Dining Spots in Your Area

A welcome addition to Lawndale’s growing list of ethnic restaurants is Siboney, featuring the cuisine of Cuba and Puerto Rico.

The 16-seat, wood-paneled restaurant is simply decorated; a fish tank and one Claude Monet poster provide the color. Chef Gerardo Castillo provides almost everything else, from cooking to serving, for he is the restaurant’s only employee. Castillo prepares many of the Cuban favorites he learned 25 years ago at cooking school in Havana and honed as chef of a Berkeley establishment for many years.

The menu is divided into three main sections: carne (meat), pollo (chicken) and mariscos (seafood). One of the top carne selections is lechon asado ($6.95 at dinner, $4.95 at lunch), a leg of pork stuffed with bay leaves, cilantro, oregano, garlic and lemon, then roasted. Like all entrees it is served with red or black beans, rice and plantains. Another good meat choice is ropa vieja ($6.75), a brisket of beef that, after being boiled, is shredded and mixed with garlic, cumin, tomato paste, oregano and cilantro, then baked in a casserole.

For arroz con pollo ($5.75), the classic Spanish combination of chicken and rice, Castillo cooks the mixture with beer, oregano, garlic and chicken broth.

One of the most popular seafood entrees is the pescado al mojo ($6.25 at dinner, $4.25 at lunch), which is a fresh halibut sauteed with olive oil, lemon and garlic. Paella Siboney ($14), includes crab, clams, shrimp, red snapper, halibut and chicken baked with rice, bell peppers, peas and pimentos.

Bronx-born Tony Rivera bought Siboney recently and has added a smattering of Puerto Rican specialties to the menu. For an appetizer, consider the Puerto Rican specialty alcapurrias , which are as common in the South Bronx as tacos in East L.A. These tasty fried snacks ($1.25) are made of ground beef, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, Spanish olives and raisins covered in a mixture of eggs, plantains, malanga root (a sort of yam) and olive oil.

Siboney is located at 14605 S. Prairie Ave., Lawndale. (310) 644-6953. Open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. No alcohol.