Cuban Lunch at Delux

In comparison to the numerous new restaurants on the Ossington strip, Delux (Twitter: @DeluxRestaurant, Facebook: Delux Restaurant) can certainly be considered an established staple. For five years now, Delux has been offering diners a French dinner menu and a Cuban lunch / brunch menu. No, Delux is not fusion of Cuban and French; think of Delux as being a Cuban restaurant during the day and a French restaurant at night. This particular mix of cuisine actually stems from chef Corinna Mozo's background - chef Mozo wanted to open a restaurant which pays homage to her Cuban heritage, as well as her schooling at the Stratford Chefs School where she acquired her classical French techniques (she also grew up in Montreal). This peculiar combination of cuisines may seem odd to some people, but seriously, who cares? What matters is this: after five years, Delux is still going strong, which means they are doing something right! To celebrate their five-year milestone, Delux is offering a special dinner menu of their most popular dishes at reduced prices; appetizers are $10, mains are $20, and desserts are $5. This anniversary menu ends at the end of the month so I suggest you hurry your a$$ up and check it out.

As you may (or may not) know, I hardly eat out for lunch but I was pretty stoked about lunch at Delux, simply because I've heard so much about it (especially their Cubano sandwich!) 

We wanted mojitos but they didn't have any (ran out?) so we ordered mimosas instead. My friends had coffee as well.

CONCH FRITTERS ($8)

CUBAN MEDIANOCHE - Cider cured pork shoulder, ham and gruyere on a fresh baked soft bun ($8)

CUBAN DINNER - Roast pork, rice and beans, plantains, salad ($14)

FRIED RIPE PLANTAINS ($4)

PRESSED CUBANO ($10)

CUBAN CREME BRULEE ($5)

DONUTS ($5)

The conch fritters, with finely diced conch incorporated into its light, doughy batter, were soft and fluffy but perhaps a bit on the bland side (this was easily fixed by the dip). I couldn't leave Delux without having their signature Cubano sandwich, which turned out to be friggin' delicious. Filled with cured pork shoulder, ham, gruyere, grainy mustard, cornichons, red onions and chipotle mayo, all tucked between two slices of perfectly grilled bread, this pressed Cubano sandwich was just off the charts! A much more interesting side than plain ol' fries, I also loved the fried plantains, which were naturally soft and sweet. We ended lunch with the Cuban creme brulee and donuts. Creamy with a hint of coffee flavour, we all really liked the Cuban creme brulee. The donuts, served hot and lightly dusted with sugar, were incredibly tasty with the dulce de leche and cream.