My university friend and I were wandering around Roncesvalles on a sunny Saturday and we decided to eat at La Cubana. Neither of us has ever eaten Cuban food before. La Cubana has a very 60s/70s diner atmosphere although it has limited seating. We ordered 6 appetizers and 1 dessert. At first we thought we would be half full from the appetizers but it turns out that those 6 appetizers were very filling. We had the cod croquetas ($6), conch frituras ($7), chorizo empanadas ($7), habanero glazed fried squid ($7), guava BBQ short rib ($8), tostones rellenos beef picadillo ($6) and the donuts ($5). I had wanted to try the Cuban coffee natilla which our waitress said was suppose to be like creme brulee however there’s always a next time.
The cod croquetas were good. Cod croquetas are small breadcrumbed fried rolls filled with cod and potatoes and garnished with green onions, a lime wedge and this sweet and slightly spicy sauce.
The conch frituras wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I thought it would be something made from conch rather than conch shaped fried dough. It was this appetizer that made my friend and I become stuffed.
The chorizo empanadas were good. Empanadas look like a mini pizza pocket or Chinese fried dumplings. Chorizo empanadas are baked and fried pastry shell turnovers stuffed with chorizo sausages that’s garnished with raisins, green onions and this sweet and spicy sauce.
The habanero glazed fried squid was really delicious. It’s garnished with a lime wedge and green onions. I thought it would be spicy because it’s suppose to be habanero glazed however it’s more sweet than spicy to me.
The guava BBQ short rib was scrumptious. The short ribs are braised in Coke and beef stock. It’s garnished with green onions, jalapeno peppers and cilantro. The plate is covered with guava barbecue sauce. If you don’t like jalapeno peppers, make sure you remove all traces of it before eating. I didn’t find the jalapeno peppers to be very spicy however my friend found them spicy enough.
The tostones rellenos beef picadillo was appetizing. It’s fried green plantain slices at the bottom piled with peppery, slow-cooked beef and golden raisins on top and garnished with jalapeno, green onions and crema sauce.
The donuts were really tasty. They remind me of a larger version of timbits. It’s covered with icing sugar and it tastes very cinnamon-y.
Next time I’m near High Park or Roncesville and craving Cuban food I’d eat here.
Travelling Foodtographer 