Frita Batidos is a Cuban inspired fast-casual restaurant serving up Fritas (Cuban burgers) and Batidos (milkshakes), as well as sides (fries, rice, fried plantains) and alcoholic drinks. "Stark white walls and communal picnic table seating" give it a casual beach-side feel that reminds me of those fish and chip places in Sydney. There are dominoes at the table to play while waiting, as in Miami where the Cubans play dominoes.

This was my first time having Cuban food and it was delicious. The Chorizo Frita was so flavorful and juicy without being greasy, served with fries on a soft egg bun. We shared garlic cilantro fries which was packed with garlic and cilantro flavor along with a garlic aioli. This type of shoestring fries is chewy/tough to bite which is not my personal favorite, but my sister likes it. I had the Coconut Cream Batido and to my surprise it was full of coconut flavor and real coconut bits, not artificial tasting or overly sweet. 

All in all a great itis-inducing meal that ended up to be ~$15/person. 

[Coca] Flatbread ~ creamed mushrooms, crushed red pepper, soft egg, arugula salad

Decided to add this last minute and I'm glad we did cos it ended up being my fav second to the paella. Thin flatbread and strong cheese which overpowered the mushroom, but still good.

Paella ~ mussels, clams, shrimp, chicken, chorizo, peppadew peppers, potatoes, olives, sofrito

The lightest paella I've ever had - not salty like the others, probably because the absence of saffron. The chicken was in large pieces and very moist, while the shrimp had a nice grill flavor. I loved the sweetness and heat from the peppadew peppers, and just a little hit of salty from the olives. I usually like the seafood the best, but these ingredients really shined in this dish. As my sister said, each ingredient has its own unique flavor which the rice absorbs and complements.

Patatas Bravas ~ First time having patatas bravas in fries form rather than cubes. It didn't have any tomato sauce as I expected, but the aioli and egg were good. 

Wedge Salad (nice plate)

poached shrimp, fennel, orange, pickled onion, radish, buttermilk dressing

Roasted Trout (local)

celery, beans, legumes, lemon crème fraîche, cashew brown butter

Chèvre Noir 

pear compote, gingerbread

I was so hesitant to return to Luma for Winterlicious because a) the first time wasn't that great and b) the gimmick is not really exciting for me anymore. But because our first choice Adega was full and it was time for a girls reunion, I booked Luma again for the $35 dinner - average food, but pretty good environment for small group dinner. And actually, I was pleasantly surprised by my choices. The poached shrimp looks plain, but it was pretty good in texture, very smooth (滑 &爽) and pretty big portion. Trout dish was pretty natural and healthy, not a fan of the white beans. And the dessert - a very strong cheese, toned down with the pairing of gingerbread crisp and sweet pear compote. Overall not the best menu on paper, but turned out to be a pretty good night with good company. 

#tbt to the time I went down to Colette for brunch. Such a pretty French space, and food was good too (except the coffee). I enjoyed the Eggs Benedict with tomato & avocado and Quinoa Pudding - first time having quinoa in sweet form and first time having my fav eggs benny on croissant!