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Cuban in name only...

A new all-day diner opens up near Kemps Corner, but the only Cuban connection it has is its name

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The Hand Cut Potato Wedges
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William Shakespeare had said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." That's the first thought that hit us when the chef informed us that the only reason for naming this place Cafe Cubano was the fact that it has a nice ring to it. We forged ahead, with the hope that Shakespeare had it right. Did he? We were soon about to find out.

Food The menu is a mix of popular favourites and is aimed at catering to different tastes and palates. The only problem with that idea is that when you set out to impress all, you often end up trying too hard and while variety is the spice of life, having too much off it may not always work in your favour. As was evident with our first pick of starters. The Edible Cigars (Rs 225) served with the chilli mayo were lack lustre, while the chilli mayo did manage to infuse some flavour into an otherwise bland dish it's not something we would order again.

The Hand Cut Potato Wedges (Rs 215) served with diced chicken in a dark sauce scored for its novelty value but tasted like a mashup of chicken wedges that were still a-work-in- progress. The Sriracha Chicken and Cheese Slider (Rs 295) was a delicious mouthful that went well with our Guava Apple Mojito (Rs 165) light and refreshingly sweet, it's a good mocktail to start off. The Lamb Seekh Kebab (Rs 425) was high on spice, but packed with flavour.

For the main course we tried the Chicken Xacuti (Rs 345) with Jawar/Bajra Roti (Rs 115), it's not easy to replicate this Goan gravy but Cafe Cubano does a decent job of it. For desserts, we tried the Banoffee Glass (Rs 275), could do with less fresh cream and more caramel and loved the crumble at the bottom. The Cutting Chai Panacotta with Pistachio Naankhatai (Rs 295), was definitely a much better dessert. The sweetness of the panacotta and the distinct taste of the tea jelly was evenly balanced with the savoury crunch of the naankhatai. This one put the smile right back on our faces.

Ambience Cafe Cubano as an earthy feel, with its dim lighting and wooden interiors. It positions itself as an all-day diner and resto bar and is located on a busy street that leads to Kemps Corner.

Overall verdict Consistency seems to be an issue. And this could be be pinned on initial opening-day jitters. We hope the kitchen irons out those before the place officially opens in the first week of February.

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