Doce Provisions

To drink, I had a Cuban-style berry lemonade that was surprisingly refreshing. I usually find lemonades need a glass of water to balance the sweetness. This was not the case with their lemonade.

For my appetizer, I was a little overwhelmed with the options. I was really leaning towards the croquetas (they have chorizo and fish) but the waiter also suggested the ahi tuna tostones and that’s what I ordered. I actually thought it would be bread with a slice of tuna steak, but I was pleasantly surprised at what arrived. The bread was actually fried smashed plantain. The dish came with three topped with avocado and the spicy tuna you might get at a sushi place. I loved it. I actually love spicy tuna rolls, so this was right up my alley. It wasn’t too heavy, and the tuna was really combined well with the avocado (I think it was guac) topping.

For my entrée, I was planning to get a Cubano because that’s what you’re supposed to get, right? Well, somehow, they didn’t have any that night which was surprising. But this worked to my benefit. I ended up ordering the masa de puerco chino with shrimp (chicken or fried steak were also options). This dish was a highlight of my trip. I would describe it as fried pork and shrimp fried rice with plantain and pineapple confit. Spectacular. There was so much crispy pork in every bite and the pineapple added a subtle juiciness to the dish without taking it over. The serving of shrimp I added was a great choice. In Chinese cooking, I love pork and/or shrimp in fried rice and the same combination really worked in this dish.