Celebrating 13 years in the MiMo District, Soyka at 55th Street Station unveiled a new menu at its “Timeless Soyka” event May 22. “We believe that in a city like Miami, where so much is going on at all times, the need to give more than just delivering simple news is imperative, and so [working] with art is the next natural step we decided to take,” said Marco Cimmino of Grasp Media Marketing, the agency that designed the evening. “We wanted to leave a long-lasting impression.”
A meet-and-greet cocktail hour introduced the evening, where guests sipped mixed drinks, champagne, and wine while getting to know Chef Christian Martin in Soyka’s Piano Lounge, where pianist Dave Siegel provided classical mood music.
Around 8 p.m., guests were seated, and two projection screens were lowered from the ceiling to the center of the dining room. Chef Christian Martin described the inspiration for new dishes, along with the “Timeless Soyka” concept, a special menu offering both Soyka classics along with new, innovative plates.
Following the presentation, the two screens split the “Timeless Soyka” logo, and couture models strutted in from Soyka’s Garden Room. Styled by Myrnelle Singh of Mirror Mirror Beauty Studio, one model represented the new millennium, while four others donned fashions from the 1920s. The crowd watched curiously as the models ascended wooden blocks for a short live performance, transferring the energies from past to present through airborne motions and umbrella props. The models posed in the center of the dining room throughout the evening.
Dinner followed, and the screens continued to project classic films and clips from past eras. Classic dishes including the tuna tartare, meatloaf, and sticky date pudding were foiled with Martin’s new styles: swordfish tiradito, Kurobuta pork chop and sterling silver Delmonico rib eye, and banana and mascarpone crème puffs.
Paolo Albertoni was the DJ. Marc Nazario was the audio technician while Armando Suarez was the video technician.