Miami is a multicultural city with cool vibes, nice beaches and an exciting nightlife. One of its unique characteristics is that many of its inhabitants speak Spanish. I felt sometimes like everyone around me was speaking Spanish while I was visiting Miami over winter break. With Latin America in close proximity to Miami, this brings many Spanish speaking immigrants, and consequently many Latin American influences.

There are many restaurants and neighborhoods with primarily Spanish speaking inhabitants. One of the most well-known Spanish speaking neighborhoods in Miami is known as Little Havana, a vibrant Cuban neighborhood named after the capital of Cuba. In this neighborhood, there are many Cuban restaurants, grocery stores, and shops.

I wanted to try as many different Latin restaurants as I could during my vacation in Miami. The first restaurant I went to was a Peruvian restaurant called Chalán. This restaurant serves authentic Peruvian food and was filled with local customers. I ordered Tallarin Verde con Bistec empanizado, which is pasta with spinach sauce and steak, which came in a large portion size that made for great leftovers. However, my favorite part of South American restaurants is the natural juices and smoothies they offer. These juices are made from tropical fruits that are not very common in other parts of the U.S. My family and I ordered guanabana, mora, and maracuya smoothies. For dessert, I ordered dulce de tres leches, which is a cake made with three types of milk: condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. This is my favorite dessert because it is so sweet and creamy.

The next day, I had lunch in a Spanish restaurant called Islas Canarias, named after the Canary Islands of Spain. I was so excited to have Spanish food since I have studied abroad in Spain and it is one of my favorite countries. I ordered my favorite Spanish foods: croquetas and tortilla de patatas. These croquetas were filled with ham and chicken, and the tortilla was stuffed with onions and chorizo. I also ordered mamey juice, a tropical fruit popular in Latin America.  

Pollo Tropical is a fast food chain I always eat at when I travel to states in the south. This chain specializes in authentic food for a cheap price. My favorite items on the menu are the fried yuca fries, sweet plantains, and cheesy yucca bites. Yuca, similar to a potato, is grown in many tropical regions, and whenever I visit Ecuador, I always eat yuca bread.

Experiencing new restaurants is always one of my favorite parts when I travel. The next time you’re in Miami, give some of these restaurants a try!