I recently returned from my 5th visit to Cuba-This time I visited Santa Clara, famous for Che's tomb. I do recommend visiting the town for this and other historic sites.
However, I recommend travellers AVOID the Mandarin Chinese Restaurant.
Service was slow-took almost 30 minutes to be served. Staff showed the bored/indifferent attitude towards customers sadly found in certain state-owned enterprises.
The food there was TERRIBLE. The chicken chop suey was basically strips of chicken in a runny sauce more like a soup. When I asked for the white rice, the waitress surprisingly said that "traditional chinese food only serves fried rice on the side". That fried rice was tasteless with only a few tiny miserable bits of chopped green vegetables thrown in.
For the health concerned tourist wanting to avoid local water and only consume bottled beverages, the only thing available was lukewarm beer.
The only good thing I have to say about it is that I did NOT get food poisoning. It's a safe assumption that there are no chinese cubans on staff. It is what an unimaginative and dispirited staff imagine to be "chinese" cuisine. Not even good enough for one half star. Caveat emptor.
If every Cuban restaurant with bad food and slow service was listed on this forum the Thorn Tree servers would overheat and the entire site would crash.
Cheers,
Terry
Funny how the only food i actually like other than grandma's or my mother in law are the $5 pizzas on the streets, they taste A LOT better than El rapido's.
Hey Terry, going to visit me on July?
Bad Food In Cuban Restaurant!
Dog Bites Man!
And the winner for the most news worthy headline is?
Consider yourself extremely lucky ...
There is a story told of a Russian visiting Havana during El Periodo Especial, who went to Barrio Chino for dinner. After looking at the menu, the waiter El (ubiquitous) Chinito came to take his order.
“I’ll have the “arroz con pollo” (chicken and rice)”, said the Russian. “So sorry, se acabó (there is none)”, said El Chinito.
“Then, I’ll have the “boliche” (pot roast)”, said the Russian. “So sorry, se acabó (there is none)”, said El Chinito.
“Well, then, I’ll have the “morros y cristianos con carne puerco” (black beans and rice with pork)”, said the Russian. “So sorry, se acabó (there is none)”, said El Chinito.
Becoming frustrated at the apparent food shortages, the Russian asked, “Well, what do you have?”
“Carne de lata”, replied El Chinito.
“Well, I’ve lived on that for years in Russia, just bring me some”, muttered the Russian.
Having been brought his dinner, the Russian begins eating, chokes on the vile taste of the food, spits it out and exclaims, “This is horrible! What is this?”
“Carne de lata”, replied El Chinito.
“Yes, I know…carne de lata (meat from a can). But what kind of meat? Beef, lamb, chicken, pork?”
“Carne de lata”, replied El Chinito. “Lata, lata…¡mama del latonsito!”
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