Habana Libre
1440 W. Chicago Ave.Chicago, IL 60642
West Town/Noble Square
312-243-3303
www.habanalibrerestaurant.com
Hours: Lunch, dinner: seven days
Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11
Our Review
Frying is fundamental to Cuban cuisine; at Habana Libre techniques are modified to match each foodstuff: fibrous yuca is slightly browned, chicken flash-fried to crispiness, smoky croquettes bronzed, empanadas served flaky and light as tempura. Mildly spiced and satisfying, this food is clean tasting and alive. Our coctel de camarones was a saladlike mound of just-cut tomato and onion popping with perky shrimps. In ropa vieja--the best we’ve had in Chicago--chunks of sweet pepper infused thick, beefy threads with flavor, the slight sweetness balancing the big meaty taste. Lechon, suckling pig, was so fresh and moist we were glad to revisit it in our Cuban sandwich, where it nestled between sliced cheese and ham with pickles, pressed a la plancha, flattened on the griddle. Juicy oxtails doused with criollo sauce paired well with classic moros y cristianos, black beans and rice. Pineapple sorbet, served in a baby pineappple half, was the cutest dessert ever.
Price: $
Payment Type: MasterCard, Visa
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