gltsoi

Until today, I didn’t understand the Cuban sandwich. It seems like a strange combination of meat; pork loin, which is usually dry and overcooked and ham, which is fine, but two pork products in one sandwich? I’m also not a fan of Swiss, give me cheddar, mozz or provolone any day of the week.

But the Cuban sandwich here is famed to be the best in Boston, so we had to order it. I also got the beef tongue in sauce. It came with sweet fried plantains and rice and beans.

It was an excellent meal. I was really impressed by the Cuban. It was zen in a sandwich; all the flavors were perfectly balanced. The saltiness of the pork, the tang of the pickles, the crunch of the lettuce and toasted bread all came together in a harmonious bite. It was really delicious.

The tongue was also great. It was tender and flavorful. The plantains were sweet and caramelized and the rice and beans were great mixed in with the sauce. I love tongue, but R is still a little bit squeamish about it: “it’s weird to taste something that could be tasting you.”

The space is small, but cheerful. I can imagine it would get quite crowded during prime meal times.  We wanted to try the flan, but we were in a rush. Not to worry, we’ll definitely by back.

http://elorientaldecuba.com/