6/5/2023 0 Comments Old havana foodsHow an establishment deals with that can make or break a dining experience for me. Not every meal can be perfect, mistakes happen and sometimes, as diners, we need to send something back to the kitchen. This Gypsy’s rule of thumb: Never, ever eat something that smells bad – unless it’s cheese. It only takes one bite of anything “off” to ruin a holiday. How the kitchen could miss it, I have no idea. “Oh yeah, I can smell that.” Nothing worse than rank meat. “Do you smell that?” he said holding up the plate. “Don’t eat that…” my companion, Texas, put down his fork. This plate looked gorgeous – colorful and comforting – but as soon as it hit the table my nose went into overdrive. Yellow Cuban rice, flavored with achiote or annatto oil to give it that yellow colour and slight peppery flavour. In Cuban cooking mojo is any sauce made with garlic, olive oil and a citrus juice, traditionally sour orange juice. The Cuban Pork Stew, black beans and yellow rice and a traditional pork dish in mojo. Low and behold, a whole different menu appears, one that does not include pizza or hamburgers. “What would you recommend for a traditional Cuban meal?” When looking for something traditional, the true flavour of a place, a country, a city, sometimes all you have to do is ask. Many restaurants are owned by the government and those that are privately owned are governed by extraordinarily strict rules that include not serving shrimp or lobster. Embargo’s, restrictions and shortages dictate availability and to thrive, Cubans adapt. Perhaps more than any other food in the world, Cuban food has been shaped by politics. Ways you know you’re not in Kansas Dorothy. That’s just not something you see every day on the way to the ladies room, a peacock or a rooster. Personally I’m a big fan of any restaurant that houses chickens and peacocks, as pets. Perhaps this is a testament to the fact that it serves 24 hours a day. The open breeze and the colourful scenery of the square makes it an enjoyable spot of lunch or in our case, dinner. In the heart of Old Havana, off Plaza de Armas, lined with book sellers and merchants, is a large awning covered outdoor restaurant lined with potted flowers and ferns – Cafe La Mina.
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