Going out to eat is becoming a rarer and rarer occasion for us.  Not only do I love cooking, with a wedding coming up, we’re saving money any way we can.   Alex’s recent work accomplishments called for an exception to this rule and I got to pick the celebratory dinner locale.  I’ve been wanting to go to Asia de Cuba for a long time.  When I first starting researching gluten-free friendly restaurants I came across the trendy fusion restaurant and have waited for the right occasion to try it out since.

As the name suggests, Asia de Cuba is fusion restaurant, mixing Asian and Latin cuisines.  This isn’t an entirely new idea and the concept has been done before (see Sushi Samba).  Differing from Sushi Samba, Asia de Cuba serves more sophisticated combination Asian/Latin dishes with higher price tags.  The restaurant is tucked away in the Morgans Hotel with a very nondescript entrance.  However, upon entering, the ambiance kicks in.  The restaurant walls are lined with white billowing fabric back lit with pink lighting, transporting the diner to a Miami lounge or club.  The music and flashy decor suggests that while they were interested in mixing the two cuisines, the feel would remain distinctively Latin.

Even when I know that a restaurant has gluten-free options, if I don’t see the menu online, I always call to double check and I suggest other gluten-free diners do the same.   We arrived slightly late to our 8 pm reservation, but it didn’t seem so busy that they minded (nor was it empty, however).  I had sticker shock initially with the dish prices, but our waiter reminded us that each dish is rather large and meant to share.  He recommended two appetizers and one entree for two people.  We were going to do the $38 prix-fixe, but it limited our options because we had to cross-check the gluten-free menu with the prix-fixe, so we ended up just ordering off the regular gluten-free menu.  While the staff was very nice and attentive, they weren’t willing to substitute anything on the prix-fixe for another GF dish, which I found annoying.

For appetizers, we ordered the “Ropa Vieja” of Duck and the Thai Salad.  The duck came on the bone and the server spent a good 2 minutes removing and shredding the meat so that it was ready to be wrapped up in the lettuce.  The duck was moist and the lettuce and veggies were crisp.  My only complaint was that the duck was seasoned enough although the port sauce was suppose added the necessary flavor to the dish.  This appetizer was more like a meal, and would probably be more appropriate for 4 people, since we got two wraps each.  The salad came out shortly after the duck and wasn’t anything special.  The coconut pieces were just to hard to chew and I rarely saw an avocado.  However, the sweet and sour dressing was very good and I ended up putting it on my duck.

For the entree, we selected the Pan Seared Ahi Tuna.  These almost bite sized tuna slices were served over wasabi mashed potatoes and with a cilantro chimichurri sauce.  With trademark flavors of both Latin and Asian cuisine, this dish embodied the concept of Asia de Cuba.  By the time we got to the main course, Alex and I were both feeling rather full, however the perfectly cooked medium-rare tuna and the lovely spicy but creamy potatoes were so enticing that we left only two pieces of tuna on the plate.  I was glad we didn’t order the prix-fixe, because dessert would have been too much.  I would even suggest that if you and your guest don’t have enormous appetites, to order just one larger appetizer (like the duck) or two salads plus one entree.

If you are looking for a fun and lively atmosphere plus a sophisticated meal of gluten-free goodness, Asia de Cuba is your spot.