBS.

I was actually really surprised by how tasty it was.

My mom out this water and just thinking about it.

It was nothing like I've ever had before.

It feels like a taste of Florida.

It was the size of a bathtub.

Hello, Michelle Bernstein.

And welcome to "Check, Please!, South Florida", the show where regular people from all over South Florida recommend and review their favorite restaurants.

So this is how the show works.

Every week we have three guests, each recommends his or her favorite spot and then the other two gotta check them out and see what they think.

This week, Mortgage Banker Kevin Pianfetti is lending us his advice for a fun night out in downtown Delray Beach.

His vinocentric choice offers a wide array of dining options from a long leisurely meal to a craft cocktail, to a quick stop at their retail shop.

No matter which you choose, he says the attentive service and the social buzz will ensure you a good time for all.

And Psychotherapist Denise Grant makes an assessment on this Broward hotspot near Las Olas.

She says the Latin comfort food is therapeutic as is the charming locale and smiling staff.

And its location, near a major theater venue, makes it the perfect option for a preshow treat.

But first, director of content distribution, Amanda Kahan is always impressed by the creative vision and high quality dishes getting churned out of her local spot for sushi.

No matter what your craving, she says, their expansive menu of Asian specialties will have you covered.

It's in Lake Worth and it's called OKA Sushi and Thai, Ramen.

My name is Pasakorn Moopun.

I'm the owner of Oka.

Past 15 years, like to do my own business for the Sushi, and Thai, and Ramen.

Some of the most popular dishes is Blue Ocean Roll, Ramen, and then Lobster Pad Thai that's most popular here.

Oka is on the Lake Avenue.

I choose here 'cause it's like people can walk and have some community here.

Oka is Asian Fusion.

What a treat, right?

I mean they have a little bit of everything for every pallet.

And there's never been a bad thing coming out of that kitchen, as far as I'm concerned.

And you fell in love with it during pandemic, which you were ordering in a lot, right?

Yes, probably once a week, we treat ourselves.

Everything was a little uncertain, so that was like our comfort, was ordering Oka on Fridays or Saturdays.

From the sushi, the Thai, the Curry, the ramen, it's all been phenomenal.

So when did you have this last time?

[amanda] I had the panang curry with tofu as my main dish.

We always get the seaweed salad, without fail.

So was the tofu fried tofu or do they stew it?

You have the option, I chose fried.

[michelle] Okay, well, I mean, fried tofu is yummy.

[amanda] It's amazing.

[michelle] I know.

[amanda] And it's perfect 'cause it just, it sits in the curry and it just soaks up all the flavor.

So the seaweed salad is a wakame salad, I'm guessing?

[amanda] Yes.

[michelle] This bright green sesame flavor.

[amanda] Yes, so sesame seeds, little bit of red pepper flakes in there.

I mean, it's my favorite.

Kevin, did you sit inside or out?

I sat inside.

The food was fantastic.

I remember I started out with the sashimi and it was superb.

The ahi tuna, they are the white fish type of one, and a salmon.

[michelle] Also, it's three types of fish.

[kevin] Three generous portion.

[michelle] Wow.

My wife actually, when we had some deep fried seafood, vegetables, and shrimp, superb.

Any kind of dipping sauce?

[kevin] Yes.

[michelle] Like a ponzo, probably, I would imagine.

It was a very, and then a wasabi in a bottle, which was very nice.

That wine is, excellent service.

The food is really very good there.

You can't go wrong there, with that food.

Denise, I think that you took quite a drive up to get there.

So what did you think, first of all, about the area?

It was super cute, little strip there.

And parking right in front, we got there at 6:30 in the evening, it was just perfect.

We walked in and my neighbor's first thought was, "We drove an hour for this."

'Cause it was, you know, she was expecting a lot more.

And when you walked in, there was a whole row of takeout containers.

And so that just was our first impression.

We sat inside, but the food was amazing.

Absolutely amazing.

Mike got the Oka Roll, and the presentation of that was so pretty.

[michelle] What is the Oka Roll?

It was tempura shrimp, I'm looking at you like you know what I meant.

I noticed, but I had it too.

It's one of my favorites.

So it's tempura shrimp?

Tempura shrimp, but it also has the creamy, warm conc spread on top, which is absolutely, that's one of my favorites, so yummy.

We had the dumplings for an appetizer.

They were so good.

Seasoned very lightly, but just delicious.

[michelle] Steamed or sauteed?

[amanda] Steamed.

[denise] Steamed.

And we also had the Pad Thai, it was delicious.

[amanda] Usually has peanuts, fish sauce, all kinds of vegetables, scallions, a little bit of egg.

It was really good.

The service, when we first got in, was a little slow, but the meal more, they made up for it.

Really great food and just so yummy, really good.

How were the prices?

Very fair, portion size is fine.

And I have no problem with prices across the world, wine, the sake, everything.

Excellent, excellent price.

Yeah, very, very good.

So I think you had another roll, did you?

Yes, we also had the Blue Ocean, yes, which is so delicious.

It has [michelle] What is that?

real crab meat, so not crab with a curry.

It's real blue crab, avocado, cucumber and then on top is torch salmon.

It's got a nice smokey flavor.

And then you also, you had a lot of food, you also had dessert that night, right?

Well they have a little selection of mochis and it's usually a different flavor each time you go, depending on what they have in stock.

And this time we got, of course, two, we got mango and strawberry.

So the way they serve it, though, it's perfect for sharing.

They cut it into quarters, put a little dot fruit cream in the middle, and then.

Ah, Amanda, Oka Sushi and Thai Ramen was your choice.

Please sum it up for me.

Oka is just this little flower of downtown Lake Worth, where you walk in, you might get the impression that's a little hole in the wall.

It kind of is, but it's just full of just magic inside.

I like that, Kevin.

I think it's just an experience to have that kind of food.

The selection is unreal.

Denise, sum it up for us.

It was a wonderful little surprise.

Just absolutely delicious, loved the food.

The people watching was fabulous and the area in Lake Worth is just precious.

You could roll down onto Oka Sushi and Thai Ramen located at 817 Lake Avenue in Lake Worth Beach.

Open nightly for dinner and for lunch, Tuesday through Saturday.

Reservations are not excepted.

The average price for dinner, without drinks, is about $25.

Now Mortgage Banker Kevin Pianfetti has preapproved your visit to a spot that feels like you're dining in a European wine cellar.

It's an interactive experience offering over 200 wines on tap alongside artisanal cheeses and charcuterie.

But he says the classic entrees are definitely worth a taste.

It's in Delray Beach and it's called Wine Room Kitchen and Bar.

My name is Ana Malatesta and I'm the general manager of the Wine Room Kitchen and Bar in Delray beach.

My name's Blake Malatesta and I'm the executive chef here.

The idea of this concept started with our owner that has been successful with it for the last 15 years in Orlando, in Winter Park.

And it was so successful that he decided to open another one in the heart of Delray Beach.

I think with other restaurants it's a dining experience.

Here, the food really kind of highlights the world of wine in this establishment.

There are so many different restaurants on the avenue, but none of them can compare to what we have over here.

What the wine room is, is actually a world of wine, cheese, great food and hospitality brought together under one roof.

You have to, Kevin, describe walking into this place for me, please.

Atlantic Avenue, we call the Delray.

The is not on the end, but we have the ocean, okay?

So you walk, you walk through a barrel, a big wine barrel.

You have over 200 wines on tap there.

You just put a credit card and take a sip, whatever you want, from low end to high end.

[michelle] Oh, you buy a card, and from the there you can taste any wine.

Any wine, oh yeah, it's unreal.

And they give you clean glasses.

[michelle] What a huge tap that must be.

[kevin] I'm sorry.

[michelle] It must be an enormous tap.

Oh, it's unreal, the barrels.

The cheese shop there is in domestics as well imported, fine cheeses which you can have as an appetizer or as a snack.

What we had, my wife had these chicken salad, which was superb, lots of greens and sliced chicken that was very elegantly done.

My wife had pasta dish there that was very good.

[michelle] I think it was mushroom.

[kevin] Thank you, yes, it was mushroom pasta, yes.

And I had a double pork chop, which was [michelle] A double pork chop?

Wow, how was that cooked.

Was it grilled?

Yes, and it was delightful, just delightful.

I love them The ambiance there, there's nothing else like that in South Florida that I know about.

You had the cheese platter, right?

Oh, it was wonderful.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we had the vita Italian platter.

It was just delicious.

We were very, very, very pleased with it.

Amanda, you went for date night.

[amanda] Yes.

And how'd you do?

We were very, very excited about the menu.

We checked it out before we left the house.

We didn't have the best service.

We were forgotten about frequently.

[michelle] That's a shame.

I know.

And we could tell that our server knew that she was really busy inside.

So that was a little disappointing.

You did love your starter.

I did love the starter.

We got the chard octopus fra diavolo, which was, oh my God.

[michelle] I think Kevin likes that a lot too.

[amanda] It was so good.

The outside was perfectly crispy, the inside was nice and tender.

It's just a really, really yummy flavor.

Did you have wines glass.

[amanda] We did.

Did you go to No, so we, we sat outside.

So by when we ordered [michelle] Did you know about the wines No.

[michelle] On top?

So we saw a sign outside, after we had sat and ordered, that said 200 wines by the glass.

Are there wines on the menu?

Yeah, there were, it's like three whites and three reds.

Yeah, that's a very short menu of wines.

'Cause I looked at it as well and I'm like, I was surprised because you would not know, if you looked at that menu, what was inside.

Right, so we sat outside and we hadn't gone in to check out the inside yet.

So how did you know that they had this wine by the glass program?

We sat inside.

And our waiter who was great, Saxon, he explained everything twice because we were just overwhelmed with it.

It was incredible.

So when we asked about it, she told us and we're like, oh.

And what did you, what else did you have?

I actually ordered the mushroom pasta as well.

And the pasta, like the texture was really delicious.

I really, I mean, I thought that just a little pinch of salt would have just been perfect.

I mean, the experience was nice and we would definitely go back to try it again.

Maybe try something different.

Maybe it was an off night.

There's also a lack of people right now in our business.

Right, so I don't hold it against them at all.

Like I get it.

So what else did you guys have?

I'm from New Orleans originally, so my dining out experiences come from there, which is just, it's an event.

I mean, you go out to go out to eat.

And this was very close to that for me.

I mean, everything was paced, as I prefer it, very slow.

He was great explaining everything to it because it really is a different setting when you walk in and you see just the vast array of wines, so you can choose from.

Do you have to pour a full glass or can you do a tasting?

There are three different levels.

The sip, the half a glass and then a full glass.

Oh, I like that.

What is your wine of choice when you go or do you always change it up?

There's a Sancerre wine there from France.

Oh, it Sancerre, yeah.

[kevin] Sancerre is superb.

The Sancerre with cheese, ugh, it's already so buttery.

And then you add some cheese into the mix and it's just so delicious.

I only take a sip so I can taste more.

I will go back, just for that experience, a little more prepared for it because it really was a treat.

We had the Dilia Italia cheese and charcuterie.

I had the cocovan, which was wonderful, prepared in a wonderful burgundy sauce.

And then we had the best dessert I've had in I don't know how long.

They had beignets, and there were these round fried, yummy cinnamon sugar, delicious balls of, I don't know, they were just so good, but they were huge.

And we got six of them and we are like two tiny little people.

We just stared at this plate and they And did you see them as, did you have?

Oh, we got them Oh, you had them.

Did you like them?

Oh, yeah.

Yet they come with three sauces of passion fruit, which was delicious.

It was a salted caramel source, and my favorite was the chocolate ganache with pepper.

[amanda] It was a little spicy.

Oh, that was, it was just to die for.

And we took them home because I had them later.

Ours did not make it out of the restaurant.

All right, well, Kevin, Wine Room Kitchen and Bar was your choice, please sum it up for us.

Like no other places in South Florida.

Between the quality and extent of the wine, the cheese and the food, big winner.

Perfect.

Amanda.

Everybody has an off night every now and then, so I'm not gonna hold it against them.

And I can't wait to get to try it again.

Denise.

It was wonderful.

I definitely will be going back with a plan.

You can a barrel of fun at Wine Room Kitchen and Bar, located 411 East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.

Open daily for lunch and dinner and for brunch on Sundays.

Reservations are accepted.

The average price for dinner, without drinks, is about $60.

Have you ever been in a restaurant and they serve you this gorgeous meat and cheese platter, and you think, can I do that at home?

I would love to serve this to, either, myself, my family, my guests.

So let's start with the meat, shall we?

I like to do a nice combination.

This here is a really good Jam n Serrano, some of my favorite.

It's actually fed some acorns and chestnuts.

I also have some really nice Spanish chorizo here that comes already sliced.

So let's go ahead and arrange those nicely.

And then finally, I've got some more that deli that I think I bought it because my son loves it so much, which you can really get at your local supermarkets, deli, just have them cut it really nice and thin.

So that's it for the meat side of things, let's jump into the cheese part.

I've got here, a nice creamy cheese, a blue cheese and a herder cheese.

Our creamy cheese is a brie, which I do not like to slice too small because it gets to be room temperature and it gets to be really runny, which is really a good thing.

So I'll put a couple of pieces of that.

We've got some beautiful Manchego, this is from Spain.

And then I am a blue cheese lover and you can go to European to a simple Maytag American blue cheese.

Now this is fun.

This is called a date almond cake.

They also make them outta figs, but it's a compressed cake and it's so delicious.

But you really wanna cut it pretty thin and each slice goes beautifully with either your cheese or your meats.

And then moving on, we've got a little bit of fig marmalade that can go next to everything.

And then you need a little bit of fruitiness to cut through the fat.

And so these are some dried cherries that we've picked up, dried apricots, and then we've got candied walnuts that are just so yummy.

As a matter of fact, Amanda, my assistant, made them so good, which is so good.

And then pick your favorite bread.

You can either put them on your plate or on the side.

I always keep some gluten free crackers around, but these happen to be just delicious, crunchy crackers.

So it's really up to you, you can have some fun with it.

But look how beautiful this is, and it's so entertaining, and it doesn't cost as much as it looks, and it's delicious.

So make a cheese and meat platter and enjoy.

Finally, Psychotherapist Denise Grant advises you to treat yourself to her choice for elevated Latin fusion cuisine in a casual spot that feels like home.

She says a large portions of food are plated beautifully, and they're served up by a staff who truly cares about their customers.

It's in Fort Lauderdale and it's called the Chimney House.

My name is Frank Rodriguez and I am the owner and founder of Chimney House restaurant.

My wife and I, we're both from Columbia, South America, and we wanted to showcase some of the best dishes of South America in a neighborhood restaurant.

And that's how Chimney House came about.

One of the main aspects about our restaurant, location wise, is it's house in a historic home.

The home itself is from the 1920s.

We remodeled it through, used as a restaurant, a neighborhood restaurant, and that's the core basis of our location.

We have regulars who come in two, three times a week.

We have people who come in twice during the day.

So I think our staff, who are all amazing, they know people by their names, they know their kids' names and I think that's what we're most proud of.

I think being part of the community overall.

The Chimney House restaurant is a vibrant neighborhood restaurant in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

We strive to make everyone a regular.

It truly is a house.

You'd never know by the name, what you're going to have.

And it's been there for quite a while, so.

Absolutely, to me, it's like going to my neighbors for dinner in their backyard.

The setting is just so quiet, although it's right next to the beginnings of downtown Fort Lauderdale, it's located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale.

Parking is great.

Right across the street there is to a big parking lot.

The menu is just wonderful.

It offers a wide variety of Latin foods, which is really wonderful because when a lot of times when people think about going to a Latin restaurant here in South Florida, they think it's all about Cuban food, but Chimney House is not.

Yeah, so what did you have this last time you went?

Well, my favorite is the .

The onions are caramelized so sweetly and the pork has just a tiny hint of crispiness to it.

So it's just wonderful.

We had the empanadas, which I actually never had for an appetizer.

[michelle] Which filling?

[denise] We had the chicken and the beef, absolutely delicious.

Amanda, you had a little bit of a slap.

You drove down from Palm Beach to eat here.

What did you think?

Was it worth it?

It was such a treat.

I was so happy when we finished our meal, it was like exactly what I needed after a long day at work.

So we started with the fried calamari and it comes with two sauces.

I think it was a marinara with a little bit of roasted red pepper.

Another one was just red onions and lime juice with hot peppers.

Next, I had the Hoparompa , the arows marinara.

[michelle] You said it perfectly.

There we go.

[michelle] Arows marinara.

[kevin] Good for you.

[amanda] Thank you.

[michelle] So that's seafood with rice.

Yellow rice with calamari, red and green peppers, scallops, shrimp, clams and muscles.

And it had tris, they were in there, which I don't eat, but I knew that my husband would eat it.

So I kind of just scooted it to the side of my plate and it magically disappeared.

It does add flavor to the rice.

Even if you don't eat it, it definitely gives a beautiful flavor.

Right, it just made me really happy.

It was like comfort food.

Isn't it nice, though, when you hear someone say that, that a food experience just makes them feel so good.

It's a therapeutic dinner.

It was therapeutic.

And look who it comes from, though.

The psychotherapist is telling us this, it's coming This is a sexy restaurant.

It's multileveled on the tables.

They got a beautiful chimney, when you first walk in there.

I started with the Ahi ceviche, which I've never had.

Just superb.

We had a pitcher of sangria, red sangria, and they diced all the fruit to small pieces.

[michelle] So you could actually eat it as you drink.

That's 'cause it's all diced beautifully.

Then I had the octopus.

[michelle] Grilled octopus.

I had grilled octopus put on a better of greens with a sauce on it.

It was suburb.

And then we had, yes, that was suburb.

It was very, very good.

And then we had to dessert.

I like Chai Cake, I ate the cake.

Tres leches.

Leches?

That was fantastic.

You've had it?

[denise] Yeah.

Then you agree with me.

[amanda] Yeah, absolutely.

It was superb.

Denise, there is a cocktail that you always get there.

[denise] Mojito, very traditional mojito.

yeah, which was perfect.

And you had another dessert as well as the Leches.

Yeah, we had two desserts because, I mean, why not?

We like you, all the better for it.

So what did you have?

So we had the Tres Leches, 'cause our server, by the way, who was just absolutely phenomenal.

We asked him a million questions.

We wanted his opinion on everything and he came through for us.

So he recommended the Tres Leches.

And I really love rice pudding, so we got that as well.

It was so good.

[amanda] Did you take any home?

No, it was gone in three minutes.

There was no taking it home.

That's great.

Well, Denise, the Chimney House was your choice, sum it up for us.

It's a great neighborhood restaurant to go to, to have a wonderful evening and a variety of Latin food.

So you've got a choice each time you go.

Amanda.

Well worth the drive.

The food was delicious.

The atmosphere was great.

And I can't wait to go back.

Kevin.

I will definitely go back.

It's fine restaurant, so a lot of fun.

You can chow down at the Chimney House, located at 701 West Las Olas, Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

Open for lunch and dinner every day but Monday, and for brunch on Sundays.

Reservations are accepted.

The average price for dinner, without drinks, is about $45.

We've had such a wonderful time.

I wanna thank my guests, Amanda Kahan, Kevin Pianfetti, and Denise Grant.

For more about the restaurants and recipes featured in the show, or if you'd like to apply to be a guest reviewer, visit us at checkpleasefl.com and, as always, find us on Facebook and on Instagram.

Join us next time for three new guests recommending three of their favorite restaurants right here on "Check, Please!

South Florida".

I am Michelle Bernstein.

Salute, everybody.

And I will see you then.

Thank you all.

Salute.

Thank you, cheers.

[instructor] Cultural, culinary secrets, and global flavors.

We have a passion for blending ingredients and seasonings from around the world.