Alma de Cuba

This upscale Cuban-American restaurant boasts a large selection of excellent ceviche as well as a number of tantalizing entrees that promise bold flavors. How they actually delivered on such promises will remain a bit of a mystery to this reviewer as I stuck with the ceviche on this occasion: specifically the "Rainbow Ceviche." This specimen was composed of tuna, salmon and black bass, all of which tasted quite fresh. The fish was marinated in lime juice and combined with a few sliced jalapenos and what seemed to be an occasional tangerine slice.

While both the jalapeno and citrus fruit worked exceedingly well with the raw fish, I found the flavor often overwhelmed by the healthy dose of soy sauce which nearly overpowered the subtle flavors of the fish. I am a huge fan of raw fish and was disappointed that they failed to present the delicacy of it. If I had wanted to have a mouthful of soy sauce flavored ambiguity I would have gone to the nearest Chinese food court for a fraction of the price.

That said, I did manage to get a few bites that had missed the soy soaking and those were quite enjoyable. The peppers in particular were a nice addition, providing an occasional change of pace from the sweet and sour with just a touch of heat. The dish was topped with crunchy shoe-string sweet potatoes which added an aesthetic element as well as a contrasting texture to the soft fish. Its contribution to the flavor, however, was not noticeable, and therefore left me underwhelmed.

The atmosphere was fun and just a little formal with well suited music with volume that, at times, made conversation difficult. Service was quite good and the food came with little wait. Overall, Alma de Cuba provided an enjoyable evening and I look forward to trying some of the other menu items.