Mojitos Restaurant & Rum Bar, Pasadena

Where Los Angeles has a Mexican restaurant on virtually every
corner, what I can't find is a variety of Cuban eateries.

There are dozens of tiny Cuban places serving a culinary mix that sounds wholly outlandish and tastes remarkably good. In the same way that there are few Mexican places, there are only a handful of Cuban restaurants in Los Angeles. I just discovered Mojito Restaurant in Pasadena, and I loved it! If you like Mexican food, you will love Cuban food, and Mojito is truly one of the best Cuban places I've been lately!

This is an excellent and authentic Cuban restaurant and remarkably affordable. Until Castro goes away, this is as close to Havana as most of us will ever get. In Southern California, the dominant Cuban restaurant is Versailles. It's impossible to write about Cuban cooking in Los Angeles without mentioning the obsessive cult following that flocks to the four branches of Versailles (including one in Manhattan Beach) for the garlic chicken. I've eaten there dozens of times. And like most everyone else, it's the garlic chicken I order. And it was the garlic chicken I ordered as well at the latest challenger to arise for the title o top Cuban eatery in Southern California.

The Menu is impressive, not only in range and variety, but in the quality of several dishes, portions are generous, and again prices extremely reasonable. With the
perfect lighting, hip music and a cool contemporary decor, you are sure
to find everything you are looking for at Mojitos Restaurant.

Perhaps more than any other Latin American cuisine, Cuban cooking reflects
its Spanish heritage. Take the seafood, for instance. Here, as it is
traditionally. The Paella Valenciana is amazing!

Millionaire Mojito Watermelon Mojito

We started by seating at their fabulous bar, where they serve fresh Sugar Cane juice and also in their drinks, which I love it! They make the best mojitos you will ever try! Try their special Mojito, known as the best Mojito in Los Angeles, is made with Bacardi Light Rum, fresh lime, fresh mint and cane juice squeezed fresh at the bar!

Their extensive bar also includes the Cuba Libre and Sangria, along with flavored Mojitos made with fresh fruit, and many special martinis and rum drinks. Mojitos'
Rum List includes 44 rums from 13 countries! A perfect way to sample these
is with one of several Rum Flights. Their extensive wine list includes the
finest wines from California and around the world.

Corn Chowder Blue Crab Salad

As usually, we started with a selection of appetizers, which were to die for!
The Corn Chowder was perfect, sweet and light, and what a great soup.

I had the Blue Crab Salad, which was good to be shared. Made with lump crab, tomatoes and avocado on a bed of organic baby geens with a cilantro
pesto dressing, it was deliciously done and fresh.

Corn Crusted Calamari

The appetizers were all fantastic! I can't tell
you which one I prefer, because we tried them all, and
enjoyed them all. Theblue Corn Crusted Calamari was one of the best
we've tried. With tomato aioli and cilantro aioli. The calamaris were crispy and light!

Corn Crusted Dungeness Crab Cake

The Corn Crusted Dungeness Crab Cake was also a great appetizer, with apple, jicama slaw, black forest ham and chorizo remoulade, delicioso! The Spicy
Duck Ropa Vieja, another winner, and a very typical food in Cuba.
The shredded duck, manchego corn cake an dmarinate Cuban
styles tomatoes were perfectly done and tasty.

Camarones with Achiote Grill

The Camarones with achiote grill, over white bean
hummus with chili enchilada sauce was superb.

I must say that by now, we were getting full… but the dinner was so delicious and
we had to keep going and we were looking forward to our amazing entrees.

Chilean Sea Bass on Corn Guizo

The Chilean Sea Bass on Corn Guizo, was truly authentic. Crispy corn crut,
poblano goat cheese mashed potatoes and tomato corn stew. If you love
Sea Bass like I do, you will feel that this dish is worth it trying.

Fried Yuca Platanos Maduros Fritos

I wanted to try it with one of their sides, the Fried Yuca, which was perfectly done and again, the best I ever had. I am a Yoca conosseur since I came from Brazil,
and Yuca over there is very popular as well. Also the Platanos Maduros
fritos, were deliciously done and very tender!

Porterhouse Pork Steak

Other typical items include the special of the night: a Porterhouse Pork and the Churrasco Nicaraguense, with Garlic marinated steak and wild mushrooms,
black corn sauce and roasted garlic potatoe puree. If you are looking for
meat and poultry, there's a wide assortment of familiar beef items
as well as typical Cuban pork dishes. Steaks are exceptionally
low priced and taste rather unusual.

Churrasco Nicaraguense with garlic marinated steak and wild mushrooms

For dessert, there is the Chocolate Soufle Bread Pudding, which you must allow
about 30 minutes for preparation. I guess I do not need to say that it was
another splendid creation, that was the perfect topper to our fine meal.

Chocolate Soufle Bread Pudding

If anyone should ever need a good reason to venture off the beaten track in
search of a great, 'undiscovered' restaurant in the Pasadena area, I
can certainly assure them that Mojitos Restaurant is it!

For map and location click Here!

For more information please visit their website at http://www.mojitosrestaurant.com

Today is: Wednesday, April 24, 2024