Mexicuban

In the past, if we stumbled upon a restaurant that meshed 2 different cuisines, we would run far away.  Fast forward to the present and with the proliferation of successful fusion cuisine, it has become more commonplace.  Hey, some of the most viral and delicious dishes have been the result of chefs experimenting with different flavors, sauces and cooking techniques.  Hence, we visited Mexicuban out in Renton with a completely open mind.  Upon entering the place, we were greeted with a rustic, yet modern decor.  Loved the inviting bar and also the beautiful mural on a wall at the side of the restaurant.

To start things off, we had some drinks first (that really got us in a good mood!).  We had the Margarita Flight with Burnt Orange, Mango Habanero, Mexican Mule and Coconut.  This was super refreshing with the mango being my favourite.  The heat of the habanero was nicely tempered by the mango and sweet syrups.  Coconut was aromatic and a bit creamy.  Again nice use of syrups here.  Burnt orange was the most refreshing with balanced sweetness and of course the taste of tequila.  Mexican mule naturally had Moscow Mule vibes with ginger beer and mint.

So we also got the Mojito Flight consisting of 4 different concoctions.  The first was the Cubano with its classic fizzy lime and mint infused flavors.  Next one was the Mango with the same elements but adding in some fruitiness and tang.  Being a bit smoother and having aromatic vibes, the Coconut was very tropical.  Lastly, the Passionfruit was similar to the mango except with the unmistakable floral and tart notes.

Onto the food, we were served the Pineapple Shrimp Fluffy Tacos first.  These deep fried tortillas were indeed airy and light.  Nice crispy exterior giving way to a soft and warm interior.  This made it extremely easy to eat and had a good mouth feel.  I liked how they weren't greasy either.  As for the topping, the shrimp had a buttery snap with sweetness from the ripe pineapple.  The side of hot sauce was smoky, sweet and mildly spicy.  Really nice compliment to the mild shrimp and sweetness of the pineapple.

Sticking with pineapple, we had the Jalapeno Pork Belly Toasts.  These were delicious with a crunchy toast base topped by a slice of tender and buttery pork belly, roasted pineapple, grilled jalapeno, cilantro and chipotle BBQ sauce.  This had everything including contrasting textures in the toast and soft pork belly and then complimentary sweetness from the pineapple with the spice from the BBQ sauce.  Great little 2 or 3 biters to start the meal.

We didn't stop there with some small handhelds as we moved onto the smaller version of El Yucateco.  These little sliders consisted of soft rolls encasing slow cooked pork, chipotle aioli and peppers.  These were rather messy and dripping with braising liquid, just the way I like it!  That meat the meat was super moist and the bread was also soft.  Sure, that is not much in the way of textural contrast, but it had nice mouth feel and the natural meatiness of the pork came through.

Let's continue with things served on slate with the Street Corn.  This happens to be one of my most favourite things to eat in the whole wide world.  Yes, cobs of corn on a stick.  The version here was really good with charred corn that was smoky and caramelized.  It was sweet and had pops of extra sweetness from the niblets.  On the outside, they were generously coated with chipotle aioli, lime, tajin, cotija and cilantro.  Lots of creaminess to go with acidity and some spice.  Delicious.

Okay, moving off of slate tile plates, we went to an actual deep dish with the Croquetas con Mole.  These crunchy pinko-breaded balls were filled with deep fried plantain and mozzarella.  These were on the denser side due to the all the plantain crammed into them.  I felt these were a little like Mofongo where the fried plantains are mashed, except formed into balls and deep fried some more.  The star of the dish was the mole as it was rich and smoky.  It had earthy notes as well as sweetness, tanginess and slight bitterness.  It hit all the flavors and went great with the plantain.

We moved onto bigger dishes from here starting with Cuban favorite being the Ropa Vieja.  This featured tender shredded beef in a light tomato sauce with the sweetness of onions, tanginess of green olives and the spice of jalapenos.  It was served on fluffy yellow rice with a base of black bean puree.  This was a comforting and home-style dish that was hearty.  To make it even more robust, we found fried plantain and yuca al mojo on the side.

More often than not, when I have a salmon dish at a non-seafood restaurant, it will be overcooked.  However, this was not the case here with the Huatulco Salmon.  It was flaky and moist while topped with a mole.  This one was somewhat similar to the one in the Coqueta dish except a bit sweeter and less spice.  I felt that the salmon was able to stand up to the sauce and when combined with the poblano rice, it helped balance out the bold flavors.

The most out-of-left-field dish was the Lasagna Alteca.  This was comprised of corn tortillas layered with shredded chicken and mozzarella topped with Mexican crema, cilantro and red onions..  It sat in a poblano pepper sauce with charred corn.  So in spirit it was a lasagna, but it ate very differently.  I found it more similar to a taco bake, but more sophisticated and definitely not Tex-Mex.   The chicken was moist and the tortillas were tender.  The thing that made the dish was the charred corn and the poblano sauce.  It was sweet from the corn but had a tanginess to it.  Kept things bright and light despite the heaviness of the dish.

For our desserts, we were serve the Cajeta-Filled Churros with ice cream on the side.  These were crunchy with a soft interior and just sweet enough.  The other dish was the Gorditas Dulces, which is a traditional dessert from Veracruz.  They weren't very sweet and had a certain appealing chew.  On the outside, it was crispy and the slight drizzle of chocolate was all that it needed.  Overall, the food at Mexicuban was presented nicely and was equally tasty.  Loved that they had some fusion going on, but not so much it went too far.  Flavors were still familiar and so were the textures.  Nice spot to get some friends together since they have plenty of drinks and live music at certain times.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Nice spot that is great for both groups and families
- Lots of choice on the menu
- Generous portions

The Bad:
- I did enjoy the flavors, but some dishes could use just a touch more impact

Havana

I remember the first time I blogged about Havana out on Commercial Drive.  I remarked that, although their Cubano was tasty, it was not actually a Cubano.  Rather, it was a sandwich that resembled a burger which contained some of the ingredients of a Cubano.  As you can ascertain, authenticity was not a thing at old Havana.  I returned many years later and they had changed things up.  They added a theatre and their food was remarkably different.  Now, they have been taken over by the group that runs Postmark Brewing, Belgard Kitchen, and Vancouver Urban Winery.  We recently visited the place to see whether the change was a good one or not.

They now sport a more Latin tapas-themed menu and as such, we had to get the Patatas Bravas with garlic aioli and bravas sauce.  In terms of taste, this dish was on point with the smoky paprika really coming though while tempered by the creamy and aromatic aioli.  However, the cubes of fried potatoes were far too dense and firm.  They were underdone and not very crispy.  Fortunately, the next dish was remarkably better in the Avocado Tostones featuring twice-fried plantains, cotija cheese and pico de gallo. Although a touch soft from the wet ingredients on top, the plantains were mostly crispy and a bit nutty.  Ingredients were super fresh and light which meant this was a pleasant little bite.

Onto the possibly the best dish of the bunch was the Mussels Espana sporting 1lb of Salt Spring Island mussels, Two Rivers chorizo, cohiba sauce, white wine, tomato and grilled sourdough.  Beyond the buttery and extremely briny mussels, the broth was robust and zesty.  There was a nice spice that was balanced by an appealing tanginess.  Loved the chorizo as it not only added a meatiness, it was also aromatic.  We also got one of their flatbreads with the Porchetta.  There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with this dish as it featured a crispy crust with fairly nice leoparding.  It was nutty and chewy.  However, the combination of white cheddar, banana, mojo onions and cracklin was fairly flat.  There was no pop.  This could've used some form of spice or tang to bring it to life.

Okay, let's get the Cubano with porchetta, honey ham, swiss cheese, dill pickles and yellow mustard on a house Cuban bun.  Was it better than the original they had here?  Definitely.  This was pressed with a crunchy buttery exterior giving way to melty cheese and the saltiness of the ham and pickles.  Was it better than the ones I've had in Miami?  No, but this was pretty good for Vancity.  Couldn't say the same for the fries as they were just as dense as the patatas bravas.  Lastly, we got the Paella Negra with squid ink, prawns, mussels, chorizo, peas and sofrito.  Although lacking a rice crust, the paella was okay.  The texture of the rice was good being chewy.  It was fairly well-seasoned with some brininess.  Seafood was well-executed.  Overall, we thought the food at Havana was hit and miss.  A little more refinement is needed to bring the food up to the location and ambiance of the place.

The Good:
- Great patio
- Great location
- Good vibe

The Bad:
- Food is hit and miss

Tocador

Over the years, I've been fortunate to visit Miami on 3 separate occasions.  Loved the beaches, the nightlife and of course the food.  There is a definite Cuban flair to their food scene and of course I haven't shied away from it!  So when it came time to find a Cubano back in Vancity, the closest I've come to the real thing is watching Chef on Blu-Ray.  Yes, I've had the one at Havana (they've changed hands recently, so this might not be up-to-date) and it was laughable (they served it on a hamburger bun!).  So when Tocador opened up in the former Charlies (and Habit before that), I rounded up the softball team to check it out.

Since it was a Monday, it was happy hour all day with discounted appies and $5.00 draught beers.  Score!  We shared the the appie specials including the Croquetas con Cerdo featuring spiced pork, corn, peas and potatoes for $8.00 (normally $14.00).  These were really good served piping hot and crispy on the outside.  They weren't greasy at all.  On the inside, the soft and airy potato filling was flavourful but somewhat one note.  Also on special was the Plantain Chips served with house-made guacamole.  These were also good being crunchy and none-too-oily.  They were lightly salted and the side of guacamole was fresh and vibrant.  However, I would've preferred something with more punch like a mojo.

Miss Y got some happy hour Oysters for half-price (which meant she could get double-portion).  These were shucked properly without shell fragments and were nicely briny.  I ended up sharing a Cubano and the Pollo Confidencial with Bear since we both couldn't decide on one dish.  Consisting of the usual ingredients (the Miami version), it included smoked ham, lechon asado, dill pickle Swiss cheese and mustard on a house-made Cuban roll.  It was pressed to order and the result was pretty good.  The bread was crunchy while not dense.  Inside, there was enough filling for impact where the salty, cheesy and tangy notes came through.  For those expecting something mind-blowing in terms of spice, you won't find it.  That's not a Cubano, nor is it Cuban cooking in general (although the Cubano originates in the state of Florida).  The Tampa version would be more of your fancy since they use Italian salami.

For our second dish, the Pollo Confidencial didn't look like much when it hit the table.  I didn't properly read the description because I thought it was braised chicken.  That it was, braised in citrus and spices (such as oregano, cumin etc...), then breaded and fried.  So what we had was fried chicken.  But oh wow was it good fried chicken.  The breading was crunchy and wasn't as heavy as it appeared to be.  Underneath, the meat was succulent and super tender.  As for the braising liquid have much impact on the chicken, well it was rather mild.  However, the accompanying gravy was potent and full of depth.  Hence the chicken was amped up once dipped into it.  On the side, there was a carrot and jicama slaw.

JR went for the Filete en Rodajas which was a mojo-marinated skirt steak prepared medium-rare and served with chimichurri, arugula salad and tomato relish.  This was also quite good with well-prepared steak that was tender and moist.   It had been marinated enough that we could get mild notes from the mojo.  Again, Cuban food isn't known for being in-your-face flavours, so this was actually fine. The chimichurri was decently flavourful being garlicky and bright.  For dessert, we go a couple orders of their Churros served with spiced Cuban chocolate.  Unlike the ones you find at the PNE or any other fair and theme park, these were soft and less crunchy.  They were almost eggy-like.  Personally, I would've liked more crunch, but they were good nonetheless.  The chocolate dip was lightly bitter and not overly sweet.  Hey, the stuff we had at Tocador gave us a reason to go back and especially on Monday since the deals make it easy on our wallets.

The Good:
- Lively vibe
- Decent eats
- Open late

The Bad:
- Plantain chips were kinda cold, would've been nice if they were warm

Havana

Ever since our recent trip to Miami (been there a few times before though), it got me thinking about the lack of Cuban food in these parts.  Wait, is there technically only one place where we can get "Cuban" food in the GVRD?  Yes, that place is Havana located on the Drive.  Much like ICBC, they have the market cornered and other than hopping on a plane heading Southeast for 6 hours, there is no other option.  So nearly 7 years from my last foray, we decided to hit up Havana after play softball at nearby Strathcona Park.

As the food came out pretty much all at the same time, we had to do our version of Tetris to fit everything onto the table.  I attacked the Tostones with chipotle mayo first.  These were quite good as they were crispy and sliced just thin enough.  They were of a good size with very few broken pieces. Surprisingly, they were comparable to the ones I've had in Miami.  Next, I sampled the Tostados with house made mesa sauce, feta cheese and chorizo sausage.  Light, crunchy and not overloaded with toppings (would make it wet and soggy otherwise), we didn't mind this dish.  The mildly spiced mesa sauce was amped by the chorizo.

Onto Bear's favourite, we had the Fresh Baked Corn Bread with smoked chili butter.  This was also quite the pleasant surprise as it was toasty on all surfaces due to the light sear on the grill.  By no means was it dry though as there was a certain moistness to the inside.  I thought the butter was nicely understated in its smokiness that it didn't overwhelm the sweet corn taste.  We weren't overly impressed with the Albacore Tuna Crudo with garlic, lemon and jalepeno with crispy tortilla chips though.  Not sure if the artistic plating really worked as there was too much blank space on the plate.  Moving past that, the actual crudo was chunky and rather lifeless.  The promise of garlic, lemon and jalapeno did not come to fruition.

Onto some bigger items, we had the Paella with West Coast mussels, prawns, house made chorizo sausage, peppers, onions, tomatoes, saffron, rice, coconut milk and Pernod. Okay, let's get this out of the way first - as you can clearly see, this was not really a "Paella".  Hence, there was no rice crust and furthermore, the dish resembled more of a risotto (due to the creaminess) than a paella.  Flavourwise, the dish was the beneficiary of garlic, spice and a understated richness.  Deceptively filling, the Ropa Veija (Braised Beef on Cuban rice) was meaty and sufficiently moist.  The flavours were understated with hits of green and red peppers throughout.

Despite the absence of a Cuban sandwich on the menu, we went for the next best thing in the Media Noche with spicy BBQ sauce.  Consisting of roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, house made spicy BBQ sauce, chipotle mayo and pickles, this was a decent sandwich.  There was a good amount of tender pork that was spiked with a lingering spicy BBQ sauce.  What was most memorable about the dish was actually the side of Parmesan Fries.  These were crispy, light and full of salty, cheesy flavour.  One of our favourite items was the Fried Chicken featuring a crispy chicken breast, sour cream & onion mash, coconut gravy, asparagus and corn.  Considering that the chicken was white meat, they did a great job in keeping it moist.  The coconut gravy was aromatic and rich while the veggies were crunchy and sweet.

For dessert, we shared the Caramel Bread Pudding with praline ice cream.  Sadly, this was dud as the pudding was far too dry and lacking in caramel sauce.  It wasn't overly sweet as a result, but the texture was not appealing.  Really, this was an unfortunate ending to a relatively enjoyable meal.  Sure, it ain't real Cuban food, but taken for what it is, there were not many other complaints other than the dessert.

The Good:
- Generally well-executed food
- Nice vibe
- We got attentive service

The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- Not true Cuban food, if you haven't noticed

Isla Canarias

There I was.  Sitting there in our hotel room in the dark looking for a place to eat.  It was nearly 10:00pm and the kids were asleep. Normally, that would mean pizza delivery or a quick run to McD's.  But with the grandparents in the same 2-bedroom suite, it meant Viv and I could escape for some real food.  Since we were in Miami, it meant that Cuban was a good bet.  I briefly considered some smaller joints in Hialeah, but not really knowing the area, we took the safe route and headed over to Isla Canarias.

Since they were out of beef, we ended up with 2 ham & cheese and 2 chicken Empanadas.  Although on the greasier side, we found the pastry to be really crispy and flaky.  It was the right thickness where it wasn't heavy or overbearing to eat.  As for the fillings, the chicken was our favorite since it was moist and flavorful from the jalapenos and onions.  The ham & cheese was too salty for our liking.  I'm pretty sure that the flavor profile was pretty much so, but it was just not our personal favorite.


We got the single portion of Shrimp & Chicken Paella which was a decent size and in a deep shade of yellow thanks to the Bijol powder.  Hence, the flavour profile was definitely different from the traditional Spanish version (which uses saffron).  That is not to say it wasn't good though.  The plethora of onions and peppers afforded a certain sweetness and savoriness.  The rice was not overcooked while the chicken was sufficiently tender and the shrimp had a sweet snap.  Lastly, we shared the Sampler Criollo consisting of roast pork, shredded flank steak Creole style, croquette, rice, black beans, yuca and plantains.  If I had to compare, the roast pork was way better than that of the one I had at Padrinos.  It was moist and I could really taste the pork.  Although the flank steak was stringy and chewy, the flavours from the peppers and stewed tomatoes were intense and rich.  The croquettes were not that hot nor that crispy while the yuca was a little firm.  The same could be said about the plantains.  In the end, we found the food to be decent here and it helped quell the late night munchies.

The Good:
- Big menu
- Decent service
- Good portions

The Bad:
- Super cramped seating in the middle
- A little salty

Versailles Restaurant

After picking my parents up at the Ft. Lauderdale airport while heading down from Orlando to Miami, it was painfully clear that we needed food badly.  Personally, I would've liked to hit up a Cuban market in Little Havana for some authentic Cubanos, but with a mini-van (I only rent, will never buy) full of kids and grandparents, we ended up at Versailles Restaurant instead.  Yes, it's touristy and yes, it probably isn't the best Cuban food in Miami (despite its claims as the most famous Cuban restaurant), but it was a safe destination in terms of parking and food selection.

With respect to my aforementioned criteria, their large overflow parking lot came in handy and the wide array of dishes meant there was something for everyone. We were started off with a basket of Garlic Bread which was actually quite good.  It was lightly toasted and airy with a good amount of garlic butter.  We ordered some Mariquitas to start and after we'd finished them, it donned on us they forgot the mojo.  Personally, I prefer my chips made from riper plantains (like the ones from Padrino's).  These were thinly-sliced and more crispy than crunchy.  Furthermore, they were not salted enough (or not at all).  But I guess that was what the mojo was for...  which we didn't have.  Next up was the Cubano, which could've been toasted a bit more in my opinion.  Not to say it wasn't good though as the bread was crisp and airy.  There was a good amount of melted Swiss with flavorful roast pork, however, we found the ham rather salty.

Onto the mains, I had the Roast Beef Tongue in a light Espagnole sauce with arroz moros and sweet plantains.  I found the tongue to be nicely tender with lots of flavor from the fat.  The sauce added plenty of meaty flavor, but was a bit heavy on the salt.  The same could be said about the rice as it was a bit too flavorful.  I did like the just cooked texture though.  Viv decided to try the Oxtail Stew braised with spices and red wine accompanied by white rice and sweet plantains.  Naturally, the smaller pieces were more moist and gelatinous than the bigger ones.  Yet, most of the meat was fork-tender.  Once again, there was plenty of depth from the fat and sauce.  And yup, it was pretty salty, especially with the addition of olives.

My mom predictably had the Braised Lamb Shank Jardiniere with oven-roasted vegetables, rosemary and red wine. It also came with white rice and sweet plantains.  As illustrated in the picture, this was a huge portion consisting of 2 large lamb shanks. Other than a few chewy exterior parts, most of the lamb was tender and gelatinous.  We could detect a faint red wine essence and plenty of sweetness.  My dad had the only non-red meat dish being the Fish Filet with Shrimp in Creole Sauce (also served with white rice and sweet plantains).  We found the both the fish and shrimp to be cooked beautifully.  The fish was flaky while the shrimp had a meaty snap.  The sauce exhibited sweet and tart notes as well as the dreaded saltiness.  To be fair, when combined with the plain rice (as it should be), it wasn't too bad.

My son didn't want to participate in the Cuban food, so he went for his standby being the Grilled Cheese. Hey guess what?  It was a grilled cheese made with processed cheese.  Not gonna talk about it anymore...  As for the Cuban food, it was pretty good with well-prepared proteins and ample portions.  One thing that struck us like a Ryan Dempster fastball at A-Rod was the indifferent service.  It wasn't bad per se, but it was colder than the air conditioning.

The Good:
- Ample portions
- Well-prepared proteins
- Lots of choice and parking

The Bad:
- Frigid (but okay) service
- A bit too much salt