Jon and Eileen Andrade, the brother-and-sister team behind the CubanCube food truck, are turning brick and mortar when Finka Table & Tap opens this April.
The restaurant, located at 14690 SW 26th St., is farther west than what most consider the fine-dining area of Miami. Eileen Andrade says they purposely chose that location: "We want the people of this area to be able to enjoy tasty food and cocktails without having to go to South Miami, Coral Gables, midtown, Wynwood, or Miami Beach."
And tasty food and cocktails they shall have.
The menu, which is still in the works, mixes the siblings' Cuban cuisine roots with influences from Korea and Peru, along with a cocktail menu created by Bar Lab's Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi. The "tap" part of the concept will be represented with eight beers on draft, as well as bottled craft selections. The offerings will be a mix of local beers, along with some Cuban, Peruvian, and Asian styles, to pair with the food.
Much like CubanCube modernized classic Cuban cuisine, Finka will take traditional ingredients from three countries and fuse them, creating modern interpretations of familiar dishes. Eileen, who will head the kitchen, says, "We aren't creating any boundaries. We want to be as creative as possible without compromising the essence of the traditional cuisines of said countries." With the siblings' background in food (their family owns Islas Canarias), the Cuban and Peruvian influences are logical, but what about the Korean "curveball" thrown into the culinary mix? "After much brainstorming, we finally came up with the Finka concept after having traveled to South Korea and falling in love with the cuisine and culture."
The restaurant's name, a play on the Spanish word finca, meaning "farmhouse," will have a rustic feel, a nod to Eileen and Jon's grandfather, who grew up on a farm.
The CubanCube truck, by the way, will no longer roll out to public events. Eileen explains, "CubanCube was initially a restaurant idea, but with the food truck craze at an all-time high, we decided it would be an easier way to get our name out there. CubanCube was basically our introduction into the scene as two young adults who grew up in a kitchen and like getting creative with classic ingredients and dishes." There is good news, however. Fans of the food truck can find many of its most popular dishes on the menu at the new restaurant.
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Finka will be open for lunch and dinner daily, with Sunday brunch beginning in the summer. Look for Finka to pop up around town before the restaurant opens. Follow their Facebook page for more info.
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