Calle Dao is your next discovery of tasty bites and cocktails to try. The restaurant is a Cuban-Chinese restaurant located in the heart of Chelsea Manhattan with a relaxed and warm ambiance, good vibes and of course good food.
For this restaurant feature, I started off with a few dishes that were both recommended and of preferred choice. First up was the Papas Rellenas, cuban beef picadillo croquette, chopped sofrito, and garlic aioli. The bite is traditionally popular in Latin America. It's usually made with plantains and flour, but Calle Dao used potatoes for texture. This was delicious by way of seasoning, texture and the sauce provided...oh and presentation was nice as well. Highly recommended.
Next up was the Shrimp Wontons with citrus soy sauce, chili oil with soybeans...OMG it's so good. This is a must try in combo with the Papas Rellenas, especially during brunch, and/or happy hour if you're looking for a small bite with drinks. Then came the crispy duck with baos. The dish includes a crispy duck leg, hoisin sauce, scallions, chinese pickles and steamed bao buns. It's been a minute since I've had duck, so there weren't any recent dishes to compare the taste to, however it was pleasant to the palate with the hoisin sauce. I really, really loved the steamed bao buns.
If you're feeling adventurous, try their crispy pig ears....sichuan spice, and garlic aioli. They look like fries that you can dip into the sauce it comes with. They are traditionally served in central china, usually steamed, but Calle Dao remixed it to the crispy texture. It was tasty, felt a little weird like "crispy pig ears tho?!" but overall it wasn't bad.
the EATS
on to THE DRINKS...
Three of Calle Dao's signature cocktails were tasted.
Ahumada: (served in a margarita style glass)
Mezcal, Chartreuse, Pomegranate, Lemon...this was a pretty drink, and if I remember correctly, this was a good drink too...I like a good mezcal + anything pomegranate drink.
The Revolution: Spicy (served in a martini glass)
Habanero Infused Tequila, Ginger Liqueur, Absinthe, Sweet Corn, Pineapple Juice, Agave, Fresh Lemon Juice....I'd say of the three this tops everything.
MAX VER: if you're a gin lover, you'll find this to be a little bold, you can taste the gin...presentation was meh in terms of garnishes.
Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, White Peach, Shiso Leaves, Agave Syrup, Fresh Lime Juice
DESSERT
So after all this, was there room for dessert? You bet ya!
Here comes the Chilled Dulce De Leche Souffle...with Mango Coulis, Biscuit, Lechera Whipped Cream. This was a great selection from the dessert menu, highly recommended.
the VIBES
So there you have it, another great find in Chelsea Manhattan.
Map It" 📍461 West 23rd Street.
Hope you enjoyed the read. Until next time, thanks for reading LALOVE blog, your vertical that’s here to inspire, share and/or entertain with my experiences.
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xo-
Latain
lifestyle editor/content creator
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