Above: the “yucatecos” tostones at Casabe 305 (all photos by CJ)
By Alexander Britell
MIAMI — The meal was over. The espresso was down to the last drop. And then the cheesecake came.
It didn’t look like cheesecake; it was a dark, golden brown, more like its floured counterparts — like a muffin.
It was called the Torta De Queso Caraquena, known as the dessert specialty of the city of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
And it was a taste I had never experienced.
It was the rarest kind of pleasure — to taste a truly new taste. You can travel most of the world and try unknown dishes, but most are still comprised of familiar component flavours. You may not be accustomed to the organization, but you understand it.
This was something far-off, at a stop on the sweet-savory spectrum my palate had never visited.
Of course, the brilliance of the dish extended to the rest of the meal at Casabe 305, a “Venezuelan-Caribbean fusion” eatery on a strip in Miami called Coral Way, which is full of wonderful, under-the-radar restaurants.
The restaurant, helmed by Venezuelan Chef Diego Texera, says it focuses on bringing together food from around the Caribbean, from seafood to Puerto Rican mofongo.
It’s set in an old house, giving the feeling of sitting down inside an old friend’s home.
Of course, it’s often forgotten that Venezuela, too, is on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, making the marriage work quite well.
Our meal at Casabe 305 began with a tremendous tostones “yucatecos,” followed by some of the best duck breast I’ve ever had: exquisitely prepared, with a fascinating tamarind-peanut sauce.
Each dish was colourfully, beautifully presented.
And then, of course, was the Torta De Queso Caraquena, which lifted the meal to a different stratum.
In a city where restaurants are more and more like each other, this bistro in a 1930s house was refreshing.
It was something new.