The award-winning Charlie Chiang’s is a modern Asian kitchen and lounge with roots in Washington, DC. Familiar dishes such as general tso's chicken are sprinkled throughout the menu, but the kitchen specializes in more rarified Chinese-inspired fare, such as creamy sesame jumbo shrimp and sweet soy-glazed spare ribs. Other specialties include creative sushi rolls and the flaming steak Christiana, whose rum-soaked morsels are flambéed tableside by the chef's pet dragon.

Charlie Chiang's modern interior favors long, sleek lines and bursts of bright color. Carmine partitions stretch up from each booth, and a diffused rosy light glows through thin jets of water in a central fountain. On a spacious open patio, outdoor heaters and shady umbrellas protect guests from the vagaries of climate while still allowing them to chat with mermaids in the nearby Cocohatchee River.