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

Padrino's Cuban Cuisine

Being in Florida for a good 3 days and all we had to show for it was a chain restaurant and Disney grub - not exactly an impressive array of eats.  Hence, we needed to find something more representative of the local cuisine.  However, staying at a theme park for the whole day left a black hole of options for food.  So we ended up at Padrino's Cuban Cuisine, which served to be a quasi-interesting dinner in comparison our previous meals (and yes, you don't need to point out that this was yet another chain restaurant...).

We were greeted by a friendly woman who was very pleasant to deal with throughout our meal.  Arriving as a complimentary starter, the Fried Plantains were pretty good in our opinion.  They were super crunchy, not greasy and nicely salted.  The accompanying garlic dipping sauce further amped up the flavours.  For my first dish (yes, I got another), I had the Cubano which was quite acceptable considering the type of restaurant.  The bread was crunchy and not too heavy while there was an ample amount of ham, roasted pork and cheese.  Personally, I would've liked more pickles and mustard, but that could've been easily rectified.

For my second dish, I had the Pollo Asado served with rice, black beans and sweet plantains.  Although the chicken was roasted with a well-rendered and attractively hued skin, the meat itself was rather dry (including the thigh).  I did like the sweet plantains though as they were nicely caramelized.  Viv opted for the Lechon Asado with arroz moro and yucca.  As much as the shredded pork was pretty dry, it was really flavorful and benefited from the light kiss from the flattop.  The acidity and garlickiness from the citrus mojo brought the dry pork to life.  We also liked the yucca as it was garlicky and soft (in its sticky way).

Another reason we picked Padrino's was that they had a reasonably-priced kid's menu.  Our kids were not very adventurous and decided to go with the Grilled Cheese (grilled cheese & ham pictured).  By looking at the picture, if you thought a quasi-Cubano without the pork and pickles, you'd be right.  In the end, Padrino's did the job in a comfortable environment.

The Good:
- Comfortable
- Friendly service
- Decent portion sizes

The Bad:
- A bit pricey
- Proteins were a bit dry

Sol Food

When I first mentioned to Sal I wanted to try Sol Food out in San Rafael, she paused briefly. Since she lives in Fremont, it's not exactly a neighbourhood spot for her. I tried to be as courteous as possible by giving her an out. If she didn't want to head out there, we could've easily gone somewhere else. But I'll give it to her, she's a good sport because that's where we headed after Cheeseboard Pizza. However, the one concession I had to make was to BART it from the Dublin/Pleasanton station over to Castro Valley where she would pick me up. A small price to pay for many eats today! With GPS set and me at the wheel, we set off for San Rafael. Before we knew it, we were there. Apparently, it wasn't as far as we thought it would be. So before it even hit 11:00am, we were onto meal #3!

At the very least, this meal was going to be far and away the most unique of the bunch. Being a Puerto Rican restaurant, I was looking forward to trying their something a bit different. The Camarones Criollos caught my eye. It's a dish comprising of prawns sauteed in a tomato sauce with garlic and onions. It's served on white rice and comes with a spring salad, avocado quarter, Toston Con Mojo and Marduro. Despite what you see in the picture, the prawns are not terribly overcooked. Yes, they are cooked longer than what you'd find in Chinese cuisine; but they were still very good. To me, the texture resembled that of cooked lobster. The tomato sauce itself was not overwhelming with just enough garlic and onion flavour; thus I could still taste the sweet prawn. Although, I did add some hot sauce and it made it all the more better.

I'm not the biggest fan of Tostones Con Mojo (fried green plantain smashed and fried again) since I find it dry and flavourless, so I'm a bit biased. This one was pretty much consistent with the ones I've had before. Again, with a bit of hot sauce, it made it better. However, I did like the Marduro (fried sweet yellow plantain) since it resembled a fried banana. Sal had the Mofongo, which is fried green plantain mashed up with olive oil and garlic. Naturally, I wasn't a big fan of it; but Sal seemed to enjoy it. It was a bit sweet and quite dense, she could only eat one half.

Overall, a pretty satisfying meal which is a bit out of the ordinary. I thought the prices were quite reasonable for the amount of food we got. There are not a lot of places to eat here. In fact, there are only 3 real tables outside. 2 of which are on the sidewalk. Most of it is bar seating. You might want to take it to go. So was it worth the drive out here? We thought it was since the food was pretty good, the ambiance was sorta neat and we had a good time walking around looking at all the shops in the neighbourhood.

The Good:
- Nice selection of dishes
- Good portions
- Authentic

The Bad:
- Not a lot of seating