Not the shadow of what it used to be!!
My girlfriend and I hadn't been to this restaurant for almost 9 months. We always regarded it as the only and best gourmet Cuban restaurant in NY. Last night, 5 of us (all Cuban) went there for a Valentines dinner. I must say it was one of the biggest disappointments I've had in a while. The quality AND quantity of the food went from a 5 to a 1. The presentation, which was one of the things I used to love at this place, declined from a 5 to a 0. They didn't even try. It used to be presented in an artistic style with sculptural forms etc. It used to be large artistic plates. Now they are using cafeteria-style cheap beige plates. Two of us ordered the Bistec Empanizado. The steaks were small, and whoever cooked them didn't know how to make Cuban-style breaded steak! I ordered the Oxtail and struggled for an hour to try to dislodge the meat from the bones. My other friend ordered the Churrasco (skirt steak) and I've had baby churrasco's bigger than this one which was meant to be normal size. It was a joke. Again, no presentation either there. The side dish of Moros rice wasn't loose enough and the portion size was for a midget. Overall, we spent about $260 and we could've gotten a more authentic, delicious meal at other "not-so-fancy" Cuban restaurants. Glad it was a last for ALL of us. I will not recommend this place to anyone who is familiar with classic Cuban food.    [12 Feb 2005 13:49:44]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: None

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