Head to this eatery for a spot of unusual Chino-Latino fare spiked with fiery red chillies

The restaurant board might not catch your attention as you pass by every day, but the tagline will definitely make you ponder about what in the world a Chinese Cubano restaurant?

You might wonder if this is one of those tacky fusion joints on a random flight of fantasy of trying to bring a mish-mash of two very different cuisines on the same plate.

But a little googling took us a long way into explaining the secret behind the tagline if not the staff at Shanghai Salsa who were pretty clueless about the Cuba connect to this eatery.



The Chinese first landed in Cuba in the late 1850's to work in Cuban sugarcane fields.

The disastrous effects of the first and second opium wars and the increase in population made several Chinese look towards Cuba for work.
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Very soon this labour force grew into a formidable Chinatown and even began to influence Cuban cuisine.
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Typical elements of this traditional fusion includes roast pork grilled in five spices, fried rice, rice soups, the use of jalapenos in cooking and also dishes with Red Snapper and prawns.

Shanghai Salsa is a three level space and is connected by a narrow winding staircase that might give you the feeling of being in a lighthouse.
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Every level looks out to a lot of greenery; however it was the third floor that got us hooked.

Glass windows surrounded this space, canopied trees obstructed the view of the busy Indira Nagar bylane and all things Cuban in the form of vintage posters and a famous brand of Cuban rum in the form of empty bottles hung around the bar area.

We started off with a Pineapple Mojito (Rs 140), chunks of juicy pineapple added to white rum, mint, lime and sugar syrup and a Cuba Libre (Rs 120), a lime, cola and rum concoction.
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Both these cocktails were mixed up with the Cuban brand of rum that is famous for spiking up these classic Cuban cocktails.
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The pineapple chunks added a spicy sweetness to the refreshing Mojito whereas the hint of lime worked its magic on the usual rum and cola combination.
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We also tucked into Butter Garlic Prawns (Rs 250) and a Shanghai Salsa Chilli Roast Pork (Rs 175) as nibbles with our drinks. The pork was slow roasted and it showed when we bit into it.
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The meat was tender with the right amount of fat and was spiced with hot red chillies, garlic and star anise.
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The star anise gave it a slightly caramelised tinge. The prawns were succulent, bursting with flavours of butter and garlic.

For our mains we chose the Chilli Beef with Jalapenos (Rs 150) as we were intrigued by the addition of jalapenos in Chinese food along with stir fried veggies in Yellow Bean Paste (Rs 130) and a Chicken Chilli Garlic Basil Fried Rice (Rs 130).
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The beef was spiced up with hot red jalapenos, soya sauce and other Chinese sauces and went off beautifully with the delicately flavoured basil rice scattered with roasted chicken shreds.
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The stir fried pokchoy, broccoli, carrots and cabbage toned down the heat of the chillies and gave us a moment of respite each time before we hit the fiery, spicy beef again.

After a grand meal, a fitting dessert is of course in order. We ordered a Tiramisu, (Rs 150) and an Indian Summer (Rs150), a sponge cake layered with fresh mangoes and cream.
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The tiramisu was all about coffee, chocolate, mascarpone cheese coupled with a flaky bottom layer of cake.
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The Indian Summer was gooey to dig into and fresh mangoes stuffed into the sponge cake added that fruity twist to the cake.
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The restaurant very kindly offered us a sample of their newest dessert to taste before it hit the menu.

It didn't have a name yet, but it tasted like a cheesecake flavoured with fruits. Shanghai Salsa offers some unique flavours and is also good value for money.
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The place is ideal for chilling out with friends over a beer and a couple of starters while all eyes remain glued on the FIFA that is played out on a flat screen.

We also saw a lot of steamed dishes on their menu which can only be good news for those how count their calories constantly.

FIFA Special
Shanghai Salsa, has a cool deal on offer during the FIFA. On every goal scored during a match you get a drink free as part of their one-on-one offer.
At: Shanghai Salsa, 618/1, 1st Stage, 2nd Main, Indiranagar
Call 2520 1984
Shanghai Salsa didn't know we were there. The GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.