Cuba Libre (Clarke Quay)

Yes, it's called the Cubano sandwich but no, it does not (technically) originate from Cuba!

The Cubano sandwich apparently originated from cafes catering to Cuban immigrant workers in Florida in the mid-19th century and added their own Cuban twist to the ham and cheese sandwich. It will usually feature ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard layered between Cuban bread which is then toasted in a sandwich press known as a plancha (essentially a griddle). The end result is a panini-like sandwich with thin papery toasted crust and a soft moist centre.

Cuba Libre serves a good hearty Cubano sandwich with roasted pork, smoked ham, bacon, gherkins, mozzarella cheese, and a generous portion of fries on the side. I was warned that most people struggle to finish this dish and it was indeed generously portioned and tasty. It did seem rather weird to have a sandwich with mojitos but I thought they went well with each other.

I also tried a little of their newest creation - ropa vieja, a traditional Cuban stew made from shredded slow cooked flank steak served with black beans and rice. I ain't a fan of beans in general and the beef stew was a little heavy on salt but the beef was tender and it did go well with the rice.

Last but not least, special thanks to the folks at Cuba Libre for the invite. If you are looking for somewhere with hearty pub grub to knock back a few (stiff) solid mojito and enjoy the live band, do check out Cuba Libre!

It did seem rather serendipitous that the good folks from Cuba Libre (which aptly stands for Free Cuba!) hosted a bunch of us for a #BURPPLE #EATUP on the very day the govt restrictions on live entertainment were lifted.

Cuba Libre is a bistro bar that specialises in Latin American styled pub grub. To start off the meal, we were served a huge mason jar of mojito and in my case, they very kindly conjured a virgin mojito cos #nodrinkdrivingpls. The drink was refreshingly sweet with a nice strong hint of mint and lime.

As for the adult (read: alcoholic) version, I was told that they definitely did not go easy on the rum!

We heard about the highly-raved mojitos at Cuba Libre and we decided to we had to try at least one today! We decided to go with a safe choice - the Classic Mojito. Although the drink costs $28++, the serving size was huge and it was almost double the size of the mojitos served in other restaurants. It's definitely enough for sharing between two persons.

The mojito was really minty and the mint flavour gets pretty strong towards the bottom of the cup. There was a piece of sugarcane immersed in the drink as well, which gave it a slight sweetness. However, we felt that the mojito here did not really have much rum in it as we could not taste much alcohol; on the bright side, this would be a light and refreshing drink for many. Would be interested to try their other mojitos (e.g., lychee mojito) in future!

We were seated outside and unfortunately, we were right beside the loudspeaker which was blasting music throughout our meal. Hence, it was a little difficult to have a conversation over our food as Spanish songs were being blasted right beside our ears. We would probably try to get a seat that is further from the loudspeaker in future. :(

We chanced upon Cuba Libre on Burpple Beyond and we decided to give the restaurant a try, as we thought their fare sounded interesting! We ordered the Mojito Chicken, which was one of their signature items. The dish contains a slab of chicken thigh that was drenched in mango salsa, and served atop broccoli, cauliflowers and carrots.

The chicken thigh was soft and we liked that it was slightly fatty too. The thigh was drenched in mango salsa, which was slightly sweet and a little spicy as well. There was also a slightly alcoholic aftertaste from the sauce, which made for a pretty interesting flavour and nothing like what we have tried before. However, our only complaint was that the serving size was too small, especially since we were paying close to $25 for the dish.

Be sure to make a reservation beforehand if you are heading there on a weekend night as the restaurant was fully booked. Also, do note that if you want to dine indoors to view their live band, you have to prepared to spend at least $100 per person. 😰

We liked the sauce as it was packed with BBQ flavour but we thought the meat could be more tender. They were generous with the fries but they are nothing special. Overpriced if not for burrple beyond. The place was almost fully reserved on a Saturday night, so do remember to book beforehand if you're planning a visit. Indoor seating require >$100 spending as well.

Cuba libre is a cuban restaurant located along the liveliest stretch of Clark Quay. They have their own In-house live music band. The head chef is a bona fide Cuban.

Had the Mojito Chicken, first bite into this dish, and just a burst of flavours into my taste buds, truly something unique which u can have here at cuba libre. It was sweet and savoury and sour. Mojito Chicken is also one of their signature dishes.

My only complaint is that the portion quite small.

Cuba libre also serves an excellent mojito, their speciality.

Thanks burrple for the invite to my first eat up. And thanks Cuba libre for hosting.

#BurppleBeyond #1for1