Asia de Cuba's Daring Pairings: Ritmos Cubanos (Cuban Rhythms)

This review originally appeared on The Gotham Palate. (More pictures there, too.)

On a recent trip to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, I became accustomed to dining al fresco at one of the local eateries down the street, where brisk bachatas blared through giant speakers. Local bands strummed a tune two feet away while I feasted on oxtail stew and plantains - a smooth Presidente beer in hand. A supreme feeling of leisurely bliss washed over me.

That's the same state of mind I was in when I dined at Asia de Cuba for New York Restaurant Week. Except, this was not the Dominican Republic - it was Murray Hill, Manhattan. And instead of bachata, my audio senses were under the influence of the slow, romantic intonations of the chachacha, layered over rich, husky vocals, now swerving into a fierce rumba beat, followed by a bongo-laden mambo.

If suspension of reality is the goal, Asia de Cuba scores a win with its draped cream-colored curtained entrance, soft orange lighting and upbeat Cuban music. Plush white seating is a nod to the recurring lounge theme that pervades the restaurant. Dim lights create a relaxed mood for stressed out urbanites to clink glasses and enjoy some feisty fusion food. One long communal table in the center is flanked by high bar stools covered with ethnic patterns, each cut from a different cloth. Our waiter, James, a dapper-dressed 20-something in a starched white button-up and spiffy black vest, greeted us effusively.

Asia de Cuba believes that sharing is caring. As a party of four, we got to choose 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts. First up were the appetizers. The Tunapica was, in essence, a Tuna tartare picadillo style with Spanish olives, black currants, almonds, coconut, soy-lime vinaigrette and wonton crisps. This was a very daring and complex dish. The sweet-n-tart flavors really complented one another well.

Calamari salad.

The Calamari Salad included crispy calamari with chayote, hearts of palm, bananas, cashews, chicory and radicchio, topped with sesame orange dressing. The calamari was soft and had a distinct 'Asian' flavor.

Stella Artois & Caipirinha.

The exhaustive spirits menu made it hard to decide on a drink, but I settled on the Caipirinha ($15), since I was in a Latin kind of mood. It went down strong, and I could have done withou the lemons (I prefer limes) but I approve of the long sugar cane, which provided a delicate touch. My friend had a Belgium Stella Artois ($8), one of the few beers he will drink.

Entrees came next. The Cuban BBQ Chicken wowed me with its savory combination of Thai coconut sticky rice, avocado fruit salsa and tamarind sauce. The fine-grained sticky rice arrived steaming in a piping hot thickness. We all scooped up seconds (and thirds) of the avocado fruit salsa, which was mashed together like guacamole.

Honey-Rhum Glazed Pot Roast of Pork.

The Honey-Rhum Glazed Pot Roast of Pork was served with sauteed Shanghai bok choy, fried plantains and enoki mushrooms. I love mushrooms of any kind, so the enoki was a pleasant, crunchy addition. The vegetables hungrily soaked up the sauce, which tasted slightly like turkey stock but somehow worked. The pork was truly an explosion of flavor (akin to Fourth of July fireworks, for the mouth) but came off a tad too strong.

Cuban Opera.

As the saying goes, 'There's always room for dessert.' The Cuban Opera tantalized with its Devil's food cake base, kahlua, milk chocolate and coffee mousse. It came with a scoop of caramel-coffee ice cream flecked with small toffee bits. The rich chocolate was a decadent treat but tasted best in combination with the ice cream.

Coconut Invasion.

The Coconut Invasion looked just that: Tri-layered coconut cake with shredded coconut on top (the epitome of the word 'coconut'), creamy coconut ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. We failed at finishing this one and I ended up taking it home where I found it promptly missing (i.e. devoured) the next day by my sister, who harbors a not-so-secret sweet tooth.

Asia de Cuba has expanded its Restaurant Week menu until Labor Day (including Saturdays) - proof that the fine dining industry isn't doing so well mid-recession. However, this bodes well for those who can't dish the dough and/or enjoy having their inner culinary aficionado sated, as the prices are momentarily slashed. Take advantage of the price fixe menu, generous portions and zesty melange of flavors that fuses the best of East and West.

Final Remarks/Outtakes:
Ube had a stuffed look on her face. She totally zoned out at the end.
D-man was satisfied, as usual, but I discovered that night that even he has his limits. This is the guy whom we affectionately dub 'the human vacuum' with his seemingly bottomless pit of a stomach, but even he was having difficulty finishing off dessert. Which goes to show you that the portions are more than generous.
G: I'm not eating for the rest of the week. I need to get rid of some fat.
S (me): I...can't [eat anymore]. (rubs stomach)

Rating: 4.5 stars. The portions were twice the amount any normal human being should consume in one meal. However, we were all able to sample an assortment of dishes, which was quite appealing. The $35 dinner price fixe turned into $60ish for me (including tax & tip). My drink was kind of expensive and too lemony for my taste, but I was so thrilled with the dining experience that I kindly overlooked that flaw.

Location:
Asia de Cuba
237 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212.726.7755
www.chinagrillmgt.com

Baci & Abbracci, Pt I

Passion fruit mojito, Caipirinha (Brazilian: Cai-peer-EEN-yah)

This entry originally took place on April 2.

My cousin Vicky and I caught up for dinner on the last day of Brooklyn Restaurant Week. Our destination? Baci & Abbracci.

The southern Neopolitan Italian cuisine is savory with a Mediterranean flair -- hearty with lots of seafood and beans, light on tomatoes, subtle flavors (some may call "bland", but I like the more subdued taste). Their dishes are less sauce-heavy than other regions. The portions were plentiful, for the most part (more to love), and the waiters are very attentive. However, the music and lighting was a bit inconsistent, which probably had to do with the changing clientele as the night progressed. The lights kept dimming randomly, and electronic beats quickly switched to a classical piano opera track -- a little jarring.

Otherwise, Vicky and I had a lovely first-time experience here. I liked the warm, inviting setting. Red brick walls (Faux? -- wondered Vicky, aloud) surrounded us on all sides, creating an intimate, rustic hearth. The only thing missing was an actual fireplace roaring in the corner and maybe some live classic Italian opera vocals.

We were the first ones there. It was dark and empty inside, so I was slightly scared off at first but the all-male waitstaff was attentive and professional, with the exception of one klutzy waiter who dropped Vicky's fork, but he quickly procured another. The menu offered a plethora of choices, from pan seared striped bass to goat cheese gnocchi, and beyond. We ordered off the Dinner Special ($23 for three courses).

Antipasti 1: Bean soup with mussels

I got the appetizer: Bean soup with baby mussels, hefty and filling. It could have used more salt and pepper, but I liked the 'natural' flavor just fine.

Antipasti 2: Endive salad with oranges, oriental dressing

Vicky said she expected "more greens" in this salad, but its combination of crunchy-tangy-sweet was a pleasing medley. Definitely not as filling as my soup, though.

To Be Continued...

Day 2: Boston Restaurant Week: Om, Pt II

Haddock Carpaccio

Appetizer 2: Haddock Carpaccio with a bed of lettuce. The accompanying salad included tomato, cucumber, cilantro, pesto, mayo and two raw slivers of haddock with olive oil drizzled on top.

Baby Chicken (Me, Dave).

Entree 1: Baby Chicken with green beans and sticky rice. The roasted chicken was soft yet firm overall but dry in spots, probably because chicken breast is often dry to begin with. However, the medley of flavors in the green beans and toasted jasmine rice removed any lingering symptoms of parched mouth syndrome. The rice was slightly crispy with a sweet sheen on the surface, compliments of sugar and sesame oil. A sprig of cloves completed the look.

Braised Lamb Shank (Yun, Austin).

Entree 2: Braised Lamb Shank with spinach gnocchi and bok choy. The lamb was very tender, not too gamey. I love the texture of the spinach gnocchi. Must be all that ricotta cheese.

Pan Seared Salmon (Hannah).

Entree 3: I've read so many conflicting reviews about the salmon, but Hannah assured me that it was moist and tender. "Very herby," she said.

Wild Mushroom Paparadelle (Rachel)

Entree 4: Apparently, paparadelle is very large, broad fettucine. I didn't know that before today. A sign of freshness is the wide circumference ~ 3/4 to 1-inch thick. I'm guessing that's a good sign for the Wild Mushroom Paparadelle, which was also eight inches long. This creamy, cheesy dish hit the spot for me and managed to be rich without that heart-clogging feeling.

Desserts (not pictured): Brown butter carrot cake, Espresso chocolate cake. A dollop of vanilla bean ice cream sat astride the carrot cake. I was particularly impressed by the consistency, which was not too crumbly, nor too firm. Raisins added a sweet flavor to the "milky" carrot cake.

Yun gave me a really detailed description of the Espresso chocolate cake (her dessert). Here's what she had to say:

"Perfectly paired with bitter coffee. Light, minty, with the ginger ice cream. Due to the herb on top of the dark chocolate, it was a very refreshing taste. The texture was not cakey, very smooth and silky, almost mousse-like but a tad more firm. It was topped with sea salt to bring out the bitterness and the [high] quality of the cake. Silky texture due to the melted pieces of chocolate -- not chunks, well-blended with flour."

The texture? "Between a chocolate fudge and a mousse."

And there you have it! OM offers a regular pre-fixe menu of 3 courses for $35 even during non-restaurant week days.


Rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars

Day 2: Boston Restaurant Week: Om, Pt I

Black was the color of the evening. Although we're not usually so spiffy in suits, dresses and heels, we dressed up for Boston restaurant week. Kudos to the seniors who accompanied me to OM Restaurant and Lounge. OM exceeded my expectations. It was still daylight out when we arrived at 5:30 p.m. sharp. Yun (who turned out to be quite the culinary expert!) met us there after work. We ordered a bottle of white wine (Azienda Agricola Conti-Zecca Leverano 52-7 --> that's what the cork read). Yun and I drank off most of it.

Rachel and I were both uncomfortable in our three-inch heels treading precariously on uneven brick pavement and dusty sidewalks through Harvard Square, where OM is located. Across the street is Grendel's Den, a British-style pub crawl that satiates the craving for all things thick, gooey, viscous and comfort food-related. From Sunday through Thursday, the entire menu is half-price from 5-7:30 p.m. Get your happy hour on!

In an effort to maximize business sales, OM extended restaurant week to restaurant month through March 2009. OM also offers a two-course lunch for $15.08 and a 3-course lunch for $22.08.

Happy Family, minus Yun.

Immediate impressions: Warm lighting. Tiny cylindrical tea candles hung from the ceiling, along with a colorful tapestry in the shape of a wheel. Goddesses were painted in shades of teal/brick/beige/dusty blue. Service was friendly and efficient. Good thing we came early. I spotted only three other parties when we arrived -- middle-aged couples in both dressy and casual attire. No rude attitude from our waitress, which could easily have been the case since high-end restaurants tend to look down their noses on younger diners because they think we'll tip badly. (We didn't.) They didn't card us but toward the end of our meal I overheard our waitress and another waiter chatting behind us --

Male waiter: Are they legal?
Waitress: I don't know.
MW: I hope so (They both laugh).

Well, none of us got drunk, if that was the issue at stake (and yes, we're all legal, even if we're youthful-looking).

Ambiance: Intimate, Soothing, Tranquil, Hip, Artistic. The decor was evocative of a Southeast Asian country, complete with Bodhisattva statues, a Zen-like waterfall and, on the second floor, bronze statues and figurines placed in four narrow alcoves above a row of two-person tables. A wall of carved sculpture depicting soldiers riding an elephant stuck out in uneven grooves, casting a historical, globetrotting aura.

At the entrance, the front door was made of heavy wood intricately carved into a Tibetan(?) sculpture. Inside, on the first floor, waterfalls and neon lights converged. Rachel accidentally "zapped" the waterfall. Enter the lounge. Mod low-laying black tables with beige cushions made the ideal environment for sipping on a lavender blackberry mimosa or whatever the specialty of the day happened to be. The Maitre'd, host and waitstaff were all very courteous. Our waitress, a curly-haired strawberry blond in her late 20s/early 30s, beamed after she saw the tip we left for her.

The extensive wine list included red, white, merlot, champagne, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Noir...upwards of $90. I'm glad we agreed on the $24 white wine. Wine for four bucks a glass? Not bad, with a dry relish. Our individual totals were $47, including tax and tip. I would gladly do restaurant week again.

On the house: Truffle oil popcorn.

I'm not very familiar with truffle oil, but this was a pleasant starter to our meal. Truffle oil is actually not made of truffles but is a synthetic product, one of many organic aromatic odorants, found in real truffles. The olive oil base adds moisture to an otherwise dry batch of popcorn. Although I wouldn't say truffle oil tastes anything like actual truffles, it was certainly delectable!

My Appetizer: Spring Vegetable Soup.

The portions were not too model-sized (Read: We didn't starve). Each course had several options. The creamy spring vegetable soup had an almost cheesy consistency, with a slight kick of herbs. It consisted of a pureed blend of broccoli, peas, carrots, and other vegetables.

More details on the food in the next entry...

Locations:
OM Restaurant and Lounge
92 Winthrop St
Cambridge, MA 02138
www.omrestaurant.com

Grendel's Den
89 Winthrop St
Cambridge, MA 02138
www.grendelsden.com