Phuc Yea Modern Vietnamese

BY CHEF CESAR ZAPATA

CHEF CESAR ZAPATA

Chef Cesar Zapata is a distinctive Miami culinary talent whose restaurant Phuc Yea blends his Colombian roots with his passion for Vietnamese flavors. After immigrating to the U.S. as a child, he honed his cooking skills early, later expanding his culinary perspective during his time in Texas and through formal training at the Art Institute of Houston. Zapata gained experience in prestigious kitchens before launching Miami’s first pop-up concept, Phuc Yea, and opening the acclaimed restaurant The Federal, which earned numerous national accolades. In 2016, he and his partner Aneice Meinhold reopened Phuc Yea as a permanent MiMo District fixture, earning widespread praise from major publications and critics. Today, Zapata continues to receive national recognition while actively supporting culinary and philanthropic initiatives, including earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022.

Cuisine

Modern Vietnamese, by Chef Cesar Zapata. Regatta Grove marks the first location for Phuc Yea outside its MiMo home, bringing Chef Cesar Zapata and Ani Meinhold's Viet-Latin cooking to the bay. The waterfront menu is built for sharing: snacks like edamame hummus with lemongrass chili oil, shrimp summer rolls, smashed cucumber salad, watermelon salad, green papaya salad, and a rice noodle salad; satay skewers (beef, chicken, or vegetable); dumplings in shrimp, pork, or wagyu with sauces like Viet truffle ponzu and Szechuan nuớc chấm; and pork or mushroom bao. Finish with the Vietnamese Affogato — toasted coconut ice cream and Vietnamese-style coffee. Soulful, herbaceous, and made to pass around the table. (Chef Zapata earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022.)