Get those fedoras ready folks because the Colours of Cuba have arrived at Crown Perth! From now through to September 17th there’s a great range of Cuban dishes featuring at various Crown restaurants, some very snazzy Cuban cocktails at the bars, salsa nights on Wednesdays and plenty of exciting prizes too.
So if you are hungry then embrace those Cuban flavours and the featured dishes which are just brimming with an abundance of Caribbean flair found at restaurants around Crown. There’s a Fiesta of Flavours happening with a few special dishes on offer at Carver’s Buffet and also some Caribbean inspiration at Junction Grill. Or you can head on over to Atrium Buffet where you’ll be swept away to Havana heaven with a creative selection of salads, mains and desserts. Oh the dessert! And to bring the fun in even further on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights the chefs will be firing up the oven and cooking up a suckling pig! Viva Cuba!
I can’t say I was all that familiar with Cuban food before heading along to the launch evening on Wednesday night, but I have to say that after the introduction I am a big fan! I got to try the lovely flavoursome dishes, from the magnificently moist fire roasted suckling pig (and the accompanying zesty pineapple salsa) to the black bean rice and the mojo steaks. And this was all before we ventured to the dessert offerings and tucked into an indulgent coconut cheesecake and a mojito tiramisu (it was so hard to pick just two!). There were also some wonderfully fresh and fruity ice cream flavours.
If you’re just looking for a beverage, you can say hello to Havana with a cheeky Mojito from Groove, Fusion and Mesh bars or up the luxury factor with a Hemmingway Daiquiri at La Vie, Lobby Lounge or Minq. I hadn’t actually realised that Mr Hemmingway found much of the inspiration for many of his best works in none other than Cuba. The things you learn! And I can say that it felt all kinds of glam to find a comfortable seat and watch the world go by with a Hemmingway Daiquiri in hand at La Vie. Fabulously zesty with plenty of kick. The fit out is so luxurious there!
The Merrywell is also getting in on the action with several fusion Cuban dishes, which showcase the fresh flavours and decadent spices of this Caribbean nation. There are also several lively cocktails available and they are poured straight from the jar, in keeping with the Merrywell’s preferred cocktail vessel. Fun, fresh, fruity! You’ve got your choice of the El Nacional or the La Floridita 🙂
I had been unsure whether I’d have any room left to sample the fun new dishes at the Merrywell, but thankfully the walk from La Vie across to the Merrywell was a brisk affair so my appetite was reinvigorated by the time we arrived. The two large jars of Cuban cocktails were so refreshing and devilishly easy drinking. And what I really like about the Cuban dishes they have on offer at the Merrywell is that they are quite light and ticking boxes on the fresh front. I am a long time Merrywell fan, but it is a dude food venue that sways on the side of fried, so having those beautiful fresh flavours worked so well and gave great contrast. Cuba was a welcome inclusion. The new dishes they have available include Aguacate Relleno de Atun, which is Spanish for avocado stuffed with tuna (and it’s amazing) or their Empanada Ropa Vieja or the “Guarapo” Ostra – a Spanish’d up oyster.
So once you’ve immersed yourself in Cuban flavours on the food and beverage front, it’s dancing time! Each Wednesday night at Groove (from August 20th to September 10th) from 8pm pop on those dancing shoes and you can swing and sway to the rhythmic sounds of Cuban tunes. Salsa dancers will be glittering up the dance floor, putting on live performances and making you wish for Salsa lessons. It was wonderful to sit and enjoy a mojito while watching the talented salsa dancers shake and shimmy in their sequins.
For all Crown Perth members there’s also the chance to win some great prizes during the Colour of Cuba month – you can find the details here.
I had a ball on my introduction to the Colours of Cuba at Crown, so perhaps if you, like me, don’t know too much about Cuba, then head along to Crown and try a few of their dishes and drinks and see if it’s time to book a visit to the Caribbean J
Thank you to Crown for the invitation to this fun event.
perthmunchkin 
I liked all the pictures. Nicely put up, I am coming..:-)