Bistro @ Tuyo Now Offers Lunch Menu

The Miami Culinary Institute’s dining room, famous for its captivating view of the Freedom Tower and the American Airlines Arena, officially opened its doors during lunch—for the first time ever— on Jan. 23.

Bistro @ Tuyo offers a variety of options, prepared by advanced MCI students, fulfilling the 200-hour practical requirement to graduate with an associate’s degree in culinary management.

“The practicum was always done outside of MCI and I brought this idea because when I did my practicum I had a horrible experience,” said Victor Santos, the executive chef of the restaurant and instructor of the College’s culinary practicum course. “For me it made sense to offer this here since we have the facilities. We have a restaurant. We have a dining room. There is a kitchen. It was only a matter of setting this up.”

Tuyo Restaurant has been serving fine dining meals after 6 p.m. for more than six years. Dinners feature an upscale American contemporary cuisine menu, where the entrées range from $29 to $42. The lunch option, Santos said, is a more casual experience.

With only about 40 out of the 65 tables at the restaurant open, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, the public can enjoy a variety of lunch alternatives.

“[We have] something that hopefully appeals to everybody, whether you want a quick salad, whether you want an entrée,” Santos said. “Basically something that from my experience, I know that I’ll be able to sell and basically showcase very high quality products at a very reasonable price.”

The main plates, which cost from $18 to $22, are grilled skirt steak, miso glazed salmon, pasta carbonara and fish of the day served with roasted tomatillo salsa or romesco. Alcoholic beverages will also be available for the guests during lunch.

The rest of the menu includes Caesar and Cobb salads ranging from $9 to $14, a soup of the day for $8, sandwiches—including the Bistro Tuyo Burger—from $12 to $14, and desserts like crème brûlée and chocolate mousse for $8—all done by MCI students.

“We wanted to give the students an opportunity to learn how to get real work experience before graduating the program so it’s kind of like their practicum before they leave us,” said Sara Howard, the restaurant’s manager. “They get great experience.”

On weekdays, ten aspiring chefs begin prepping for lunch at 9 a.m. on the seventh floor of the MCI building, where Tuyo’s kitchen is housed. Every week, students rotate among the different stations in the kitchen, including the grill, the sauté post, and the garde manger station for cold dishes.

Wolfson Campus President Richard Soria described the lunch time at the restaurant as “inviting.”

“On a scale of one to 10, I would totally give it a 10,” said Soria, who has eaten several times at Bistro @ Tuyo since its opening. “The service was amazing. The attention of the server to the table was perfect, just the right amount of attention. The food…was delivered at the right time, at the right temperature…and everything was fresh. ”

However, students on a budget viewed the high-end restaurant warily.

“I think the service and the location gave the place some potential, but they need more accessible and affordable options for students,” said Jessica Mouyal, an English major at the Wolfson Campus, who paid $32 for her meal on opening day. “Unless they get cheaper options, I won’t go back.”

Other more affordable food options in the area include, McDonald’s, Zona Fresca or Subway, all minutes from the campus.

But school officials believe the proximity to campus will make it an attractive option to students and the downtown community.

“For students it’s right there, right on campus which is perfect,” Soria said. “We also know that we have many large industries that work around the campus, like the government center so it’s an easy walk to the campus…and we remind ourselves it’s because of the time…people can have a lunch hour, in and out and have a great meal with a beautiful view of the city.”

To make reservations at Bistro @ Tuyo, call (305) 237-3200 or email reservations@tuyomiami.com. They also accept walk-ins.