Karma
2325 Galiano St.
Coral Gables
305/445-2293

Co-owner Michael Schukar's custom-made Texas Chopper is proudly displayed at Karma.

The newest definition of that ubiquitous buzzword Karma is a four-dimensional, life-inspiring dining destination in the heart of Miami's upscale escape of Coral Gables. Fusion design and décor transport the diner to Pacific Rim exotica with a colony of Chinese and Indonesian statuary surrounded by red everywhere and everything, dramatically highlighted by Chinese lanterns illuminating the parade of plush gold banquettes framed by high-back black chairs leading from the rugged stone bar with its half-ton volcanic rock Buddha gazing down with wonderment at the custom-made Texas Chopper, a unique bike the designers obviously thought is as sexy as the room itself.

The bike is the proud possession of executive chef co-owner Michael Schukar, who's come a long way from his native Pensacola, where he started his culinary career at age 15 working in a local Chinese restaurant. Studying business at the University of Alabama, he realized he belonged in the restaurant business and had the good fortune to land an apprentice position with the innovative Café Tu Tu Tango in Coconut Grove. The fast-paced lessons learned there led him to another south Florida winner, PF Chang's, remaining there four rewarding years until he signed on with another success, Tatu, at the instantly popular Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, partnering with Shawn Shahnazi, successful nightclub owner of such local headliners as Club Envy and Vision.

Botan Ebi (jumbo sweet shrimp) with black caviar and tempura shrimp heads

Schukar creates fusion fare at its finest, employing classic Chinese and Japanese culinary techniques, searching world markets for fresh seasonal supplies and preparing them in time-tested, traditional methods, allowing French and Hawaiian-Polynesian influences to work their own kind of magic on such attention-grabbers as "Botan Ebi," jumbo shrimp with black caviar; sashima rolls of Hawaiian big eye tuna jammed with avocado, crab and shrimp tempura christened with splashes of sweet soy. Among the other $6 to $14 startling starters are a wild mushroom "gyoza" with citrusspiked soy sauce, and among the palateawakening $14 to $35 entrees are Hong Kong pan-fried noodles with shrimp, chicken and Chinese veggies woked over a crispy noodle pancake; and wok-seared New York strip steak finished with a champagne-spiked kimchee sauce and tempura veggies. Finishers, $4 to $12, include heady combinations of bananacaramel egg rolls with freshly made ginger ice cream.

A prize-winning assortment of chilled sakes is stocked at the bar, which prepares the eye-popping Scorpion, a fish bowl brimful of fruity rum set aflame with a shot of blazing Bacardi 151 proof.