Little Havana is at the base of a new apartment building on the corner of Porter Street,near Prahran Station,and the tight offering is built around simple pressed sandwiches ranging in price from $15.50 to $19.50. The key item is a classic Cubano,which jams together roast pork,house-made ham,mustard,pickles and Swiss cheese.
“Sandwiches are a bit of a rage in Melbourne but there’s nothing like this.”
Charlie Carrington
“We prepare all the meat here,” says Carrington. “The bread is really basic,like a hot dog bun,but the trick is that we leave the rolls in the fridge for a day to improve the crispiness,and once they’re toasted,we brush them with lard or dripping.”
The roast beef sandwich is another Miami classic,with roasted brisket,pastrami,Swiss cheese and a scattering of French fries. It’s slathered with mojo rojo,a rich and piquant roast capsicum relish. Like many of the condiments and meat preparations,this drippy finger-licker was developed at Carrington’s hattedAtlas Dining restaurant,which changes cuisine every three months.
“We did a Cuban menu earlier this year and it was a smash hit for us,” says the chef. “It was quite surprising. I guess there is a mystique about Cuba – not many people have been able to go there or experience its cuisine.”
There’s also a vegetarian mushroom sandwich and three salads with classic Cuban flavours plus good espresso using a bespoke Colombian blend from Undercover Roasters. Carrington sees the Little Havana site as a spillover event site for Atlas Dining,which is a brisk five-minute walk away on Commercial Road,South Yarra. “We have a huge kitchen here and the space has been designed so we can change over the menu boards and use it for high-end functions,” he says.
Sandwiches are available to take away but there’s seating available in the bright,poppy space,including a funky booth for six. A wrap-around outdoor terrace will be a fun spot for sunset cocktails when the liquor licence comes through.
Open daily 11am-3.30pm (11am-8.30pm from October 2).
99 High Street,Prahran,littlehavanasandwiches.com.au