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Break your fast with Chino-Latino Iftar dishes
If you are looking to try something different from the traditional Iftar buffet, Asia de Cuba is the place to go. Apart from the stunning location, the attention is focused on the menu that reflects Cuba’s multicultural heritage by infusing Asian ingredients and techniques.
We were seated indoors browsing the whole Iftar menu trying to imagine the combination of the Asian-Latin food and guessing the taste of each dish roughly described by ingredients.
The waiter arrived with sundried fruit and roasted nuts and sweet potato hummus paired with crudo vegetables and curried cracker bread to share. The hummus was creamy with a touch of cumin. We tried to stop our hands from reaching out for these irresistible bites and keep a lot of space for the following dishes.
Asia de Cuba Bites
And then the small plates came all together…
We were immediately captured by their colors and their smell and at the same time we were keeping an eye out to the waiter who was giving some more details about each of them. The beet pica tartare came first: it looked like a ceviche in which the small cubes of beetroot, garnished with Spanish olives, almonds, currants and smashed avocado, were carefully laid on three crispy wontons. The softness of the beet was well balanced by the crunchy Chinese dumplings.
Beet Pica Tartare
Then we had empanadas filled with minced lamb picadillo accompanied with a typical Korean sauce called bulgogi.
The third of the small plates consisted of dim sum stuffed with shrimp and lemongrass and paired with Chinese mustard vinaigrette and yuzu ponzu, a citrus-based sauce used in Japanese cuisine.
Lamb Picadillo Tartare
Shrimp and Lemongrass Shumai
After a while was the turn of the entrées
Stir-fry mojo duck noodles, Chinese eggplant and pescado agridulce were together on the table.
The fish, served with plantain fried rice, was perfectly cooked and the sweet and sour flavour, deriving from a wise mix of pineapple, chili and scallion, was sublime. Highlighting the best of Cuban food while adding a distinctive Asian twist, Chinese eggplant is also a must-try and not only for veggie lovers. Actually it was one of the dishes we liked the most amongst the three mains.
We were less enthused about the noodles because of the strong taste of the duck, not well balanced with other ingredients.
Chinese Eggplant
Duck Noodles
Don’t skip the final sweet note
We sampled the coconut sorbet that is a staple in Cuban desserts. We enjoyed the light texture and refreshing taste in our mouth.
Their churros looked like mini bites that disappeared from the table in no time. They were served with a chili chocolate ganache aside, with toasted meringue and matcha on top. Delicious actually !
SORBET – meringue, yuzu, coconut water
Overall we can say small plates and mains offered a sophisticated playground of flavours and a thoughtful combination of Cuban and Asian ingredients. Large portion and well presented dishes.
This Iftar at Asia de Cuba is priced at 200AED per person.
ASIA DE CUBA | ST REGIS HOTEL, NATION RIVIERA BEACH CLUB, Corniche Road
+ 971 2 699 3333 | https://asiadecuba.com/abu_dhabi
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