A Love Story, Served

The year was 1997 and 18-year-old Timon Balloo was on a date that would change his life. The teen, aiming to please his parents, was on a fast-track to a career in finance, but his sweetheart, Marissa Phromvipha, knew him better than that. They’d gone out for takeout to a restaurant in Sunrise, Fla. She went in to pick up the food and exited with dinner and a plan.

“She comes out with a job application — and this happens to be a little rinky dink Uncle Al’s on State Road 84!  She said, ‘you mentioned it, you wanted to try it, I came out with an application, and you have an interview with the manager tomorrow.’ I had an interview the next day and honestly, from that, it never turned back,” Balloo, now 44, says.

His ascent in the culinary ranks since then is impressive, beginning with a position at the, now closed, Bonaventure Resort and Spa before traveling to Europe to hone his skills. Returning to South Florida, he worked alongside Chef Michelle Bernstein, opening her celebrated restaurant Azul. Under the tutelage of another local culinary heavyweight, Chef Allen Susser, Balloo learned the important lesson of humility in the kitchen. After more travels and ventures, he became Chef/Partner of Miami’s Sugarcane raw bar grill in 2010, and the city (and country) took notice. In 2010, the restaurant was a James Beard Award semifinalist for “Best New Restaurant’’ and in 2011 Balloo was a nominee for “The People’s Choice Best New Chef’’ by Food & Wine.  In 2020 the James Beard Foundation awarded Balloo with “Best Chef: South.”

He opened two additional outposts in Las Vegas and Brooklyn, N.Y. (the latter is no longer in operation.) In 2019 he opened Balloo: Modern Home Cooking in Downtown Miami beginning to fully embrace and celebrate his Chinese, Indian-Trinidadian heritage and stepping away from the Sugarcane partnership the following year to focus on smaller and more personalized brands.

“For many years, especially in the beginning of my career, we did not acknowledge our ethnicity. We were cutting our teeth in French, in Michelin [style restaurants] — we didn’t really bring to light my ethnicity, we kind of shelved it. Because, also, at that time, it was looked more like peasant [food] — not as refined or respected in the gastronomic world when everyone is doing nouvelle cuisine, and you have to do European based or super refined Japanese,” Balloo says, before adding he is grateful to see how a curiosity — and demand — for other cuisines has expanded the playing field. “Fine dining has shifted into that you have all these beautiful ethnic restaurants. They’re being looked at beyond, ‘oh, street food fare,’” he adds.

Which leads us to his latest and clearest expression of himself — and the life he’s built with Marissa — The Katherine Restaurant.  Opened December 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, it is named after his wife (Katherine is her middle name), and serves, what Balloo describes as “elevated neighborhood cuisine,” explaining that how guests feel is more important than labeling the cuisine.

“We don’t want to get bogged down whether it’s Italian or Asian — we want you to fall in love with our vibes — when we say ‘Katherine Vibes’ — and know that we’re stewards of our craft, constantly thinking about ingredients, the season and fun, whimsical techniques to keep things vibrant and interesting.”

There is no doubt that the 58-seat eatery delivers on that. With a menu that constantly changes (based on seasonal availability and inspiration), dishes like Faroe Island Salmon Crudo with avocado, jalapeño and sesame ponzu, Tuna Crispy Rice with spicy mayo, jalapeño and chives. Clam Chowder Fries (steamed clams and salsa verde), Thai Style Charred Cabbage Salad with crispy pork, shallots and herbs and Short Rib and Ricotta Orecchiette are clear examples of Balloo’s talent and range.

Throughout the execution of exceptional, creative dishes — many of which are woven with influences from his heritage or travels around the world, Balloo’s early lesson in humility remains intact. His goal is to provide a space for folks to come in, relax, have something good to eat and drink. The dining room, decorated in lush, natural materials with touches of emerald green and gold dotted with hanging plants in terracotta planters provides that.

“It’s just a comfortable place to come and chill out and enjoy cuisine — have some plates, be with your friends. We’ll always have a good burger but maybe sometimes we’ll have potted rilletes [a type of charcuterie].”

Marissa, his first and most fervent advocate, plays a pivotal role in the restaurant’s success, helping to operate the front of the house, all the administrative work, marketing and HR.

It’s a full circle from that first step they took together in Sunrise as teenagers 26 years ago. The couple, parents to two girls, Kirin, 14, and Sophie, 6, had always hoped to return to Broward, where they first fell in love and where Marissa’s family still resides.

“As we tell guests in the restaurant, the love story started in West Broward and this passion allowed us to travel the world and live in many different cities and visit countries and fall in love with many flavors and that’s what we’re bringing back to Broward.” 

Thai Style Cabbage Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the cabbage:

1 small head green cabbage

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup dressing (see below)

For the pork:

1 lbs pork butt,

   diced into 1” cubes

1 cup Thai dressing

water

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 ounces Thai basil

2 ounces cilantro

2 ounces fresh mint

For the dressing:

1 cup lime juice

1 cup fish sauce

1 cup sugar

Mix and reserve 1 cup to roast pork.

Process:

Prepare the pork:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a roasting pan, combine pork, dressing and enough water to cover and roast until pork is tender (approximately 1½ to 2 hours). Once cool, drain and toss in flour.

Pat off excess flour and pan fry (medium/high heat) in a sauté pan until golden brown and crisp, approximately 4-5 minutes. Reserve warm.

Prepare the cabbage:

Cut cabbage in quarters, heat a non-stick heavy bottom pan and place cabbage cut side down to char (4-5 minutes) over medium/high heat, turning to evenly char all sides and add oil as needed. Once all pieces are ready add ½ cup water, cover and steam until cooked through. Add pork, dressing and herbs. Toss and serve.