Lo Mein and Plantains
February 24, 2017 7:58 AM Subscribe
Take a trip to Manhattan's Upper West Side and you might come across a ungentififed relic of naturally occurring fusion cuisine - La Caridad 78 - the last remaining Cuban-Chinese restaurant in town.
I have heard that Trinidadian-Chinese food is especially delicious. I don't know that it can be found outside of Port of Spain, however.
posted by Jode at 8:19 AM on February 24, 2017
posted by Jode at 8:19 AM on February 24, 2017
I like trying Chinese food in different countries and seeing how the local produce, culture and cuisine influences and mixes with it. So far I've had it in Nice - France(yummy local seafood), Rome Italy(good risotto-y rice), Cuzco - Peru (amazing veggies and fruit). Small town in Ireland(just very bad, hah). Also I love Cuban food, looks like I gotta schlep uptown for this!
posted by Capricorn13 at 8:21 AM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Capricorn13 at 8:21 AM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
Huh, wow. This I would eat. My Spanish teacher in college was Chinese-Cuban (and I just looked him up ... he seems to have become a neurologist after having been denied tenure -- as a professor of Spanish -- at another college; sure, that's a normal career path).
posted by uncleozzy at 8:44 AM on February 24, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 8:44 AM on February 24, 2017 [3 favorites]
@Jode, Trinidadian-Chinese food and similar Guyanese-Chinese food are definitely available (and delicious) in New York, especially around Crown Heights and Richmond Hill/Ozone Park (close enough for an excursion if you ever have an awkwardly long layover at JFK).
Toronto is supposed to have good places for Caribbean Chinese food as well, but I've never been so I don't have any firsthand knowledge.
posted by smelendez at 8:45 AM on February 24, 2017 [3 favorites]
Toronto is supposed to have good places for Caribbean Chinese food as well, but I've never been so I don't have any firsthand knowledge.
posted by smelendez at 8:45 AM on February 24, 2017 [3 favorites]
A little further uptown, with Broadway locations at 83rd and 101st Streets, Flor de Mayo is a Peruvian-Chinese restaurant we order from occasionally. Just like being Chinese Cuban, to be Chinese Peruvian is a thing unto itself. Regardless, Flor de Mayo has killer rotisserie chicken.
posted by slkinsey at 8:48 AM on February 24, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by slkinsey at 8:48 AM on February 24, 2017 [5 favorites]
Long time UWS dweller here, this place is excellent and nearly always packed
posted by eusebis_w_adorno at 8:51 AM on February 24, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by eusebis_w_adorno at 8:51 AM on February 24, 2017 [4 favorites]
I wanna go too next time I'm in NYC and this isn't going to put me off. 🐜
posted by imperium at 9:09 AM on February 24, 2017
posted by imperium at 9:09 AM on February 24, 2017
Man, when I first moved to Williamsburg a million years ago, there was this cuban-chinese diner on the south side that I lived at. Lo mein and fried plantains. Kept me sane through a couple bad years.
I really don't understand why that style of food isn't have a revolution, along with every other unknown cuisine.
posted by lumpenprole at 9:39 AM on February 24, 2017
I really don't understand why that style of food isn't have a revolution, along with every other unknown cuisine.
posted by lumpenprole at 9:39 AM on February 24, 2017
I've eaten there a few times, and I remember having (this was when I was a meat eater) pork fried rice with a side of platanos maduros. It's the perfect balance of savory and sweet.
posted by zorseshoes at 9:43 AM on February 24, 2017
posted by zorseshoes at 9:43 AM on February 24, 2017
Do any of these (country not normally associated with China)-Chinese restaurants exist in Chicago, or thereabouts? Asking for myself.
posted by Fig at 10:17 AM on February 24, 2017
posted by Fig at 10:17 AM on February 24, 2017
Yes! One of my favorite meals from back in the day was chop suey and plaintains at the local Cuban-Chinese!
posted by maggiemaggie at 10:18 AM on February 24, 2017
posted by maggiemaggie at 10:18 AM on February 24, 2017
He bought a second-hand Nova from a Cuban Chinese
And dyed his hair in the bathroom of a Texaco
With a pawnshop radio, quarter past four
He left for Waukegan at the slamming of the door
Left for Waukegan at the slamming of the door
--Tom Waits, "Gun Street Girl"
posted by chavenet at 10:34 AM on February 24, 2017
And dyed his hair in the bathroom of a Texaco
With a pawnshop radio, quarter past four
He left for Waukegan at the slamming of the door
Left for Waukegan at the slamming of the door
--Tom Waits, "Gun Street Girl"
posted by chavenet at 10:34 AM on February 24, 2017
The last remaining? No! NO!!! Fond memories of my Chelsea Cuban-Chinese go-tos in the late 80s/early 90s.
posted by Lyme Drop at 10:49 AM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Lyme Drop at 10:49 AM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
Do any of these (country not normally associated with China)-Chinese restaurants exist in Atlanta, or thereabouts? Asking for myself and a friend (who I happen to be married to and eat a lot of meals with).
posted by madcaptenor at 10:57 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by madcaptenor at 10:57 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
I love Caridad and have eaten there often. But for those who don't know, Flor de Mayo (2 locations on UWS) is Peruvian-Chinese, been there forever, and serves the worlds best roasted chicken. Period.
ETA sorry on preview I didnt realize slkinsey already mentions Flor de Mayo.
posted by spitbull at 11:45 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
ETA sorry on preview I didnt realize slkinsey already mentions Flor de Mayo.
posted by spitbull at 11:45 AM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also Flor de Mayo has Andes Peruvian beer, fish tanks, unreal shrimp and yucca croqetas (one is a meal unto itself), first rate tostones and a really diverse clientele of rich and poor and all colors who all come for the world's best chicken. The people who run it are super nice too.
I don't even like chicken. But every but few months I gotta have this.
posted by spitbull at 11:48 AM on February 24, 2017 [3 favorites]
I don't even like chicken. But every but few months I gotta have this.
posted by spitbull at 11:48 AM on February 24, 2017 [3 favorites]
It may be the last Cuban-Chinese place in the city, but there are no shortage of Dominican-Chinese places all over the city; near me I see tostones on Chinese menus more often than not. You just need to leave Manhattan to find them.
posted by Itaxpica at 1:23 PM on February 24, 2017
posted by Itaxpica at 1:23 PM on February 24, 2017
The last remaining? No! NO!!! Fond memories of my Chelsea Cuban-Chinese go-tos in the late 80s/early 90s.
Unfortunately basically anything that was good in Chelsea in the late 80s/early 90s is gone.
posted by Itaxpica at 1:25 PM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately basically anything that was good in Chelsea in the late 80s/early 90s is gone.
posted by Itaxpica at 1:25 PM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
I had never had Caribbean-Chinese and heard that there are some in Toronto - so the last time I visited I made a point of checking a couple out.
As a Vancouverite of HK-SAR origin, it was underwhelming; it was essentially what my grad school buddies and I would have disparage as 'cheap Chinese' - but it was decent 'cC.'
However, it was sufficiently distinct from 'Chinese Canadian' to be its own cuisine. Similar background of using locally available ingredients but were used differently and seemed to be much less reliant on chop-it-up + "a clear sauce/glaze" than 'Chinese Canadian' fare. Also, more willing to diverge from salty or sweet+sour and venture into spicey-hot territory but less intense than Northern Chinese.
The interesting experience for me was that the majority of the clientele at both places were Caribbean-African-(Canadian) (playing dominos!) or were very low socio-economic class older Caucasians.
posted by porpoise at 1:44 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
As a Vancouverite of HK-SAR origin, it was underwhelming; it was essentially what my grad school buddies and I would have disparage as 'cheap Chinese' - but it was decent 'cC.'
However, it was sufficiently distinct from 'Chinese Canadian' to be its own cuisine. Similar background of using locally available ingredients but were used differently and seemed to be much less reliant on chop-it-up + "a clear sauce/glaze" than 'Chinese Canadian' fare. Also, more willing to diverge from salty or sweet+sour and venture into spicey-hot territory but less intense than Northern Chinese.
The interesting experience for me was that the majority of the clientele at both places were Caribbean-African-(Canadian) (playing dominos!) or were very low socio-economic class older Caucasians.
posted by porpoise at 1:44 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
Came into thread to mention Flor de Mayo, left satisfied.
posted by subdee at 2:59 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by subdee at 2:59 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
The documentary series Chinese Restaurants by Canadian film maker Cheuk Kwan did an episode in Cuba.
posted by XMLicious at 3:02 PM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 3:02 PM on February 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
> smelendez: Trinidadian-Chinese food and similar Guyanese-Chinese food are definitely available (and delicious) in New York
I first learned about Guyanese-Chinese food from the Internets Celebrities' Ozone Park video, one of many greats from their A Train Food Warriors series (previously on MeFi from me).
Thanks for sharing, The Whelk, that was really neat!
posted by cichlid ceilidh at 3:31 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
I first learned about Guyanese-Chinese food from the Internets Celebrities' Ozone Park video, one of many greats from their A Train Food Warriors series (previously on MeFi from me).
Thanks for sharing, The Whelk, that was really neat!
posted by cichlid ceilidh at 3:31 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
→ I had never had Caribbean-Chinese and heard that there are some in Toronto
Quite a few are Hakka style, so spicy. The one nearest me (like 3 minutes' walk) is Guyanese Hakka, so lots of rich curry sauces everywhere.
posted by scruss at 5:07 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
Quite a few are Hakka style, so spicy. The one nearest me (like 3 minutes' walk) is Guyanese Hakka, so lots of rich curry sauces everywhere.
posted by scruss at 5:07 PM on February 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
There are some amazing Indian/Guyanese/Northern Chinese in the little india on Gerard near Parliment in Toronto.
posted by PinkMoose at 3:07 AM on February 25, 2017
posted by PinkMoose at 3:07 AM on February 25, 2017
I literally just read about this yesterday in Nora Ephron's "I Feel Bad About my Neck" and I was intrigued. She was a fan. Thanks for this!
posted by Lisitasan at 6:18 AM on February 25, 2017
posted by Lisitasan at 6:18 AM on February 25, 2017
La Caridad 78 closed by the Health Department a couple of weeks ago after live roaches and unsanitary conditions found.
posted by Daddy-O at 8:51 AM on February 25, 2017
posted by Daddy-O at 8:51 AM on February 25, 2017
« Older We can fly with our spirit | My conclusion: I really don’t understand why... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Capricorn13 at 8:08 AM on February 24, 2017