Hot and Soul

Christy Samoy and Mike Hampton's first restaurant, Hot and Soul on Oakland Park Boulevard, has been a long time coming. The pair have dreamed of opening their own place since attending culinary school together in New Orleans. Life took them to Boston and San Diego, but in the end, they came to South Florida. At their pocket-sized restaurant, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart plays on television and local artists' work hangs on the walls. Samoy and Hampton serve what they call a Best Of menu. There's chicken adobo, a classic Filipino dish that comes from Samoy, a full-blooded Filipino who grew up in Central Florida. From their days in New Orleans comes Gumbo Yumbo, a spicy, filling stew with plenty of andouille sausage and salty ham hock. Most dishes are available in half portions, allowing diners to taste large parts of the menu in one sitting. Hot and Soul is worth a visit and thanks. Had Mike Hampton not stumbled in local beer bar Laser Wolf and found a place where he felt like home, they might have taken their grand plan elsewhere.