Cuban flavors unite at exotic Babaluu’s

The menu includes the mainstays: pork and seafood, black bean soup and the classic Cubano sandwich. The restaurant’s website describes it as a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean. They forgot to mention delicious.

And Babaluu’s offers more than good food. The quirky, colorful Cuba-in-the-1950s ambience comes complete with Latin music, fresh flowers on the tables and even a photo of Lucille Ball from her Desi Arnaz days on the mantel. The exterior wall welcomes guests with a mural of Cuban urban life in glowing island pastels.

	Babaluu’s Cocina Cubana LOCATION: 3810 Highway 14, Santa Fe, 505-471-1100 HOURS: Lunch, noon-3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; dinner, 5-9 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays BEER AND WINE

Our party of four started our lunch with fresh grouper ceviche served in a tall margarita glass garnished with avocado slices and crisp banana chips. The lime juice marinade for the mild fish included paper-thin strips of red and green peppers which added to the flavor ($15). We also shared empanadas, three packets of beef and spices wrapped inside crisp, golden brown pastry dough ($12). Dipped into the mango habanero sauce, they were even better.

We loved Pescado Cubano/Cubano Fish, Babaluu’s version of fish and chips ($14). The big white tray held two large pieces of beer-battered grouper, a light white fish that was the fresh fish of the day, and a side of homemade tartar sauce. The grouper arrived hot and juicy beneath a thin, crisp batter coating – perfect. We ordered it with French fries – made fresh here, and available with green chile seasoning or truffle oil. The oil gave them a gourmet richness.

Santa Fe Pan con Lechón ($11), a roasted pork sandwich finished with the house-made cherry barbecue sauce, was the waitress’ recommendation. El Cubano sandwich, which we also ordered, is the classic Cuban lunch, a combination of ham, cheese, pork and pickles served flattened and grilled ($10). Both came with fries, a green salad or Jamaican cole slaw.

The fresh salad was enough for a meal in itself and came with a house-made dressing. We liked the unusual prickly pear citrus; ranch, blue cheese or raspberry mango also are available. The slaw combines two kinds of cabbage and carrots, tossed in a light citrus dressing. Yummy. The huge sandwiches arrived standing like monuments on big white trays. Our waitress, who had a lot to contend with, inadvertently switched orders so my friend who ordered the Cubano got the Lechón instead. She had already eaten some when she realized the problem. She just kept eating and gave her partner the other half. The sandwich satisfied them both and they took the Cubano home untouched. I can vouch for Balseros/Cuban Refugee Platter, the closest thing at Babaluu to a combination plate. The centerpiece, a pile of roasted pork, succulent and juicy, comes with the restaurant’s own black cherry barbecue sauce, a thick, dark, sweet concoction with a nice hint of spice to it and whole cherries.

The plate includes black bean soup seasoned with garlic, cumin and onions, and garnished with fresh cilantro. Steamed jasmine rice, slices of ripe avocado, fried banana slices, and cassava, a starchy vegetable that reminded me of potato, added to the mix. I liked it all. The meat and soup made great leftovers. In fact,

I think the soup was even better on day two. We shared desserts, all made in-house here. The flan, a half-dome big enough for easy sharing, had a slight tease of orange. The even more scrumptious guava galette arrived warm, a buttery pastry nest with fruit inside. Both came with vanilla ice cream. Save room!

The Cuban coffee we added at the end was strong and sweet, handsomely served in a small metal pot with an espresso cup.

Babaluu is not a place to come if you are in a hurry. Part of the reason the food is so good here is that meals are made to order. The restaurant is about a 25-minute drive south from the Santa Fe Plaza on N.M. 14 from Albuquerque.