In the middle of buzzing Orchard Street., just above Delancey, sits a new homey restaurant and lounge, Mi Casa Es Su Casa.
The restaurant exudes a welcome feeling, with dim lights, an open kitchen and Spanish music wafting out the front door . Opened just last week, the owner Jairo Morales hopes to bring a little bit of home to the Lower East Side.
Morales, 29, from Ecuador, alongside his Puerto Rican sous chef, Sabdiel Cortes Martinez, 26, serves a unique mix of Ecuadorian, Cuban and Spanish foods at Mi Casa. “We throw in a fusion here and there and my sous chef, Sabdiel is throwing in a curve ball,” Morales said. The so-called “curveball” is the influence of different cultures, which “makes the food more extraordinary.” Most important, however, Morales hopes to serve his customers “good Latin food, done the right way.”
The restaurant was intended to open August of last year, but had to be delayed because of little “snags” caused by gas issues, but Morales remains optimistic. “I fought for this, and now I have it and it only goes up from here,” he said.
Mi Casa es Su Casa opens at 5 p.m. daily (lunch might come later). Some, but not all, of the items can be found here. Prices range from $5 for side dishes such as grilled asparagus and rice to $70 for a large “platos” of Parrillada Mixta Parta, which is a combination of different meats such as skirt steak, short rib, lamb chops, and Spanish chorizo, just to name a few. The chef and sous chef also recommend a few “hot items” such as Tostones rellenos, which are stuffed plantain cups made-to-order and Pollo a la Brassa Mi Casa Es Su Casa, which is rotsserie chicken served with rice and beans, grilled chorizo, encebollado, and fries or salad. There is also a small wine and beer menu for now, but a full liquor license is in Morales’ plans.
