Alright, this is a short post with no pictures… The other night, some friends and I got some food from El Oriental de Cuba. I haven’t been there for a while, but everyone raves about their cubano sandwiches.
Over the last 10 years that I’ve lived in JP, I’ve only heard a handful of people praise the cubano on the other side of the road at Miami Restaurant.
I think that the food at both restaurants is great, but if I was to judge them solely based on the quality of the cubano, Miami Restaurant wins.
Cheap, Cuban, Jamaica Plain
Cheap, Cuban, cubano, Jamaica Plain
On Monday, PK and I went to El Oriental de Cuba. We ordered a mango shake ($2.50), a stuffed yucca ($1.50), a cheese empanada ($1.50), a chicken empanada ($1.50), a Sandwich Cubano ($5.50), and the Monday soup which was Shrimp and Fish Stew ($6.50).
The stuffed yucca was tasty as always. The empanadas were just below average. The Cubano was very good. Even though everyone always raves about it, I think that you can find better items on their menu. The Shrimp and Fish Stew was delicious. The flavor was great, and there were over a dozen shrimp and several chunks of white fish. And, as always, the Mango shake was amazing.
Verdict: Delicious as always! I really need to try more of their daily specials.
Cheap, Cuban, Jamaica Plain
On Tuesday, PK and I planned to eat at Miami in the Porter Square Exchange Building before going to see Let’s Scare Jessica to Death at the Brattle. However, when we got to Porter Square we saw that Miami was closed (and will also be closed on 2/14). Instead of eating at one of the other stalls there, we decided to go to Chez Henri. I had only been there once before and I was curious to try their Cuban Sandwich since I had heard so much about it. We each started off with one of their Mojitos ($7). We like them better than Bomboa’s since this one had more alcohol flavor, and mint. When we got our drinks, we decided to split two appetizers, the Wood Grilled Squid and Braised Octopus ($8.95) and the Cuban Fish Cerviche ($9.95). The cerviche was amazing and there was a good sized serving of fish that went perfectly with the banana chips. On the other hand, the octopus had a great taste, along with the white beans (and I normally hate beans), but the squid was covered in a salty tomato based sauce that neither of us really liked. After the appetizers, we decided to have another Mojito each and to share a Pressed Cuban Sandwich ($12.95). I am (or was) a huge fan of the Cuban Sandwiches at El Oriental de Cuba (which I am hoping will be rebuilt soon) so it was a bit of a struggle to pay so much for one at Chez Henri, but it was worth every penny.
Verdict: I cannot wait to go back… I am curious to try their Cuban Empanadas next time. And, some time, I need to have a full dinner there, but, for now, I’ll save a few dollars and drink and eat at the bar.
Cambridge, Cuban, French