Soul de Cuba Cafe's happy hour drink specials include the Soul Mojito with rum, lime and mint leaves served by the glass or pitcher. --Cindy Ellen Russell / crussell@staradvertiser.com
With only a few simple ingredients — mint leaves, lime juice, white rum, club soda and sugar — the mojito should be a relatively easy cocktail to mix. But more times than not I’ve been disappointed when ordering this light, refreshing beverage.
As it is the national drink of Cuba, it should come as no surprise that Soul de Cuba Cafe, on Bethel Street across from Hawaii Theatre, serves up the best mojitos in town. So I was already a fan when I learned Jesus Puerto’s restaurant had started offering happy hour specials. It was an easy sell.
SOUL DE CUBA CAFE1121 Bethel St. 545-2822 Happy hour: |
Not so easy was getting there and finding parking between the appointed pau hana hours of 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, which could be a problem for people with regular office hours who don’t work within walking distance. But where there’s a minty-cool mojito, there’s a way.
One of the charms of Soul de Cuba is its cozy, welcoming interior, which makes you feel like you’re visiting a beloved “abuela” or favorite aunt — an aunt who likes to drink and always has something delicious simmering on the stove.
Vintage family photos crowd the walls, including a portrait of Puerto’s Cuban great-grandfather, who settled in Florida in 1898. Further establishing the Afro-Cuban vibe are Miami artist Luis Molina’s fanciful prints of folklore subjects.
The Lechon Sliders consist of two Hawaiian sweet bread rolls topped with lean, marinated hand-pulled roast pork with barbecue sauce. --Cindy Ellen Russell / crussell@staradvertiser.com
IF YOU HAVEN’T been to Soul de Cuba in a while and were hesitant to revisit because it was hard to get a table, Puerto has nearly doubled the square footage by taking over the adjoining space previously occupied by Laughtrack Theater Co. The new room is a seamless addition and has its own bar.
There are only four food items on the happy hour menu, and we ordered them all: fried chicken wings ($6), five pieces marinated in garlic and citrus and presented with sweet and spicy sauces; Calamares Fritos ($6), squid marinated in cream and a zesty sauce and rolled in seasoned bread crumbs (a heavier preparation than you’ll find at most places); Lechon Sliders ($4), marinated, hand-pulled pork served on a pair of Hawaiian sweet rolls; and thick, crunchy tortilla chips with house-made mango and habanero salsa ($5).
Soul de Cuba’s emphasis on the fruity and citrusy flavors that characterize the region’s cuisine should be welcomed by wimpy folks like me who can’t take the heat.
All four selections were tasty and would satisfy anyone looking for a quick nosh before heading home for the day. But we weren’t in any hurry and had to turn to the regular menu for satisfaction, ordering the empanada trio ($17) of crispy turnovers filled with seasoned beef, chicken and sauteed veggies served with salsa.
We topped it off with a single entree of traditional ropa vieja ($18), a generous mound of lean shredded beef with a mild smoky flavor, cooked with onions in a light tomato sauce and served with arroz blanco (white rice), frijoles negros (black beans) and platanos maduros (sweet fried plantains).
Since most people in Hawaii count on heavy pau hana grinds to carry them through the night, your best bet is to come early for the great happy hour drinks and stay for dinner.
The walls of Soul de Cuba Cafe are decorated with portraits of owner Jesus Puerto's family along with Cuban ephemera and artwork. --Cindy Ellen Russell / crussell@staradvertiser.com
MOJITOS ARE $5 per glass ($25 for a pitcher), and a fruity sangria — a Puerto family recipe — is $4/$22.
Rum flights ($15) feature spirits from Cuba, the Caribbean islands and Central and South America.
Other specials include Cafe Social ($4), iced Cuban coffee with Kahlua and Amarula, a cream liqueur from Africa made from the fruit of the marula tree, and topped with milk.
For a taste of Brazil’s national cocktail, try the Caipirinha ($5), a mix of muddled lime, sugar and cachaca distilled from fermented sugar cane juice. I’m not keen on fruity beverages, but was surprised how much I enjoyed the Rum Punch ($4), a concoction of juice and Cruzan 151, coconut and guava rums with a touch of ginger. Delightful.
– Christie Wilson / cwilson@staradvertiser.com