Dining at Candela is like having a personal chef. Give talented toque Armando Vega a few days notice and he'll cook whatever you want (within reason, of course). Plus you'll be amazed at the quality and quantity of the food at such modest prices.

Candela is the kind of find that restaurant critics live for yet share with some trepidation. There's a sweet harmony you'd hate to disturb.

That said, the chef richly deserves the recognition, and it's unlikely you'd just happen upon his restaurant, wedged as it is between a mini market and vacant storefronts in a shopping strip off Wilton Manors Drive.

Vega, 37, plans to expand into one of those storefronts, but for now his domain is a tiny, 16-seat dining room with an open kitchen. From there he orchestrates your meal with his petite wife, Yudaris, and sometimes one helper. Together they are the percussion, strings and brass. They do it all.

The location may be drab, but 2-year-old Candela is bright and cheery. Posters, some of the Vegas' native Cuba, decorate pale lemon walls, and the heavenly scent of sizzling garlic, onion and tomato fills the air. Tables are set with white linens and wine glasses, though regulars know it's BYOB (don't rely on the mini mart next door).

The Vegas, parents of four, have gotten by in a tough economy thanks to a devoted clientele. The place is often swamped on Friday and Saturday nights, so be sure to make a reservation.

It's fun to dine here on slow nights when the chef chats while he cooks and offers dishes for patrons to try -- cauliflower in a bechamel sauce on one of our visits. Friendly and folksy in a beret and white chef's jacket, he's clearly passionate about food. Everything's made to order, so if you're in a rush, go elsewhere.

Vega's background includes years cooking in Spain and the Canary Islands and a formal culinary education at the Fort Lauderdale Art Institute.

His Spanish and Latin cuisine is simple yet elegant. He tweaks traditional Cuban fare, adding cilantro to slow-roasted pork or capers to ropa vieja. Yuca sticks are light, crisp and moist, presented with mild aoli, roasted onion-garlic and jalapeño sauce plus a kicky red sauce made from dried Mexican peppers.

There's a standard menu, but the nightly specials, scrawled on a board, tend to be most popular. We loved the small Prince Edward Island mussels (nearly 30 for under $10) bathed in a scrumptious curry cream sauce spiked with garlic and ginger -- so good we asked for spoons and sipped what we hadn't sopped up with house-made bread.

Vega creates a refreshing, Caprese-like salad with tomato gelee, grilled zucchini slices, red peppers and semi-soft goat cheese cured in red wine, presenting it on a plate streaked with a balsamic glace and basil-infused olive oil.

He pairs pan-seared monkfish with clams, calamari, mussels and cauliflower that's dipped in egg white and quickly fried for a crisp, barely discernible coating. Poached flounder is perfectly cooked, topped with a ``fondue'' of diced tomatoes gently cooked in butter with nutmeg, bay leaves and a touch of white pepper.

Vega casts a wide net with a seafood feast of cod, calamari, clams, mussels, lobster and shrimp caldereta in a rustic broth that melds the salty juices with sweet tomatoes, leeks and onions.

On one visit, he cooked a special of conejo en salmorejo, rabbit braised in white wine, rosemary, paprika, garlic and cumin. The texture of the tender meat is indeed a lot like chicken, and we loved the hearty stock.

For dessert, there's usually homemade ricotta cheesecake topped with chocolate or our favorite, coconut flan -- ultra creamy and garnished with anise seeds for a surprise burst of flavor. It's a lovely finale to a special dining experience.

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