Cuban Nightlife in its best form at Cubano Lito
Last night we tried out something new, something different and something definitely exciting. Cubano Lito in Ibis One Central is fairly new on the block but has managed to garner a lot of love through their positive atmosphere, energetic vibes and a unique variety of food and drinks.
Everything about Cubano Lito, right from their interiors to their hospitality and their menu variety, is heavily influenced by Cuban culture. They have brought along a lovely Cuban personality and tradition as a part of their restaurant which is reflected in every aspect of this place. As restaurant manager Sandor would say, “Everything in Cubano Lito has a unique character. You won’t feel you are in Dubai anymore. This restaurant will transport you to Cuba.”
Read on for more on their food and drinks variety, while you gather your friends and start making plans for a Cuban night out at Cubano Lito.
Cubano Libre
Drinks are an integral part of Cuban hospitality. So obviously we were catered to the best of these. This was round one of three where we tried their signature Cubano Libre. Inspired from the original Cuba Libre, this slightly tweaked version is designed to fall in line with their adaptation strategy.
Cubano Lito believes the best way to introduce the Cuban cuisine to Dubai is by being open to adapting to this market. And that’s what they have done with their food and drinks variety. While staying 90% Cuban at heart, this drink comes with 10% of local fusion which includes the addition of various Asian inspired spices like cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and cloves, along with flavors of ginger and lime.
These bits give the otherwise bitter drink a slightly spicy sweet taste which makes for a perfect start to your night.
Original Mojito
You’ve been drinking Mojito wrong all this while. Because this, right here, is the Original Mojito.
Did you know that Mojito was actually originated in Cuba. And so was Daiquiri. The difference between the Cuban Mojito and rest of the Mojito is in the way it is prepared. There are four main ingredients that go in a Mojito (apart from the spirits of course) – mint, lime, sugar and ice. While the mint leaves are often plucked out and muddled, this brings out the bitter flavors which is not quite what you should expect from a Mojito.
In this version, mint leaves with stems intact are added to the drink, where the stems are lightly pressed to release the sweet juice within. Same applies to lime which isn’t muddled, releasing the bitterness of the zest, but instead squeezed for just the juice. Whole ice cubes are used in this original Mojito, as opposed to crushed ice. And finally along with the sugar, they add a few drops of angostura bitters to finish off with a citrusy taste.
This one comes highly recommended. Don’t leave Cubano Lito without trying this.
After all that drinking, it was time for some food. Contrary to the concept of a regular bar that serves only bar bites and finger food, Cubano Lito sticks to its adaptation strategy, by bringing great grills and platter choices to the food loving Dubaiites.
What’s more, in addition to their regular quick bite menu, they feature a specials menu that changes every week and offers big platters that are good for sharing.
We were fortunate enough to get a sneak peek into two of their signature dishes from this week’s specials.
Parrillada De Carnes
The Parrillada De Carnes comes with grilled chicken skewers, Cuban style marinated rib eye beef steak, lamb chops, and beef skewers. While the chicken and lamb are prepared using very little oil, the rib eye uses only the fat from the meat for that juicy steak finish.
Parrillada De Mariscos
The Parrillada De Mariscos to the bottom comes with all the goodness from the sea. Starting with seabass that is grilled with skin on for retaining the moisture and giving the skin a crispy coating, this platter features grilled jumbo prawns (my fav!), mussels, clams and squid.
Both these platters are absolutely hearty! Each platter is good for two people, comes along with steamed rice, steamed veggies and grilled corn.
You can opt for either of these, or go in for Parrillada Mixta which features the best of both platters at the same price!
Other Cuban styled specials this week include slow roasted half chicken, butter garlic prawns, and marinated rib eye beef steak.
El Presidente and El Negron
Round three was quite interesting, mainly because of the stories behind these drinks.
To the left is El Presidente which was a custom made drink for the then Cuban president Gerardo Machado (1925 – 1933). Garnished with a twisted orange peel, this drink contains a splash of grenadine. This was known to have been added as a symbol of protest.
To the right is another signature – El Negron inspired from the classic Negroni. This one comes with flavors of chocolate and orange bitters giving it a part citrusy, part bittersweet taste.
Well, the stories can say what they want to. But the drinks surely spoke a lot through their unique combinations of strong flavors.
Flan de Caramelo
Who loves coconut? Me!
So when we were offered Cuban Flan de Caramelo as a dessert at Cubano Lito, I was happy and high! One of the specialties of traditional Cuban households, this version of flan is a very decadent coconut cream pudding. It is cooked with milk, sugar and egg and topped with lots of caramel sauce.
Every bite had a unique dense texture like that of coconut meat, but it was sweeter thanks to all that caramel.
This dessert is a must have and I’m definitely going back for this. So, if you’re a coconut lover like me, add this to your list now!
El Carmelo
The icing that topped off our night out at Cubano Lito was the El Carmelo. This dessert came with baked chocolate ice cream in its base. And it was topped with stiff peaks of lightly burnt meringue.
Presented in a rustic ramekin, the ice cream was creamy with a dense texture which gave it a rich taste. And the meringue was just how you would expect – light and fluffy with a slight crunch.
Did you know, they have an amazing brunch too!
Here’s the fun part. Cubano Lito hosts a brunch every Friday which is priced at just AED 159 per person. This includes unlimited tapas as well as house beverages.
One of the best prices in town, this is one to not be missed!
So what are you waiting for? Get along with some friends and head over to Cubano Lito this week and enjoy their delicacies.
Cubano Lito
Location: Hotel Ibis One Central World Trade Centre, Trade Centre Area, Dubai
Contact: 04 4298847
