Plaintain two ways with mojito

Viva la Revolucion!

When you think of Cuba, you think of 1950's American cars, beautiful sandy beaches, honeymoons and salsa dancing. Food doesn't really come into it. What is Cuban cuisine? Anyone?

At Cubana - which is right next to Waterloo train station in London - I had the chance to find out. Doubling up as a music venue, this cosy restaurant required other guests to stand up so that we could get to our table. As the syncopated rhythms played in this colourful environment, troubles seemed to melt away as we perused the menu.

Pincho de gamas y mango

From some typically Caribbean fare such as fried plaintain and rice and peas, one sensed that the chefs had, like us, struggled to identify what Cuban food actually is, as we also choose chicken breast in tempura batter.

Perhaps this is because, as I later learned from a friend, the economic situation of Cuba means that there is inconsistent produce availability: one week the shops and restaurants serve chicken; the next week, they have only pork. As a result, it's difficult to nail down a typical Cuban meal. Even the tourist venues are not immune. That is slowly changing as international relations improve but for now, it remains an issue.

Croquetas de boniato y chorizo

In Cubana, however, the politics seemed a world away. Sipping from our happy hour jug of mojito, we munched on plaintain two ways: crispy chips and sweetly caramelised fried plaintain drizzled with lime to give it a bit of bite. To follow, we sampled the barbecued skewer of pincho de gambas y mango: grilled prawn kebabs with green peppers and mango marinated in a sweet sauce of guava, ginger, honey and lime.

My favourite dish, however, was the croquetas de boniato y chorizo con salsa: fried sweet potato croquettes mixed with chorizo. These are simply unmissable and it was worth going just for them as far as I'm concerned!

Cubana

As the evening wore on, the bar area started to get busier and eventually, the tables are cleared to make way for the expert salsa dancing we amateurishly imitated. The ambience was friendly, though, and we enjoyed every moment.

For a fun evening of food, drink and dance under one roof - or even if the weather permits, in the outside area - this is a great place to try. I have noticed that Cubana frequently hosts events such as a charity fundraiser for Children of the Andes as well as a salsa carnival; it's a lively, colourful and friendly place so come on down and bring your friends!

Find out more at http://www.cubana.co.uk/