Lechon Asado in Little Tokyo

********THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED.********

It doesn't seem very smart to eat at a Cuban restaurant in Little Tokyo, but Mr. Monkey and I do so anyway.

Cuba Central is a small family-run restaurant smack-dab in the middle of a Japanese microcosm. We are repeat patrons, even though the place can be sort of hit or miss, but it's the hits and the reasonable prices that keep us coming back.

If you don't expect greatness, you won't be disappointed. You may even be pleasantly surprised. The drinks here are always interesting and yummy. Mr. Monkey enjoyed his Materva, while I happily downed a peach mojito.

I found my lechon asado ($12) rather delectable. It's not remotely as good as Glam's, of course, but few things are!

Mr. Monkey's ropa vieja ($12) was lovely, too. I found it a bit on the salty side, but he didn't think so.

Our dining companion tried the arroz frito ($10), which she said was very tasty except for the dry chicken in it. Boo.

Our extra side of plantains brought a little sweetness to the table.

Service at Cuba Central is somewhat hit or miss, too. We were lucky last night to have a hit. Our server was warm and attentive and made our meal all the more enjoyable.