By Suzanne Parker
Current events always make us crave the cuisine of the region in question.
Our new engagement with Cuba is no exception. In that spirit, we were drawn to Cabana, on Forest Hills’ restaurant row, a nuevo Latino restaurant with a Cubano bent that has had real staying power. They have been around for a good 20 years, and even spawned a micro-empire with branches in Manhattan and Delray Beach, Fla.
On a recent Tuesday, the joint was already jumpin’ at 6:30 p.m. With its “No Reservations” policy, expect a wait on weekends.
What is the big draw? Cabana features well-prepared Latino nostalgia fare in what are perhaps more upscale surroundings than some of its competition around the borough. Or maybe it’s that their cuisine is unique in the Forest Hills area.
There is a full bar here, and their appetizers are very substantial. They are perfect for munching with a mojito, Cuba’s favorite cocktail. A word of warning about the sangria: It is both overly sweet and very potent. It is easy to think you aren’t drinking alcohol, until you experience the result.
Contrary to the somewhat false reputation of Latino food, the dishes here are only mildly spicy.
For greater intensity, a bottle of Walkerwood Jonkanoo, a Jamaican condiment, is placed on the table. It is named after a Garifuna dance that involves a lot of jumping up and down. You get the picture?
Tostones, or fried green plaintains, are a staple of Cuban as well as Dominican and Puerto Rican cuisine. They are well represented on the menu here. For the Tostones Rellenos appetizer, they are formed in cup shapes and filled with chicken softrito, shrimp criolo, ropa vieja or picadillo.
Tostones, by nature, are bland and heavy, and we could only nibble a bit around the edges, but all the fillings were savory with just an edge of spiciness.
They do a sensational Ceviche Mixto here. The seafood components – shrimp, octopus, scallops and calamari – are marinated in lime juice with aji amarillo, cilantro and hot rocoto peppers, redolent of garlic. Maiz tostados – jumbo dried corn kernels – floating in a zippy sauce is served on the side. Although billed as an appetizer, the generous portion would make a perfect summery main.
Of two entrées, we preferred the ropa vieja. It is the Cuban national dish and equivalent of grandma’s brisket if you call your gran “abuelita.” It’s a peppery and garlicky pot roast cooked in a tomato-based sauce until the meat shreds. The flavor was great here, but the consistency was a bit mushier than we would have preferred. It comes over rice and black beans.
Mahi mahi, a special, was executed with less confidence than the ropa. It was presented on a slab of tostone, slathered with a tomato coconut sauce. Unfortunately, the sauce lacked sufficient assertiveness to compensate for the bland fish. It was accompanied by a towering cone of rice with black beans.
We finished things off with a delightful flan. What’s not to love about flan?
The Bottom Line
Cabana is one of Forest Hills’ oldies but goodies. They’ve had time to get things right. The wait for a table is testimony to having inspired a loyal following. Their service is attentive, accommodating and thoroughly bilingual. If you’re a lover of Latino fare, or want to try something different, we suggest you salsa over to Cabana. Go on an off-hour if you don’t like waiting.
Suzanne Parker is the TimesLedger’s restaurant critic and author of “Eating Like Queens: A Guide to Ethnic Dining in America’s Melting Pot, Queens, N.Y.” She can be reached by e-mail at qnsfo
Cabana
107-10 70th Road, Forest Hills
(718) 263-3600
Price Range: Appetizers: $6.95-$16.95, Mains: $10.95-$23.95
Cuisine: Nuevo Latino/Cuban
Setting: Small space, colorful and lively
Service: Attentive, friendly
Hours: Lunch & Dinner seven days
Reservations: No
Alcohol: Full bar
Parking: Street (good luck), Valet on weekends
Dress: Casual
Children: Welcome
Music: Recorded
Takeout: Yes
Credit cards: Yes
Noise level: Noisy when busy
Handicap accessible: Yes
WIFI: No
