Mad about the Mofongo ...

Café Con Leche is a charming café that serves robust and generous portions of authentic Cuban, Caribbean, and Latin American home-style dishes at very reasonable prices. The atmosphere is casual and friendly, very reminiscent of a childhood friend’s home, as the aroma originate from the kitchen and waft through the restaurant, totally inviting and comforting.

On my recent visit, I had the classic mofongo and fell in love. This is a hearty dish made from fried green plantains, then mashed with garlic, then shaped snowball-like and filled with bits of chicharrones (crispy pork). As I dug my fork into this heaping mound of golden mashed goodness, this amazing sauce oozed from it, like lava from a slow bubbling volcano spilling over the side and onto the dish that was perfectly showered with bits of crispy pork. The sauce was so flavorful and very well seasoned and can only stem from the sofrito (a versatile, aromatic puree of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, onions, and garlic) which is the foundation for many dishes in Latin America. We sat savoring every bite, and every bite had the right consistency and texture, soft, then a crunch from the crispy pork, and the sauce - totally rounded out all the flavors.

Mofongo is very popular dish in Puerto Rican cuisine as well as Dominican cuisine. As you can imagine, both claim mofongo to be their own. In my research, both cuisines share the same roots: Taino, African and Spanish. Both countries have Middle Eastern and Chinese immigrants, as well as European influences, apart from the Spanish. In the mid 19th Century, varying economic and political changes caused an influx of Corsicans to immigrate to Puerto Rico. Later influences might have varied, but Puerto Rico has a much stronger U.S. influence and the Dominican Republic with neighboring Haiti.

In actuality mofongo is a word of African descent. So, here is the million dollar question: Do we really need to know the origin of monfongo? All I want to know is that it is sometimes cooked with bits of bacon, sometimes filled with chicken, shrimp, or even beef and that it is readily available to me for consumption. I would welcome all variations and can’t wait to try mofongo in my upcoming trip to Puerto Rico!

There is something for everyone here to try at Café Con Leche, the menu is very extensive – from great appetizers, sandwiches perfect for sharing, to entrees and salads. They have a full bar and lots of specialty drinks, and the Mojitos are a must.

P.S. We also ordered the Camarones Al Pilon...which is shrimp in a garlic sauce over mashed plaintains, this was featured swimming in a green sauce with lots of good sized shrimp floating about. This was equally as delicious! Stop in and have a taste for yourself.

Café Con Leche
726 Amsterdam Ave., 212-678-7000
424 Amsterdam Ave., 212-595-7000
http://cafeconlechenyc.com/