El Cubanos – Finger licking Cuban-styled sandwiches you’ll love

Driven by his passion and love for all things Cuba, Sanny got inspired to run a simple place to allow Singaporeans to enjoy toasty Cubanos sandwiches. Together with celebrity chef Andri, Sanny created the entire menu from scratch – all inspired by his love for Cuban food and culture. He tells me that Cuban sandwiches use lard and so he had to find a way to replicate the flavor using other ingredients so that everyone can enjoy them. Oh yeah, he’s even got a mushroom Cubanos so even vegetarians can enjoy their Cuban sandwiches too! Although El Cubanos has been opened for about 2 years now, they’ve only recently relocated from Jalan Kayu to their current location on 8th June 2017.

Cuban food is rather rare to see in Singapore, much less Halal! Interestingly, Sanny has tweaked the original recipe to include jalapenos to cater to the Singaporean palate (don’t worry it’s not spicy). If you like, you could also watch chef Andri, through a window, as he puts together your sandwich before pressing it in a sandwich press machine! Sanny tells me that almost all their ingredients are made fresh every day and I respect them for their dedication.

One of their all-time favorites are his hot chicks which is prepared using their own special recipe of hot sauce that they also sell separately so you too can enjoy the flavor of Cuba at home! Others include the Signature Pulled Beef Cubanos ($8.80), the Ribeye Cheesesteak Cubanos ($8.50) and a Grilled Chicken Cubanos ($8.50). All of his Cuban sandwiches come with a generous side of well-seasoned Cajun fries. You can also opt to add mushrooms for only a minimal fee of $1.50! Sanny tells me that his mushrooms are also made in-house daily using Shiitake, White button and Shimeji mushrooms all sautéed using their own recipe. Without further ado, let’s get right into those mouth-watering sandwiches!

We ordered the Signature Pulled Beef Cubanos with mushrooms ($9.30) and were not disappointed. I liked the crisp bread which was thick and warm. The pulled beef is made from beef brisket slow-cooked for 6 hours before waiting for another hour to be pulled. The quality of the sandwiches truly reflects their dedication and passion into preparing the sandwich. The pulled beef was chewy and hearty and I liked the juiciness of the beef. Smothered with BBQ sauce and onions for the extra flavor, I enjoyed the peppery spice that complemented the juicy beef. For the price, I really think the serving of Cajun fries are just extremely generous (I couldn’t finish them). Although well- seasoned and crisp (I don’t like soggy fries), I have to admit that it was slightly too salty but still very addictive. Once you start, you won’t stop!

We also had the Grilled Chicken Cubanos with mushrooms ($9) and it didn’t disappoint. The grilled chicken is prepared from boneless chicken leg marinated with herbs and spices. The portion of grilled chicken was good and I liked the combination with the onions, cheese, and mushrooms. If you’re having this, it’s a must to top up for the mushrooms. They’ve also added jalapenos which adds a subtle touch of tanginess. Despite that, I didn’t find either of the sandwiches spicy. Personally, I preferred the beef over the chicken because I found it more flavorful and less dry. Nonetheless, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed whichever one you get!

What’s a meal without dessert? To fix that, we got the classic churros served with dark chocolate infused espresso sauce ($8.90). It comes with 5 churros coated in sugar, cinnamon and their secret ingredient – salt! Made in-house, the dark chocolate infused espresso sauce is made from double boiling chocolate and then infused with 3 shots of espresso! The churros were thick, dense and moist. Although a little too sweet for my liking, the churros nicely balanced out the bitter-sweet sauce. Overall, the sweet dessert was spot on for me after the savory sandwiches and fries.

Lastly, we also ordered a cup of virgin fruity mojito ($5.90). Nope sorry, no alcohol inside just a refreshing cup of juice so that everyone can enjoy! The delicious mojito is made from blackberries, raspberries, ground sugar and garnished with mint leaves. I liked the numerous fruit bits swimming in the drink and its acidity. A side note though, the drink gets diluted rather quickly so don’t take too long to enjoy it!

For under 10 bucks, the Cuban sandwiches are really a no-brainer. I feel like this is probably a good place to start if you’re feeling like having cheat day (you’ll get plenty of exercise by walking there anyway). Overall, great value for great food. Don’t wait!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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