I've learnt alot through my food escapades, somehow food isn't just a conversation starter, it introduces the flavours and charms of a country. No doubt, the authenticity of the taste of the food is questionable, my take on it has always been those in the home country are the most authentic. Cuban food...most if not all the friends that I've mentioned to looked at me blankly.
Wikipedia to the rescue!
Cuba is an island country of the Carribean and Havana's the capital.
Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish and African cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. A small, but noteworthy, Chinese influence can also be accounted for, mainly in the Havana area. Cuban cuisine has almost nothing in common with Mexican cuisine, closely resembles that of other Caribbean nations such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Panama in Central America.
Okay, one major misconception cleared up, it's not Mexican..I mistook Cuban food for Mexican even after eating it! =_+ Can't be helped seriously, since Fajitas are Tex-Mex food. Hence, conclusion is...Cuba Libre serves a combination of cuisines, not entirely Cuban. Mojitos are cuban though.
Western Cuban cuisine forms the basis of criollo cooking. Criollo or Creole, basically meaning from European peoples and styles, born or created in the new world.
A typical meal would consist of rice and beansalthough they are often served separately with the beans in a thick gravy of garlic, onion, green pepper, and spices, a main course (mainly pork or beef), some sort of vianda (this term encompasses several types of tubers such as yucas, potatoes etc) , a salad (usually simply composed of tomato, lettuce and avocado).
Meat, is usually served in light sauces. The most popular sauce, used to accompany not only roasted pork, but also the viandas, is Mojo or Mojito made with oil, garlic, onion, spices such as oregano and bitter orange/lime juice.
Western Cuba Cuisine
Although Western Cuba's cooking is technically criollo as well , its style can be separated from mainstream criollo, particularly in Havana.
Western cuisine also makes wider use of eggs, particularly omelettes (such as tortilla de papa) and fried eggs (huevos a la habanera, fried eggs served over white rice and fried plantains).
Table setting..
Now for the review on Cuba Libre. It's a joint that is easily missed along the stretch of eateries (The Steakhouse, Mama's Caribbean Bar...Coffee Club too!). A band plays but not sure when, we were somewhat disappointed when there wasn't one for the night. To begin with, the crowd on a weekday was dismal, we were the only large group for the night, all in there were at most 10 people on premises.
Their cheery helpful staff gave valuable suggestions.
Cubano Especial (1-for-1) on house pours and mojitos.
Lychee Mojito ($18)
I'm not a fan of mojitos because of the bad ones I tried previously which were too heavy on mint leaves and ended up tasting very "grassy". It was a toss up between Caipirinha and Mojito, since the latter's a signature of Cuba Libre..I didn't hesitate. Freshly peeled lychees, mint leaves, just the right dash of white rum, sugar, lime and carbonated water. It was served with a sugar cane stick which was perfect as a stirrer and chewing. :P I gave into the temptation of gnawing the sugar cane stick...pretty refreshing..! So that's how people of the olden times quenched their thirst, albeit the slightly unglam sight.
Champinonoes Con Ajo ($14)
Sauteed mushrooms with garlic
6 juicy mushrooms with 2 slices of crunchy garlic bread. I liked the tasty cream sauce.
Pollo Al Mojito ($18)
Mojito grilled chicken breast marintated with havana rum on a bed of saute potato with salsa
Succulent chicken breast with mango bits.
Bistec A Lo Pobre ($26)
Grilled Sirloin topped with egg, fries and served with brown garlic sauce, olive oil and havana rum
Served on a hotplate, it was sizzling hot and rendered the "Medium" sirloin more than well done. The beef was tough, wedges were delicious though after soaking in the sauce.
Suntanned Salmon ($20)
Panfried salmon bronzed with honey mango glaze, giant YUCA, vegetable and wilted greens and cuban wedges
I found this just alright, salmon cooked nicely on a bed of greens. What baffles me.."wilted greens"? Yuca tasted like sweet potato, a tough root vegetable that I mistook for pineapple.
Fajitas Combination ($30)
Grilled Chicken and Beef served with shredded and cheddar cheeses, guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce and hot tortilla skin
Arguably the best bet of the night. Tortilla skins were chewy. Chicken and Beef were equally delish, definitely fared better than the sirloin.
Main disappointment derived from their unavailable "desserts", I was eyeing their churros! This one meal ended with several misconceptions I had but overall a decent experience at Cuba Libre. Service is attentive. Will return for the mojitos! Now, if only there was the band playing...
Plenty of ongoing promotions too.
http://www.cubalibre.com.sg/
Cuba Libre
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