Calle Dão, Honoring Cuba's Chinatown, Opens In New York City

Calle Dão, a new restaurant that pays tribute to Havana's El Barrio Chino (Chinatown), opens in Manhattan on Monday, August 18. At one point, Havana's Chinatown occupied 44 square blocks, but today consists of one street, Calle Cuchillo (Knife Street).

"We chose to combine the Spanish and Chinese words for Knife Street to highlight the blending of these two cuisines," said owner Marco Britti.

Calle Dão's cuisine, cocktails, and décor were all designed to "transport its guests back to El Barrio Chino of the late 1870s, when the neighborhood and Cuban-Chinese cuisine were at the height of their existence in Havana," and the menu from chef Humberto Guallpa features traditional Cuban staples with Chinese flavors and spices.

Signature dishes from the restaurant include Pig's Ear (crispy pig's ear marinated in ginger, lemongrass and garlic), Tuna Escabeche (thinly-sliced tuna with ginger, avocado and citrus), Fluke Ceviche (with refreshing grapefruit, Habanero-passionfruit  juice and maíz tostato), and Peking-Style Roasted Cornish Hen (whole Cornish hen roasted with crispy garlic, shallots, tomato de árbol and cilantro with a side of parsley sauce).

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Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.