A taste of Havana in Ubud

Chriswan Sungkono, Contributor, Ubud, Bali | Thu, 07/14/2011 7:00 AM

Cuban ambience: A visitor sits at Cafe Havana in Ubud, Bali. Certainly the only eatery in Ubud that specializes in Cuban cuisine, Cafe Havana expresses an undoubted penchant for all things Cuban. JP/Chriswan SungkonoSometimes I can’t help thinking that Hispanophones are just madly in love with their carefree way of life.

Take the word “salsa”. Spanish in origin, the word can take on three distinct, although related, meanings: the spicy sauce, the music that’s perfect for dancing and finally, the lively national dance of Cuba. Three meanings, one fundamental sense: pleasure.

In short, salsa is the epitome of authentic Cuban decadence. No word better describes the uniquely Cuban way to enjoy la vida. And, you can count on Hispanophones to add a dash of spice to your life; they’re good at injecting verve into the soul. Because even a political revolution — a normally serious enterprise — can be made saucy if you pick the right folks, the Cubans, that is.

This is the message that Cafe Havana, a cute and classy establishment on Jl. Dewi Sita in Ubud wants to convey to its patrons. Here, “Viva la Salsa Revólución!” is the dictum painted in large red letters on the wall facing the narrow stairway. Scrawled below monochromatic renderings of Ché Guevara and Fidel Castro hedonistically dragging on a cigar, this “propagandist” slogan appears to have been uttered by those two charismatic, world-changing figures themselves.

Long known as the melting pot of the world’s culinary styles, from Turkish to Belgian to traditional, as well as home to some of the nation’s top tables, Bali’s global village of Ubud never runs out of ideas for amusing eager gastronomes. And the saucy life — Caribbean-style — is yours to experience, too.

Certainly the only eatery in Ubud that specializes in Cuban cuisine, Cafe Havana is expressing an undoubted penchant for all things Cuban. It makes a substantial effort to give its guests a thoroughly Cuban dining experience. That Ubud’s characteristic lazy days and tranquil evenings are filled with an unending playlist of Caribbean music goes without saying.

Stepping inside, passing through a pretty alfresco dining section canopied by antique birdcages and lush foliage (the setting reminiscent of the entrance to a Spanish garden), visitors are greeted by two waitresses wearing dark-colored berets with bright red stars — Ché’s signature headgear.

Inside, besieged by wooden dining tables and the bar, three couples sashay, a little bashfully, to the upbeat salsa music.

A salsa and rueda (a round dancing variant of salsa) dance class is taking place, and even some of the staff join the dance without hesitation. It’s four in the afternoon, the guests are few, but this place is already buzzing with verve.

We chose the corner sofa, under a larger-than-life photograph of Ché (not tired of him just yet), with a view of the novice dancers. The table is replete with reading materials that offer a glimpse into various aspects of Cuban life, from finely printed photographic coffee table, books about Cuban arts and culture to a period novel set in its capital, the Cafe’s namesake.

But it’s not just the décor trying to recreate the feel of Havana, once dubbed the “Paris of the Caribbean”, but also the menu.

For starters, we order some tapas: empanadas and papas rellenos. The former, popular as pastel in Indonesia, comes in three flavors: spicy beef, pumpkin and black bean and jalapeño cheese. The latter are round balls of potato with crispy skin and savory picadillo (minced beef) inside.

Our next dish was more Mexican than Cuban: prosciutto and rosemary cheese quesadillas. The quesadillas, soft and silky, exploded in the mouth thanks to the molten cheese and thinly sliced ham, chased down by the herby tang from the rosemary sprinkles.

Those easily tempted by booze should tread cautiously to the bar, which sports a colorful mural on the back wall (again featuring Ché, definitely the Big Brother here). A fairly extensive range of drinks is on offer at the bar, from innocuous mocktails such as the sweet-and-sour tamarindo or granitas to potentially lethal libations, of which the bracingly ice-cold mojito is most notorious.

For a proper dinner, the second floor’s concept differs completely. Where the first floor is all about insouciance and spontaneity, the lavishly decorated dining hall
upstairs, with its classic candelabras and elegant wine glasses, offers a more formal — even regal — atmosphere.

This is “Castro’s Table”, which promises to transport its patrons to “another time and place” — a lounge in pre-revolutionary Havana. Black-and-white historical photographs — some of Castro, others depicting scenes from the Cuban Revolution — combine with the furniture to conjure up the glorious moments of Cuba’s past.

The seafood chowder, one of the two dishes we have for dinner, is immensely satisfying. Containing a rich variety of seafood, including chunks of fish, slivers of squid
and prawn, the soup is complemented by the delectably creamy stock and the intense flavors of spices and herbs.

The name of the second dish, ropa vieja, or “old clothes” in Spanish, doesn’t immediately whet the appetite, but its succulence more than makes up for its unattractive name — a delightful slowly simmered beef stew with black beans, rice, fried banana, fresh onions and bell peppers.

The connection to old clothes? According to legend (passed on by a waiter), a man who was hard-pressed to feed his family in desperation boiled up his old clothes to make soup. But such was this man’s love for his family that his soup of old clothes was magically transformed into this stew.

With such a dish and the setting, one feels like royalty. For those who want extra pampering, the Cafe can transport you to the restaurant, free of charge, from anywhere in Ubud, in its bright red-and-white 1950s Cadillac. Now there’s some saucy style.

Cafe Havana
Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud
Tel.: (0361) 972 973