You are traveling to a place where English is a second language. One has to imagine that the locals are the best ones to ask when it comes to “getting around” town without getting ripped off for food and drink. So, we asked our taxi driver, “what's good to eat around here?”
“Mofongo!” the cab driver shouted out loud and seemingly in anger. “Same to you!” Betsy and I thought.
“...and the best place for mofongo is Cafe Puerto Rico at Calle O'Donnell, 208 San Juan (Puerto Rico),” the driver continued in his near perfect English.
Cafe Puerto Rico is a cozy little, bi-level restaurant on O'Donnell Street next to Plaza Colon featuring menu items that are prepared at the time the order is taken. The food there is fresh and delicious; especially their signature dish - mofongo rellenos.
Mofongo is a fried plantain-based dish native to Puerto Rican cuisine. It is typically made with fried green plantains mashed together with broth, garlic, olive oil, and bacon bits. It is often filled with vegetables, chicken, crab, shrimp, or beef and is usually served with fried meat and chicken broth.
At Cafe Puerto Rico, which is only a couple blocks from where most cruise ships dock, I chose the shrimp mofongo. Betsy had the chicken version. Both were equally well prepared and absolutely delicious.
So what is the taste like? Well, it's got the consistentcy of what one might call a "Plantain stuffing." The taste is rather Caribbean and unique with a hint of garlic and salt pork; balanced by a light Plantain sweetness - not too sweet, though. Of course, what you choose to put in it (i.e. chicken, beef, pork, seafood or vegetable) also influences the taste. The dish is considered a starch (Plantains), so take a calorie counting break this time around.
The Dish
Though the portions at Cafe Puerto Rico are sizable, the mofongos were so good that we left the place wanting more – knowing we probably would not find the awesome equivalent back in New Jersey.
Apparently, another past diner identified with our bigger-eyes-than-stomach lingering desire by sharing the following about this wonderful dinner entree:
“The mofongo was nothing less than heaven in my mouth! I wished I had two stomachs so I could order another one! (Well, as a woman...not really.) The plantains and fritters were yums as well but I was too full to finish them.”
The Place
From what we heard, this small and nondescript (inside)San Juan restaurant is probably best known throughout Puerto Rico for this particular dish. Not having tried these Spanish delights elsewhere in town, we will have to accept this nearly standard recommendation from the locals and other tourists. Coming off a cruise ship, it is certainly conveniently located. The square right outside the restaurant's door is filled with street vendors and music. It's a great place to pick up and smoke a hand-rolled cigar to walk around with. Nothing says "that was a great meal" better than a fresh cigar rolled right before your eyes.
Pricing for mofongos at Cafe Puerto Rico range from $10 for vegetable mofongos to $24 for the seafood filled ones. By the way, the restaurant has a very extensive menu filled with many Spanish and Caribbean choices. We are not able to recommend any of these other dishes, since we only dined at the Cafe one night. General reviews on the food served there are mixed, but our experience with the mofongo dishes was positive. By the way, the service was a little slow (it was very busy), but the servers were very pleasant and tried to be accommodating whenever we asked for something.
Again, the restaurant is rather small and centrally located, so if you go try making reservations or getting their early. As we were leaving, we noticed the wait getting longer. Apparently, this place is no longer a well kept secret to many out-of-towners.
Cafe Puerto Rico has a decent mixed drink, wine and beer menu; not overly impressive, but sufficient to choose from. There is also coffee and dessert available; that is if you are so inclined to enjoy an after dinner sweet. We hear that the Tres Leches is the favorite of most guests.
The Recipe
Want to try mofongos at home? We were unable to find a recipe from Cafe Puerto Rico, but we did come up with a video and recipe from an experienced Puerto Rican chef. Let us know how they come out.
Next time a taxi driver tell you to “go mofongo yourself,” take his words as a compliment and visit the Cafe Puerto Rico in San Juan for a wonderful dining experience.
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