What is it? Cuban Sandwich.
Where's it from? Habana To Go, 229 Elizabeth Street, Soho. cafehabana.com
How much does it cost? $9.75 (plus tax)
What's in it? Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickle, chipotle mayonnaise on a toasted Cuban roll.
Habana To Go sits next door to it's 'mother restaurant' Cafe Habana in the heart of busy Soho. Cafe Habana is an atmospheric diner selling mostly Cuban and Mexican inspired food. Cafe Habana is an informal spot that is always busy, it has been a Soho fixture since 1997.
Habana To Go has the same menu as Cafe Habana but doesn't have a liquor licence. It is a simple set up with a counter where you order your food and drinks, a long counter with stool seating in front of the window, a couple of tables and some benches outside. It's more of a take out spot than the cafe next door, with it's disposable dish wear, plastic cutlery and glasses, but it's almost always less busy and less cramped.
In the style of a diner there's an impressively large menu served from a small space including a good range of sandwiches, burritos, tacos, burgers, soups, salads and main courses along with side dishes, hot and cold drinks and homemade cookies.
The grilled corn here is famous and I love their iced hibiscus tea but the star of the show and their standout item for me is the Cuban sandwich. The marinated roast pork is delicately flavoured with herbs and citrus and is extremely tender and the other components complement each other perfectly. I particularly like the way the sweet vinegaryness of the pickle balances the richness of the meat and cheeses.
I hate 'fluff' in the center of breads so I'm always very appreciative of a Cuban roll that flattens out and become all crust when weighted and grilled. My sandwich was nicely grilled so it was crisp and crunchy but not hard or dry.
This is a hearty sandwich. There's a lot of meat inside and although I ate all of mine (because it was delicious!) you could easily split this between two people and have it with a side dish (or two).
I'm not a regular customer here but I've been eating Habana's Cubanos a couple of times a year ever since they opened and I always enjoy them - I think that they are a bit of a New York classic. It's well worth stopping by here if ever you are in the neighbourhood looking for a casual bite to eat.
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