The Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants In Miami: Vegan Cuban Cuisine
Hey babes,
Coming back from Costa Rica has really made me appreciate a lot about my life in Miami: my store, my family, paved roads for rollerskating, and really good vegan restaurants. Of course, I maintained my plant-based lifestyle in Costa Rica. And during my time in Costa Rica, I pretty much ate what I normally do here in Miami. But vegan food in Miami has one thing that it doesn’t in Costa Rica: variety.
Living in Miami, there are so many different types of vegan restaurants, from taquerias to Asian fusion joints. So, I thought I’d shed some light and review a relatively “newish” vegan restaurant close to the shop: Vegan Cuban Cuisine.
Vegan Cuban Cuisine is one of my new favorite Cuban restaurants
I’d heard about Vegan Cuban Cuisine for a while, but recently, I decided I’d give it a go. I will admit it is a bit of a drive if you’re not in the Kendall area. But, the food is awesome. And if ropa vieja, croquetas, and chicharrones are the only things keeping you from going plant-based, well, Vegan Cuban Cuisine has the answer.
Vegan Cuban Cuisine started way before its ventanita opened. At first, the restaurant only sold its croquetas to Aguacate Sanctuary of Love, Ali’s Sweets and Treats, Manna Life Food, and other vegan-friendly restaurants in Miami. But after expanding its menu, Vegan Cuban Cuisine started popping up in some local farmer’s markets.
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vegan Cuban Cuisine survived by delivering vegan Cuban food all across Miami-Dade county. And last September, Vegan Cuban Cuisine opened up a small storefront on 9640 SW 72nd St., Miami, Fla.
The ventanita serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so you can satisfy all your Cuban cravings no matter the time of day. I stopped by and picked up some food right before going into the shop, so I sampled some of the lunch/dinner menu.
Heart eyes for that Vegan Papa Rellena
I started out by ordering the Papa Rellena and yuquitas for appetizers. And all I can say is “Wow.” The Papa Rellena, a fried potato ball stuffed with soy picadillo is the stuff vegan dreams are made of. The outside is breaded in panko bread crumbs and fried to golden perfection. And as you bite into it, your palate is overwhelmed with flavor from the soy picadillo.
After the Papa Rellena, I followed up with the yuquitas, bite-size pieces of fried yucca. Fried yucca is much the same everywhere, but I liked that the yucca here is cut into smaller pieces, so you get a perfect crunch with each bite. The vegan garlic cilantro sauce that comes with the yucca is creamy and has just the right amount of kick.
#miamivegan
For my main meal, I ordered the Cubano sandwich with plantain chips. Served on vegan Cuban-style bread and made with jackfruit pulled Lechon Asada, organic plant-based ham, vegan cheese, vegan mayo, mustard and organic pickles, the Cubano sandwich allows vegans everywhere to experience real Cuban culture without ditching their lifestyles. The sandwich is perfectly put together with the right amount of each ingredient, and the pickles and mustard complement the savoriness of the “meat” rather than “drown” out their flavor.
#vegancubancuisine
Overall, I would recommend Vegan Cuban Cuisine for those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking anything and want some good Cuban comfort food. Also, I think it’s funny because before now I had never really had some Cuban dishes. I remember growing up and always seeing empanadas in gas stations, and I never got to try one because they always had meat in them. But now with Vegan Cuban cuisine, everyone can try a bit of authentic Cuban food.
Also, remember that just because something is vegan doesn’t mean that it’s healthy. The Papa Rellena may be filled with soy picadillo, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t deep-fried. But, I can say that I will most definitely be back to Vegan Cuban Cuisine when I need a little taste of fried comfort.
Vegan Cuban Cuisine is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Be sure to check out its website to discover all of the other amazing food it serves. And you can also place a delivery or pick-up order at vegancubancuisine.com.
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