Pepi Cubano

Pepi Cubano has that rare distinction of being a fast food joint which both my parents actually like. Not a fan of chorizo but the chimichuri sauce complemented it perfectly, making the Tito Choripan my fave alongside the Pan de Bistec. I'm also a sucker for citrus juices so the Guava Lemonade was simply the cherry on top.

Great bread! Good filling, but too little of it. The Pepi Cubano tasted exactly like they serve it at their original branch in Legaspi Village.

I was happy to hear it found investors to make widespread expansion at several malls. They've lowered prices, which I think explains my experience. I'd rather they increased the price a bit. They might find people are willing to spend for it.

I’m happy to know that they’ve now expanded to malls. And if I’m not mistaken, the price is lower than the one at their stand alone store at Makati. I had the Pan de Pollo while my brother got the Pepi Cubano.

Cubanos are just like flattended paninis with its outer layer spreaded with butter. I usually go for the Pan de Pollo before but the Pepi Cubano tastes better. I’ll go for that next time. One serving is good enough to share. I also tried the Guava Lemonade. It has a weird aftertaste but I kind of liked it.

They share the place with Paper Moon and have a few seats available for dine in customers.

Had their classic Pepi Cubano. The Cubano was beautifully seared in both sides. The filling was thick slices of meat. Filling and delicious.

Cubano/Cuban sandwiches are hard to find in Manila. Legit Cubano sandwiches even harder sat that. Thankfully we have Pepi Cubano to thank—no wait, I mean go to.

A Cuban sandwich originated from Florida, a appetizing invention from the Cubans that migrated there. It consists of some ham and cheese in between buttered toasted bread straight from a hot plancha (sandwich press similar to a panini press). And the movie ‘Chef’ from 2014, the specialty dish there was the Cuban sandwich.

Despite Pepi Cubano being popular over the few short years with their first branch in Legaspi Village, Makati, I must admit that I have yet gone there. I have obviously heard about it, always wanted to go, but so far, never really had the chance to. I was very pleased to see one in Trinoma when hanging out there, and decided to go.

When I looked at the menu and the pictures of the food, I was at a loss as to what to order. Normally, I would get the most classic dish, or ask for a recommendation from the server. I ended up ordering the Tito Choripan instead or their classic Media Noche (ham and cheese) or their signature Pepi Cubano (roast pork and ham). I had a sudden craving for some chorizo, which is why I ordered it.

The Tito Choripan consists of not just chorizo, but some chimichurri sauce as well. The combination sounded interesting, and mouth-watering. It sure was indeed! First bite, I burnt myself. It was too hot to hold and bite into. What the hey?! Sometimes I’m too impatient when it comes to food. LOL!

Anyways, when things finally cooled a bit and became bearable, I could clearly taste my cuban. The chorizo was authentic, having that sweet and salty balance, plus a hint of smokiness. The chimichurri tasted great too. Could really taste the parsley and a bit of the garlic. After several chews, I was pleasantly surprised to feel some spiciness crawl up. It came from the chimichurri and it had a decent kick. At first it felt spicier than normal perhaps because I wasn’t expecting it. I love my spicy food, so I loved that surprise. The bread had a perfect crisp on the outside, with a musical crunch when I bit into it. Inside felt light and not at all dense. Might have felt like too much butter coating it, but that was only because it was slippery to hold with bear fingers. Too much butter to eat? No such thing! LOL!

Food: 4.0 – The food tasted great, thought the presentation could do better. I don’t mind that it was just served on a plain plate. However I do mind the streak of butter on the side of my plate. It might have been some butter that dripped when making the sandwich or butter grinding off the sandwich when the plate went on an angle. Still it made things look unappealing to the eye. A little tissue to clean things up before bringing it to me would have done the trick. People eat with the eyes first.

Price: 4.0 - P99 for my Tito Choripan and no sides. The cuban was a decent enough size.

Service: 2.0 – Staff was friendly, but they overlooked presentation of food.

Ambience: 3.5 – A little grub hub located outside the cinema area. It has a few seats for customers. Maybe not enough for some for large parties, but then they share space with Paper Moon.

I would most definitely come back and try the other Cubans that they have. The Lechon looks tempting!