The Mango Lassie

There is something wonderful about a restaurant that has a signature dish called the “plato comunista.” A simple, but hearty combination of black beans, rice, yuca con mojo and a salad, it’s easy to imagine the proletariat sitting down to sup. It also happens to be a delicious dish, which I’ve ordered a number of times at Pambiche, a magnificent and affordable Cuban restaurant in Portland.

My paternal grandfather was a card-carrying Communist, so I guess you could call me a red diaper grandchild. Communist or capitalist, it’s hard to resist this place. I took my parents and sister there when I was in Portland the week after New Year’s.

Despite his Commie roots, Daddy Salmon is still something of a glutton for the luxurious (at least when it comes to sweets). He ordered a batido de plátano, or banana milkshake, which was something of a meal in itself. It was thick and creamy, with a strong banana flavor. Eating a sandwich here with, fried plantain chips and a milkshake like this on the side is like the Cuban version of the burger, fries and a shake. I ordered a glass of Cubanisimo Vineyard’s Pinot Noir. It’s an Oregon wine made in the Willamette Valley by a Cuban winemaker who apparently intended it to pair with Cuban food. Indeed, its smooth, fruitiness paired nicely with my meal.

We started with a plate of croquetas de bacalao con papa. Crispy on the outside and filled with a seamless blend of dried saltcod and warm potatoes, these came with a spicy dipping sauce, but were also tasty on their own. I had a dish by the same name when I lived in Spain, but those were usually in round ball shapes or cakes, while these were longer and more tubular. And in Spain, of course, there would never be a spicy dipping sauce. The Cubans definitely take it up a notch in that respect.

My entree was another dish I enjoyed while in Spain. It’s called ropa vieja (“old clothes”) because it was originally made with leftover meat. This rendition was garlic-laden shredded beef, mixed with onions and green peppers with a garnish of pimientos and peas. It comes with four slices of crusty toast and a side of Cuban beans (red beans made with bacon) and rice. It was a delicious meal, but I found the toast a little disappointing. It was hard and a little dry and lacked the lovely chewiness of well-made toast. I would have certainly been plenty fully without it. As is was, I finished my meal feeling stuffed.

That may have happened in part because I tried bites of each of my family members’ dishes. The hands down winner: Flava Flav’s “pollo criollo.” It was a large, incredibly tender piece of chicken, braised in a traditional tangy Creole sauce. It came with rice, beans and tostones, crispy slices of fried plantain. The tostones are great dipped in banana ketchup, an Asian sauce, popular in the Philippines and Cuba, made from bananas, sugar, vinegar and red food coloring. I’ve read that the Japanese brought it to the Caribbean during their occupation of the Philippines.

Just as his name suggests, Daddy Salmon couldn’t stay away from the fish. He ordered “pan con pescado,” a Cuban fish sandwich made with marinated red snapper, grilled red onions, avocado and mayonnaise on a toasted Cuban. The fish was tender and gained a lot of flavor from the marinade, the mayonnaise and the oily toasted side of the bread. This dish also came with tostones.

Mango Mama ordered ajiaco, a sort of stew filled with tropical roots and vegetables, cornbread dumplings and Creole-seasoned pork and beef. This was a beautiful dish to behold and had a very interesting flavor profile. Still, Mango Mama and I agreed that the pieces of sweet corn and the cornbread made the dish taste far too sweet. It was sorely in need of a kick of spice or salt. The inventive Mango Mama solved this problem by adding some of the spicy chili sauce to the broth. A decided improvement!

At this point, we all felt sure we could eat no more. But Pambiche is known for it’s bakery and desserts, including everything from a fabulous tres leches cake to empanandas dulces, or sweet, fruit-filled empanadas (perfect for my sweet Empanada Boy). Daddy Salmon agreed to help us out with the heavy lifting, so we bit the bullet and ordered arroz con leche, a beautiful rice pudding, with raisins, lemon zest and cinnamon, served in a crispy almond florentina shell.

I left feeling very full, but I know I’ll be back soon. Indeed, Pambiche is best in the summer months when its outdoor dining tables are in full swing. Sitting outside, sipping a beer and eating rice and beans on a warm summer evening makes even soggy Portland feel a little closer to Havana.

Pambiche
2811 NE Glisan
Portland, OR 97232
503.233.0511