Serving Cuban Chinese fusion in homage to the Chinese community that was once thriving in the Cuban capital, Havana, Calle Dao is not unknown to me. Cuban Chinese is not that common and people are always surprised when I mention such restaurant, forgetting that the long closed La Caridad was quite popular in New York at some point, being even mentioned in shows like Seinfeld. But Calle Dao is a bit different than La Caridad, a level above when it comes to dishes…and prices. Their black rice paella ($37) has been on the menu for years and is surely not to be missed with its clams, shrimp, calamari, mojo rojo and crema, in which you can add a grilled miso butter lobster (+$15) to make it even more decadent. If like me, you love lobster, you can get their lobster noodles ($39) that lobster is in miso butter with crispy shallots, shiitake mushroom, pepper, onions, Chinese broccoli and sautéed lo mein Noodles. What I would surely not miss is their fantastic Cuban fried rice ($30), that is one of my favorites, made with shrimp, pulled pork, Spam, maduros, onion, bell pepper, egg, and cilantro crema. Every bite is packed with different flavors from this surf and turf version of a classic Chinese dish. Each time we went, Jodi got their mushroom noodles ($29), that are shiitake mushrooms served with Chinese broccoli and Lo Mein noodles, dressed in garlic hoisin sauce. This is a great vegetarian dish, comforting and flavorful. For appetizers, I love their crispy shiitake wonton ($14), another vegetarian dish, and their tostones ($10), served with house mojo sauce, that you can find in the sides section. For desserts, we just tried their tres leches ($13) that is really good, perfectly soaked in this delightful three milk melange. I should mention their cocktails that change from time to time. My favorite was the Clave ($10) that was made with rum and coffee, but is unfortunately not anymore on the menu. But the Opium ($19), made with bourbon, tamarind, Ruby Red grapefruit, lemon and poppy seeds is worth a try.

Overall, a meal at Calle Dao is always a good experience: the food and drinks are good and original. I recommend you get a reservation though as it can be crowded, especially on Friday night. If not, it is worth the wait…

Enjoy (I did)!

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Calle Dao Bryant Park - 38 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018

Calle Dao Bryant Park

Gotan in Hoboken, NJ