La Ventanita podcast: Pablo Zitzmann on ‘appreciating’ not ‘appropriating’ Chinese dim sum
Pablo Zitzmann started making dim sum out of his Kendall condo when he got laid off during the pandemic, and the restaurant he opened since, the eponymous Zitz Sum, has been named one of the best in the country.
On the March 3 episode of La Ventanita, the Miami Herald’s weekly live food podcast, food editor Carlos Frías and co-host Amy Reyes interviewed Zitzmann about how he went from just trying to provide for his family to owning his hidden Coral Gables restaurant that was nominated for the prestigious James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
He talked about fusing Latin American flavors into Chinese cuisine in a way that is “appreciation” not “appropriation,” and how it is the heart of the restaurant. He talked about having to walk out of the kitchen to shed tears upon learning of his James Beard nomination. And why a restaurant kitchen was a natural home for him after being a punk rocker and skateboarder in Colombia.
We also discussed:
- How Burger Bash at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival is much improved after the pandemic
- The upcoming Smorgasburg outdoor food hall for Miami pop ups like Wolf of Tacos and Ted’s Burgers
Tune in Thursdays at 11 a.m. to watch La Ventanita live on YouTube and the Miami Herald website, comment and ask questions during the interview. Find every episode of La Ventanita at the show page and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Megaphone, Stitcher and MiamiHerald.com.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 9:39 AM.
