FLAVOUR COMBINATION: Asia de Cuba

After months of only being in Madrid I couldn't wait to spend a week in London! There is one thing that surprises me everytime: How easy it is for me to be happy in a simple supermarket where I can find everything I need for baking. It's just so easy there!

London is becoming a very special place for me, he knows why. This trip involved a great restaurant called Asia de Cuba with a fabulous chef called Paul Whittick. My mother is cuban and really feels like one even though she only lived there until she was two with my grandparents. The cuban spirit in my family is very strong. It looks like I have not inherited the dancing skills or the tanner skin...

There is one thing I love more than they do though (maybe not more, but yes a lot) and its cuban food. I wish I could learn to cook cuban food! I have to start! 

My boyfriend knows how I feel about this so he decided this was the perfect place for dinner. It was a perfect night out.

So Asia de Cuba is near Picadilly, and just when you walk in you think "this place is different" round columns  with round bookshelves or with flower pots or black and white pictures. 

You have an amazing list of cocktails to start... we asked for:

Chili Passion Caipirinha: Cachaça, muddled lime

raw sugar, passion fruit purée, 

dash sriracha.

Canteloupe Pisco Sour: Pisco, fresh lemon, muddled

canteloupe, cane sugar egg white

Amazing, I loved mine because of the spicy touch. To eat you have a lot of options, its more of an asian influenced menu, but still has many cuban inspired dishes. To start you have Ceviches & Tiraditos with options like Scotish Salmon and salted Avocado Helado or Scallop Tataki and Dragon fruit.

Smoked Salmon on Crispy spring

onion pancake

(very simple... we thought it was a 

mistake to ask for this one..)

Other starters are Tunapica, Ropavieja of Duck, Asian noodle Box...

Honey-Rum glazed Pork Belly: platain

maduros, Shangai bok choy and

enoki mushrooms

(I have never tried something so soft

sweet, delicious...)

Now to the amazing main dishes, where you can find Miso Cured black Cod, Spiny Lobster Wok Chi or Cuban BBQ Chicken.

Pan Seared Ahí Tuna: wasabi mashed potatoes

 and crunchy peas with cilantro ahí

(I personally fell in love with the idea

of wasabi mashed potatoes. It's

DELICIOUS)

The side dishes are the ones that have more cuban influence, or so I wanted to believe, because I only asked for the cuban ones... Lobster Boniato Mash, Platain Fried Rice with Avocado Salad or Thai Coconut Sticky Rice.

Black Bean Croquetas

(this is what they call Frijoles, try making 

them and teach me please!)

Yuca Mojo Fries

(amazing but can make you full with

a few bites)

It's time for dessert and though I feel I should never eat anything else, you can not go off without checking the dessert menu. Now that is the issue, when you see it, you need to ask for something. Every dessert has the someliers recommendation of drinks that match perfectly with the dessert. 

You can find the famous Bay of Pigs (no wonder they calle it that), Cuban Opera or more typicall Caribbean Carrot Cake.

Cuban Coffee Brownie: Chocolate fudge

sauce, Khalua glaze and Fudge 

Brownie icecream

(it's just the perfect brownie!)

It was in all, a fantastic evening. Though it's a bit expensive, sometimes you find it worth the sacrifice... I believe sacrificing for food is something I never regret! (OK maybe I do, but just a few hours/days until I'm back in good shape)

Hope you visit and ask for delicious things. Enjoy! 

Here is a link if you ever want to make a reservation...