Havana Alma De Cuba in New York, NY

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Cuban food has its charm, but not at Havana Alma de Cuba! We went there on a Saturday night and it has been a while I have been disappointed by a restaurant. I am not talking about one dish that I did not like, but several. So sad. It started well: we passed in front of this restaurant several times and it seemed to be busy.

The decor is very nice, modern with some paintings representing Havana: the old cars, La bodeguita del Medio, the famous club where Hemingway or Gabriel Garcia Marquez use to go (you can enjoy this club in many countries now; in the US, it is located in Palo Alto).

We just wanted to share some plates and picked few dishes from the menu that features Cuban, Latin and Spanish specialties. The first dish was the beef empanadas:

It was served with cachucha (small pepper) salsa. The empanadas were good, the filling being moist and very tasty and the shell delightfully crispy. I just wished there was more salsa with it.

The second appetizer was the maduros:

They were just ok, missing some crispiness.

Then, I got myself the calamares Tamarindo or fried calamari with cherry tomatoes, sweet plantains and tamarind sauce. 

I guess this is where it started to go down...The sauce was way too sweet and I could not eat it. Jodi was surprised because it is the first time I do not finish fried calamari. It is too bad because they were not rubbery and seemed crispy (they were drenched in this sweet sauce).

I thought it get be better with the Albondigas, meatballs with manchego cheese and tomato and oyster fricassee.

Que nenni: it was terrible. The meatballs had a weird taste and I did not like the texture.

But the worse was the montadito de chorizo:

It was Spanish chorizo that is sautéed with jalapeño and caramelized onions, served on a toasted baguette. When it came, there was like a smell that did not make it appetizing. In fact, even the presentation was not appetizing too. Well, I did not like it, the chorizo being lost in the sauce that did not taste good for me.

We were so disappointed that we did not even try desserts there. Havana Alma de Cuba was disappointing: the food was subpar and somewhat expensive compared to alternative like La Caridad in New York or La Isla in Hoboken. Would I go back? Hell no!

Enjoy (the post)!



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My nephew culinary visit: day 6: Cuban cuisine at La Isla in Hoboken, NJ

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La Isla is a great Cuban restaurant in Hoboken: cheap with great cuisine. So we were thrilled to bring Valentin to that place for what would be another discovery.

We sat at a table, more convenient than the bar to share dishes when more than two people. The service was very quick and we got some very good comforting food.

We started off with beef empanadas, a must have.

The crust is flaky and a bit crispy, and the inside, made with beef and some tomatoes, moist and slightly salty.

We also had maduros, that are fried plantains:

Tostones (smashed plantains twice fried):

Black beans:

And yellow rice with pigeon peas:

The portions were enough for the three of us. I love to eat all the dishes together, sometimes eating some empanada with rice and beans or maduros with beans, using tostones like I would a piece of bread.

The food was, as usual, delicious! La Isla is really a great Cuban restaurant if you are in Hoboken.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Zafra's in Hoboken, NJ

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The last time I went to Zafra's was in March this year. We went there few times before, but that time, it was to drink their hot chocolate with machica that was ranked number 15 of the best hot chocolate in the US! We tried it and it was delicious, however, we were out of luck because their fryer was not working and they could not prepare some of the dishes we wanted to order. 

So we decided to go back for a Sunday brunch! The place was crowded: normal, considering it is a very popular restaurant in Hoboken!

I love this colorful tiny place, that serves some delicious Cuban and Latin food crafted by Chef Maricel Presilla!

Of course, we started off with the hot chocolate:

It was fantastic! Not too sweet, it had this fantastic flavor that emanated from the cinnamon.

Then, we decided to start with arepitas con queso, small arepas with cheese:

We got three of them, served with creme fraiche and salsa. It was very good: I love the taste and texture of the corn flower. The cheese was probably queso blanco. It was a great, inexpensive appetizer, perfect for sharing.

Then, Jodi ordered the Carimañolas con Huevos or Yuca Cheese Croquettes with two fried eggs:

It was served with pressed buttered Cuban bread that was delicious. It was an ok dish: the croquettes were a bit dough-y.

On my side, I ordered the Tortilla de Huevos y Maduros  or egg and ripe plantain omelet:

It was served with the same Cuban bread. I liked it, but would have liked a bit of cheese or cream to jazz up the dish a bit. However, the omelet was perfectly made.

We were hesitating to get dessert, when they brought us their tres leches, complimentary, because we accepted to switch tables to accommodate a large party.

It was a nice gesture that we could not refuse! And trust me: we would have been crazy to refuse! It was delicious!

It had this thick layer of meringue on top that was flambéed, and then, in the bottom, was the sponge cake that was drowned in the milk mix. This was fantastic: tasty and not sweet at all! Needless to say we finished it!

I will definitely go back there to try some other dishes. If you do go to Zafra's, I suggest the hot chocolate and the tres leches cake!

Enjoy (I did)!    

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Brunch at Zafra's in Hoboken, NJ

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We went to Zafra few years ago for lunch and then dinner and decided to go back after we saw an article about the 15 best hot chocolate in the US where Zafra was nominated #15. So, we decided to complete out experience with brunch! 

Zafra is the creation of Cuban-born business partners and friends Maricel E. Presilla and Clara Chaumont and has been opened more than a decade ago in Hoboken. The place is small, with only 22 seats. We decided to go early so we would not have to wait as, previously, we saw people waiting outside. The place was still empty, but started to get packed at about 12:30pm. 

We, of course, ordered the hot chocolate and picked some dishes. Unfortunately, when ordering, they told us that their fryer died and they could not serve anything that was cooked in it! In fact, half of the menu was unavailable. I prefer when they tell us in advance, so I am not disappointed because I pick dishes that are not available. What was surprising though is that they did not even serve plantains because of the fryer! Don't they know that you can fry food in a regular pan???  After few minutes, we finally found some dishes they were able to make...

First came the hot chocolate. 

It looked like a regular hot chocolate, but with a nice cream on top. Based on the consistency and taste, it was probably made with milk and not water. The hot chocolate (from Venezuela) is in fact thickened with machica, a blend made of toasted barley, brown sugar and cinnamon. This was delicious! The hot chocolate was not really thick, surprisingly not sweet and you could definitely taste the cinnamon. I think that without the machica, it would have been an average drink, but thankfully, this blend of grains enhances the flavors and it makes it a wonderful drink. In fact, making machica is not difficult:

• 1/2 cup of ground toasted whole barley
• 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon 

1. Mix all the three ingredients in a bowl.
2. It can then be added to a hot cocoa!

Then came our appetizer. We chose Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Frijol Refrito y Tres Quesos

(Piquillo Peppers from Navarre Filled with Refried Beans and Three Spanish Cheeses, Savory Sauce)

It was delicious! I loved the fact that part of the cheese was slightly burnt, giving a bit of texture and adding the great taste of burnt cheese to the dish. The peppers had a very little kick, and I wish that there was a bit more refried beans. But overall, a nice and light appetizer.

Then, Jodi picked the Cuban version of French toast, made with pressed bread. 

It was served with almonds, walnuts, raisins, banana and mango. It was a disappointing dish! First of all, the mango was not ripe and I am surprised that they put it on the plate as, when cutting it, they must have seen it was no good. Then, the taste of the bread gave the impression is was dipped in water rather than in a batter; fortunately, there was the maple syrup to give a bit of taste. 

On my side, I got Dos Huevos a su Gusto con Chorizo o Jamón, Llapingachos de Papa y Queso y Tostadas

Two Eggs any Style (I chose over easy) with Chorizo or Ham (I picked chorizo), Pan-Fried Ecuadorian Potato and Cheese Patties (it says patties on the menu, but there was only one!), Pressed Cuban Toast.

The dish was good, although I would not go back there just for it. The chorizo was fried, enhancing the saltiness of it; the eggs were perfect, and I dipped the very good pressed bread in the runny yolk. The potato and cheese patty was good but nothing extraordinary, lacking a bit of cheese.

For dessert, we wanted to have the Tres Leches cake but they told us that they did not have it. Do they make it in the fryer too??? So we ended up with the Venezuelan crepes filled with dulce de leche.

The crepes came cold and I truly think that this is because they sat there before being brought to our table. The crepe itself was thick, but good. However, there was too much dulce de leche.

So this brunch was not memorable. The kitchen and the service seemed overwhelmed and the fryer situation did not help. I would not have gone to this restaurant before, I would have thought that it was overrated. I will probably have to go back at some point to try the dishes I really wanted; Hopefully the fryer will work!!!

Enjoy (I barely did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Brunch at The Cuban in Hoboken, NJ

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After this exquisite dinner we had at The Cuban in Hoboken few months ago (see review by clicking here), we decided to go back, but this time for brunch! Especially since we saw that they serve a tres leches French Toast! Yes, you read well: tres leches French Toast!

So we started with the Tortilla de papa y chorizo.

It is a fluffy omelet with potatoes, chorizo, onion, manchego cheese and tomato  escabeche (escabeche means a dish marinated in an acidic mixture such as vinegar or lemon). That was some omelet! First, the portion was of a good size. Then, it tasted great! The eggs were beautifully cooked: overcooked, eggs can be dry. These were very moist. They cut all the ingredients in it in small pieces, so you could get a bit of everything at each bite.

Then came the torrejas.

The way they make it is that they crust the bread with almonds and corn flakes. In the bottom, they put some tres leches as the photo below shows:

What was great is that the tres leches was not too sweet at all. Otherwise it would have been horrible with the maple syrup!

So, both dishes were fantastic and we ended up paying $23! I will definitely go back there and encourage you to try!

Enjoy (I sure did)!

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The Cuban restaurant in Hoboken, NJ

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Few weeks ago, I went to The Cuban in Hoboken, NJ. I did not know what to expect as there are already several Cuban restaurants over there. Where La Isla seems to be the authentic cheap establishment, The Cuban seems to be more upscale and offers a contemporary twist to Cuban specialties.

 We decided to go, but not on a week end as this type of restaurant, that is also a lounge, can be packed and noisy: not the best for a romantic diner. They sat us next to the bar, on a high table made of dark wook. Jodi sat on the comfortable leather banquette while I faced her on a high chair (yes guys: leave the choice of the seat to the Lady!). 

The menu provides all sorts of dishes that can satisfy any palate: salads, meat, fish...Appetizers go from $6 to $12, while entrees go from $18 to $26.

At first, they brought us some bread.

As you can see on the photo, it was in a cigar box! The bread was a cheese bread, very light and fluffy that reminded me of a French delicacy called Gougere. It was delicious and I truly appreciated the fact that they were ready to bring us more, without us asking (he he!).

We started the diner with the cheese plate.

I know: this is not very Cuban, but we love cheese! It was in fact some artisan Spanish cheeses such as manchego and blue. They served it with some meat and a delicious lavender honey (Tip: if you do not like strong cheeses, you can counteract the taste with honey, butter or jam).

At the same time, we got the Aguacate Y Tomate salad.

It was composed of avocado, tomatoes, pickled onions, drizzled with sherry oregano vinaigrette. The dressing was perfect and the salad was very fresh. I loved the acidity that the pickled onions added to the dish!

The last appetizer we tried was the empanada.

They propose three types: chicken, beef (ropa vieja) and vegetarian. We went full on vegetarian. It was made of fire roasted vegetables, goat cheese, tomato escabeche. I loved it! the shell was slightly greasy, but the ingredients worked perfectly together, especially the goat cheese and the tomato escabeche.

Then came the entree: it was the Arroz Imperial.

It is a boneless chicken, served with tomato manchego rice, peas, olives, drizzled with aioli (garlic mayonnaise). The chicken was excellent: perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The rice was good too but a bit dry. There was some chicken in it! Eaten with the aioli and the grilled cheese on top, it was succulent.

The last and best part of the meal was dessert...We ordered the traditional Tres Leches.

It was perfect and gooey!

I guess after reading this, you understand that we had a fantastic dinner! It is a great place and there are plenty of dishes on the menu that I would like to try. So I guess I have no other choice than go back...What a sacrifice!  This is a great addition to the Hoboken restaurant scene.

Enjoy (I did)!

 

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