Type “Phuong” into Urban Dictionary (which is where we look up all foreign names, to be honest) and you’ll get a list of different Vietnamese women: sweet ones, seductive ones, funny ones. Different inherent personalities bound by one distinct moniker. Missing from the list of Phuongs is the sexy gal primed to make her grand debut this Thursday.
Madame Phuong is the newest cocktail den launching inside the delightful Phuc Yea on Miami’s Upper Eastside. This lounge-within-a-restaurant concept takes over the space’s front lobby and back patio, bringing themed nights, a new late-night bites menu and new specialty cocktails in addition to what’s already on tap at the hip Vietnamese joint.
“Starting party nights is something restaurants do when they’re failing, but that’s not the case here,” says Mykel Stevens, local nightlife entrepreneur behind the idea. “I created Madame Phuong Cocktail + Sake Den and named it after the Empress of Vietnam, Nam Phuong.” It all came together with Phuc Yea’s owners, Ani Meinhold and Cesar Zapata, and Miami artist Miguel Paredes, whose custom installation anchors the space.
The weekly parties will go on as follows: Fridays are Madame Love Machine, featuring music by DJ Adora; French jazz in the Lantern Garden; and the Love Table—a dinner party hosted by a secret tastemaker each week. (You’ll need to make a reservation to find out who the guest of honor will be.) Saturdays bring Disco Amour with music by DJ Millionyoung & Friends and live Afro-Cuban jazz in the Lantern Garden.
Food offerings veer slightly from the typical Phuc Yea fare, focusing on small plates and snacks like chicharrones de pollo and Colombian empanadas. The crowd-pleasing beef pho will make a special appearance on the late-night menu. We consulted Urban Dictionary once more to confirm that, yes, the Vietnamese noodle soup is the greatest food in the world. And if you find yourself Teabag’d—a sucker-punch combo of a drink with Ron Diplomatico, jasmine tea, mango, fresh mint and boba pearls—it might be the only thing to save you from an epic hangover.
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