Thursday, August 30, 2012



Orlando, FL - Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar; I was surprised when the food was really good here that the place was empty. We did get there early for dinner, but I expected the place to be packed and it wasn't. The inside is very large and wide open, lots of space. It has some interesting decor with a Latin flare. It is trying to represent an outdoor cafe or alley seating style.

Guacamole is a staple at any Cuban restaurant right? Well then, lets start there. Their Guacamole Cubano is made with avocado, pineapple, lime juice and olive oil, served with plantain chips. The guac is very nice smooth and creamy, but still had some chunkiness from the remaining avocado and pineapple. The element in this appetizer that makes it a step above other restaurants are the plantain chips. They really are better than just getting standard tortilla or even house-made chips. The plantain adds the extra component of crunch and flavor.

We then tried the Frituras de Malanga, purple taro root, garlic and culantro fritters with a tamarindo ketchup. The fritters where nice and crispy on the outside while maintaining their softer consistency on the inside. The sauce has a nice tangy flavor to compliment the fritter.

The entree arrived, the Ropa Vieja, shredded beef brisket, stewed with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, red wine and served with maduros (fried plantains) and steamed white rice. The shredded beef was very tender and cooked well with the broth and vegetables. I was able to taste the flavor of the vegetables that were slowly cooked into the broth. I wanted to finish with the plantains and end with that flavor, since they were so good. The dish just needed some more texture, which is a very small criticism giving the good flavor of the dish, which I enjoyed. Since the beef was soft and tender, the plantains were soft, etc...However, the price of the dish isn't truly representative of what you get, it's slightly over priced but I expected that given the touristy location.

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