Bayamo Nuevo
704 Broadway at West Fourth Street
(212) 475-5151
HASTA la vista, Bayamo. la, Bayamo Nuevo. After a decade of dishing out Chino-Latino food, the jumbo-sized Village eatery has reinvented itself in a stylish Cuban mode.
Well, have a cigar. The place is still huge – it seats 300 on two levels – but it now has a romantic, tropical appeal, enhanced by nighttime-blue lighting, and floor-to-ceiling wooden shutters lining the double-height front windows and the back wall. Fans spin slowly over a long, curvy wooden bar where a barmaid has a tattooed midriff. Sensuous melodies cue thoughts of Havana.
The bar is a comfortable spot to relax, even if you’re solo. Sip a cocktail, such as a flor de guava of champagne and fruit nectar, or have a bite from the bar menu, perhaps a crab-meat napoleon or a pork-and-cheese Cubano sandwich.
Bayamo Nuevo’s entrees from chef Carlos Rodriguez are nicely composed combinations, creative and flavorful. The appetizers we sampled, though, need some work. While a trio of vegetable, pork and beef empanadas is fine, little dollops of braised oxtail on another plate are surprisingly overwhelmed by the milder flavor of the tostones on which they sit. Cod and yucca forms cakes that are somewhat gummy, although the fruit dips with them are a bright touch.
Arroz con pollo is a treat, though, replacing the usual chicken with a plump Cornish hen. The little crisp-skinned bird is served on a bed of spicy rice savory with peppers, onions and cubes of potato. Plantain-crusted grouper is another winner, its crunchy golden topping playing off a 2-inch-thick fillet of moist, glistening fish. This comes on a bed of luscious boniato – white sweet potato laced with cumin and lime – with fat stalks of crisp-cooked asparagus and a subtle sauce.
Seared marinated sirloin is satisfying, too, charred on the outside, pink on the inside. And paella for two with a big pitcher of ruby-bright sangria looks inviting at a nearby couple’s table. Pleasantly tart key lime pie and fluffy chocolate mousse are fitting light desserts.
The sound level is lively but doesn’t interfere with conversation, although we didn’t stay for the mambo band setting up Friday night. Waiters in white Cuban shirts with rows of tucks are efficient and friendly. Even the customers are pleasant here. One patron ran after us as we left, thinking we might have left an umbrella in the bar area earlier. We didn’t, but how nice.