The Last Cuban-Chinese Restaurant in NYC
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.พ. 2017
- La Caridad 78 is a restaurant on the corner of 78th Street and Broadway in New York City's Upper West Side. The name is Spanish, yet the restaurant itself resembles a classic NY Chinese eatery. What's the deal? Well, thousands of Chinese workers came to Cuba in the 19th and 20th centuries, but fled Havana's thriving Chinatown when Castro came to power. Some of those folks came to New York. Some of those folks started restaurants, and, well, La Caridad 78 has been serving up some of the best Chinese AND Cuban dishes in the city since 1968. It's a story of perseverance, cultures coming together, and really, really good eats.
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I was born and raised in this neighborhood, and I have been eating la Caridad since I was a baby. All the guys there have known me since I was a week old. Believe me, the food there is amazing, they always give you great service and several laughs to go along with it. If I was extra good Antonio would sneak me a soda or some fried bananas when I was a child. Even when I was away at college the first thing I did when I came home was go out and eat the chopped beef, yellow rice and black beans. That place is a treasure and the guys there are worth getting to know.
Emily McCormick ill meet u tmmrw for lunch if not u lying
Yes! At least once a week, my Father and I would hop on the M79 from the UES to eat here. Antonio would always sneak me a guava juice when I was little. It was a staple in our family, and a way for my Father to feel close to home- away from his native Puerto Rico.
Will antonio still remembers you?
How does Antonio know whether you've been extra good or not
That's beautiful
They are permanently closed because of the pandemic, my friends and I grew up eating there and there won’t be any other place like them. Rest In Peace Clarida 78.
Oh no, what a shame. It sucks that the pandemic had shut down so many places, and it doubly sucks it had to be a place like this.
They wont open again?
@@SLBikers I assume so
NOOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOO I WANTED TO EAT HERE GRRRR
Chinese guy with a Cuban accent. Woah lol
shows how the human brain is built to adapt to one's own living situation. And how "free" we were created on earth. Fuck that piece of shit idiot who said that we should have borders and countries and be called and stereotyped depending on where we come from or what religion we have.
Maher Machhadi Sooo you mean Obama
Maher Machhadi Completely Agreed!!! This new generation has a lot of work to do
Maher Machhadi what are you talking about lol
Gavin Harrison You're a fucking moron.
Antonio Wong, legend. 🙌
nothing no
Gavin Harrison hell yes
I've been rewinding his parts over and over; man is his accent awesome!
Melody Yang same!
Melody Yang same
Can y’all just give the Chinese Cuban guy his own show?
I’d watch that
K Phan best if both worlds 😃😃😃
Please everyone follow the Ten Commandments and read Ephesians 4:29
@@jaidenarias5912 nobody cares about your stupid ancient ass book
@@5spec in fact, many people do
been going there since 1982, have yet to have a bad meal.
henry cohen how can there when IT wasnt even MADE BACK THEN?
henry cohen Oh sorry! I got mixed up between the year of the creation and the time the Cuban worker started working XD
i dont believe you
old communist idiot
So you've been going there, but have you eaten there?
Absolutely tragic that this great establishment had to close its doors amid these very trying times. Brings a tear to my eye.
Yea. Its so sad. I've been going there for a long ass time since i work in the area. Its so sad to see it closed
wait forreal?
@@TLamie I live almost next to it... It is gone. And so, my this is where my last remnants of my childhood ends.
Since this closed, is there still Cuban-Chinese like this in NY?
@@miggypastor4102 not to this extent but allow me to offer you a few spots I love.
Jardin De China on Junction Blvd
Nuevo Jardin De China on Broadway
New Apollo on Grand Street, BKLYN
Peking BBQ on Woodside Ave (this one is Peruvian Chinese but still a note able mention) I don't know much of these restaurants in Manhattan cause as you can tell by the Avenues I'm a Queens boy 🤣
"New York's last Cuban-Chinese restaurant"
*Until I open one*
Oops, time to move to New York.
*Until I open one
Sorry not sorry
Do it!!!
Dew it
With a chinese cuban guy who live in germany with his french british stepmother and open a japanese chinese cuban french bi'hish Deutsch restaurant i WOULD visit every day
they just reopen at 72 net columbus and brodway,they have some of there kids and nephew in charge now,been eating there since i arrive in NYC at 86,the best!
Glad to gaddamn hear it!
I'm Chinese and Cuban from Brooklyn didn't think we were a common thing
Brian P cool, I'm cuban also
Rich Guerra Im Cuban as well lol but we both know either of us are not in Cuba
Which part of brooklyn do you live, I'm going to city tech
*Why not? Chinese and Indians have formed rooted communities in every single country on earth, except for South Sudan, Eritrea, and Iceland! LOL*
Brian P - Evidently you're not (oh, so common).
Similar situation that my family experienced. My parents immigrated from China to Puerto Rico and started their own Chinese-Puerto Rican restaurant. From there, I was born and later we moved to New York. It's great to see different cultures merging and becoming something that's unique and special. 🇨🇳🇵🇷🇺🇸
Question is, was there anything lost when developing something 'unique' and 'special'.
xRoid do you have restaurant in NY?
Just like chifa in Peru, it's a mixed of two cultures
There was the chinese-puerto rican spot on 14th st just as you head east bound towards union square.
*watches video*
*immediately gets on the 1 for 79th*
*reads comment*
*immediately replies*
how do do bold text?
pls?
Dru Branch no
John Steinbeck you put the little star things at the beginning and the end
*OK Tanks*
RIP to this restaurant that died among many other restaurants during covid.
That's too bad, sorry about that
I have known these guys for almost 40 years! Their restaurant used to be one counter with about 7 seats and a line would be outside waiting to get in!
La Caridad has closed, and it was NOT the "last" Cuban-Chinese restaurant in New York City by any means. Within a one mile circumference of La Caridad's location, there are three Cuban-Chinese restaurants: two branches of "Flor de Mayo," which despite the Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa, which is their signature menu item, first opened on Broadway as purely Cuban-Chinese. To this day, the Peruvian chicken notwithstanding, the rest of the menu at both Flor de Mayos is pretty much as it was thirty+ years ago-Chinese on one side, Cuban on the other. There is also La Dinastia, at 145 West 72nd Street, a Cuban-Chinese restaurant that has been open for at least forty years A La Dinsatia II Cuban-Chinese is further up Broadway in Washington Heights.
Head out to Brooklyn, and I can think of at least four other Cuban-Chinese restaurants scattered between Sunset Park, Bushwick, and Williamsburg.
It's true that there are more Cuban-Chinese places that have closed in the last twenty years than have opened, but they still dot the landscape in all five boroughs. And no other genre of restaurant makes better fried rice.
you from NY?
flor de mayo markets themselves as a predominantly mexican restaurant with peruvian/chinese influence (peruvian food has a ton of chinese influence from the large influx of chinese immigration in the 1920's), if youve been to both restaurants they definitely derive their menus from different backgrounds, source - lived on 82nd and columbus for 15 years
Thanks for sharing when I go visit I would love to go ❤️🙏
At 1:39 the cuban guy said "a mi me tienen haciendo aquí y comiendo mierda aquí" which roughly translates to "they have me here cooking and eating this shit" xD
thank you captain! now fly away!
When they say "comiendo mierda" the translation to english will be "wasting my time" not eating shit. Yes i know what you try to say but its a phrase most cuban say.
THE GOOD CONTENT comiendo mierda is a Cuban slang meaning wasting my time
Jorge Cornejo lol are you even Cuban though cause it don’t mean that..... “comiendo mierda” means eating shit”
jack carley I think what Jorge Cornejo is saying is that it's just the evolution of slang. Aka, the literal translation probably means "eating shit" but the cultural interpretation/common understanding is "wasting my time" ... or I'm just completely off the mark lol
I'm Domican and we have a decent amount of Chinese people in the Dominican republic there pretty nice and make amazing fried chicken lol
That threw me for a loop when I was in DR vacationing one time, and I saw a Chinese restaurant with Chinese people in it...cooking Chinese/Dominican food.
Pica pollo. 🐓
Yup. Those pica-pollos are everywhere in DR and more than a few of them double as Chinese take-outs.
Go to the Dominican if you want to die
Yo i ate that last night and it was good asf
as a Floridian who knows Cuban food. I would love to check this place out for sure
I'm surprised South Florida (with all the Cubans there) doesn't have any Chinese-Cubano restaurants. I grew up living near a couple of good ones in Queens back in the 70s & 80s. Not as common as regular Chinese restaurants in America are, but there were more than a few in NY here and there.
@@D_Marrenalv there are Cuban Chinese restaurants in Miami. Delicioso 👍👍👍👍
@@ca4882 do you know the names of any restaurant?
@@parkers-c5731 its closed I believe
@@parkers-c5731 i just check its Permanently closed
do a side story on antonio. he's proper OG!
0:42 Good job man! Never shut your phone to your wife, even when you're doing an interview. 👏👏😂
I am Chinese born in Brazil, and when I moved to Canada and was taking French classes, the teacher was puzzled with me whenever I spoke in French. She said my French accent was from Latin America and not like an Asian accent, so she wanted to know where I was really from. Lol.
😂😂😂
Antonio is legit Cuban. He said "comiendo mierda aqui". 🇨🇺💖
how perfectly timed was that
Can you tell us what he says in 1:52?
@@ulisesr614 “Delivery” lol in broken english and with an attitude
@@ephinem Ohh! I hear it now!😂 What a legend!
I walked by this place so many times, never been in. Need to check it out!
Croo ookie no
Croo ookie how was it?
sadly, this is closed. Damn, this will be on our history book.
I ate here and it was bomb
Man that food looks good.
I like how Chinese food is sort of different in every country as the immigrants adapt their food to local tastes. People can complain it's not authentic but the important thing is it's good food.
I live in Japan and I like the Chinese food here. I'd like to go to this place if I'm ever in New York.
Maybe it's called Adapt to Survive, lots of countries have their own Chinese food and have a hyphen to connect those two different cultures as bridge eg Chinese-American food : generals chicken, Chinese-Japanese food: Gyoza(dumpling) , and list can go on ...
My dad was born in Havana in 1950 and was part of operation Pedro Pan when he was 11 and flew to the US by himself! My grandparents didn’t follow until a year later! I lost him when I was a teenager and I wish I had more time to hear about how my ancestors came to live in Cuba.
There was a Chinese Cuban man in my neighborhood growing up in Southern California. All of us kids called him “El Cubano Chino”
Dang. I absolutely loved this place. My family frequented the restaurant since I was small. It was so sad to see it close after so many fond memories with the friendly staff and incredible cuisine. It will most definitely be missed.
Now I know why my grandmother would always know how to make such good Chinese food. We are Cuban and I was always so confused because she didn’t know anything things other than what she learned in Cuba. She would always say there’s a bit of Chinese in all of us 😂😂 Cuba is such a blended country. Don’t matter the race. If you were born there you’re Cuban no matter what.
A bit of Chinese in all of us 😂
@Gin Oe shoot yo shot partner
La Caridad re-opened!
I'm half Cuban, my family is Cuban Chinese and I love Cuban Chinese food! So freaking good!
This is a pretty epic piece of journalism, displaying the melding of two cultures through historic events, and the culinary effects as a result. Honestly, as someone of Hispanic origin and raised in Texas, understand how something like this can happen. It is similar to the Tex-Mex culinary movement and Bill Miller's own inclusion of BBQ items to taco menus.
I remember going to China town in Cuba as a kid, It was like an entirely different city full of Chinese people, they had some amazing food.
When 2 communist forces come together
More like when people run away from "Communism" twice.
They actually moved to Cuba before China went red.
Bruh the combo tho
Looolll
*Soviet Anthem Intensifies*
It's an amazing place. When we visited NY a few years ago, our hotel was close by and we had a chance to do some take-out. So glad we did!
At least once a week, my Father and I would hop on the M79 from the UES to eat here. Antonio would always sneak me a guava juice when I was little. (I suppose he did this often with all the regular kids! Haha.) This restaurant is a staple in our family, and a way for my Father to feel close to home- away from his native Puerto Rico. Never a bad meal, and an atmosphere to make you feel as though you have been “one of the family” for many years.
This is the type of place that makes New York City... New York City! ❤️
Also try: “La Dinastia” on West 72nd- amazing Chino Latino!
I remember my first time going to mexico, going to a chinese restaurant and hearing the workers talk perfect spanish, it was dope.
This place closed in July 2020. A shame I never ate there. Rest in peace
As a kid I often used to eat with my family at another nearby Cuban Chinese place called La Maravillia back in the 70s and 80s. The combo fried rice was the best! I had a taste for tangy stuff and there was always a bottle of white vinegar on the table along with the soy sauce. I ended up always putting vinegar on my food and would get weird looks when I asked for vinegar in other Chinese restaurant.
Even though the Covid 19 pandemic sadly ended this restaurant, this video recording of them will be around almost forever.
I live 1 block from La Caridad and have eaten there for years. You can always tell a good inexpensive restaurant in NYC when cabs are double parked at dinner time.
Sadly they have closed a victim of COVID. It is not the only Cuban Chinese restaurananother. It was one of the last family run businesses in the neighborhood. So I will have to find another.
So sad indeed. It will be missed. ❤❤❤
Man I kind of wanted to eat there. That really sucks
The area has basically nothing now. Maybe chirping chicken and a few pizza places, but basically nothing left for cheap local food in that area
@@aamnotsure6209 there's flor de mayo but it's pretty expensive
Excellent story and history. And of course excellent food. Hope they can keep on the tradition.
"Chino-Latino" restaurants, as they were called, were once all over New York City when I was a kid growing up. A shame this one has since closed. I was only ever there once, but they were fantastic.
I remember meeting and going to school with Cuban Chinese people. Blew my mind. Chinese but with a strong Cuban accent and a lot of gold jewelry. So dope and unique
Chinese/Jamacian is still super underrated. Fort lauderdale and Miami, Florida's best kept secret.
These are 2 cuisines I can't get enough of. I've been out of plantains for a few weeks and it hurts
Cuban-Chinese food - sounds pretty insane. Will def try out this restaurant for my upcoming trip to NYC. Thanks for sharing this place!
I'm Latin and I F'n love this! Much props to the Cuban/Chinese man. He has a better accent than I do lol
My dads cuban Chinese. It always surprises people when he speaks Spanish haha.
I go to Collegiate which is right next to La Caridad (well until we moved). This and Europan were always where people went after school. So this restaurant holds a special place in my heart :)
I hope they continue!!! And more people go there it's such a good mix!!!
The fact he didn’t let go of his roots and carried his father’s legacy. Huge respect for him 💯
Fascinating!
Catburger no
Sounds like the perfect combination
Best food ever! First visited back in the 90’s. I live in another state now but always stop by whenever I’m in NYC 😎
I remember eating there back in 1999, good tho know that place is still around. I know of other Cuban-Chinese kitchens in other parts of NY like in Brooklyn. I am surprised "Caridad" have not been driven out by the high rents.
Sadly, I just heard that they are closing. I hope there will be more such restaurants to carry on the Cuban-Chinese culture.
im gonna cry. i hate when good things start to come to an end. may this restaurant live on pls ;;
RIP La Caridad. One of my favorite places in the city.
They had several great Cuban - Chinese Restaurants all over New York City. Hard working people providing delicious foods. A magnificent culinary combination from two different worlds. :-)
that looks damn tasty
wrong.
Swan Electro Wrong
Croo ookie wong
dong
Long
These two cultures are so beautiful together
Such an amazing spot, many dinners there with my father and sister. Pa'lante Caridad 78!!!
The last? No. Nuevo Jardín de China in queens has been open for a very long time, and is still open, and the food/staff is amazing.
THEY'RE GONE! Yesterday, I was craving this and decided to go here only to see that they shut down 😢. I don't know when was this but now I'm sad
nooooooooooooooo
It closed a couple of months ago
@@yolandanelson983 comment was 2 months before you posted yours
I’ve been lookin for something like this for a while
*You already know* that anytime you walk into one of those small mom and pop restaurants that has a picture of each dish on the wall for you to browse thru, that the food is going to be 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
0:48 This!
Bistec (beef steak) de Palomilla and fried rice 🤤
Sad to see this place has permanently close, fuck covid
2 different cultures blend in a country that has a very different culture and surprisingly still get along. wow...
Watched this, decided to come here. It's actually very good, like, really really very good. You think you know chinese food from your local chinese place, but this is 10x better. Did not expect it to be better, but it is. Much better.
"They got me eating shit here"
THATS WHAT HE SAID OMG
Bryan Solano no
That’s too literal a translation. We says that to mean we’re doing nothing, we’re just hanging out with nothing to do. lol
Fascinating, I'll definitely have to visit next time I'm in New York
Kiboolt no
Blows my mind hearing their accents.
I did have a Chinese friend who grew up in Latin America (don't remember the country), and he totally sounded like a Latino guy which was freaking cool.
Why does it blow your mind?
Oh wow i just went to this place on my first trip to NYC, i wanted some authentic cuban food and when i got inside i was very confused, but it was one of the best meals I've had
Chinese Cubans have been there and still are. Havana has a large Chinese community. The irony is that they left China because of Communism and migrated to Cuba and now many have left Cuba for the same reason. La Caridad 78, an Upper West Side anchor on the corner of 78th Street and Broadway for 52 years, has closed. It was one of the city’s best-known purveyors of Chino Latino food, a particular combination of Chinese-American and Cuban fare.
Damn, the Chinese diaspora is a beautiful thing. There were also Chinese in South America and Cuba back on the day. That's why there's chaufa.
Also, I was going to say there's also Mi Estrella in Jackson Heights. I used to get their guk when I was sick and it was made with yellow rice. Not sure if it closed or not...
"back in the day" - huh? There are like 6 million Asians living in the Caribbean and Latin America RIGHT NOW and they've been there for centuries.
love the colors in the shots
How beautiful. I love eclectic interracial mixtures!
I'm going to NYC in 3 weeks. I want to eat here!
Awesome. I love Cuban food and like Chinese food.
I love everything about this
There are a few chino cubano spots in Queens and they are on point! I grew up eating at Jardin de China on Broadway in Astoria, Queens. Great food and great service.
As a Cuban Chinese this makes me feel not alone lmao
La Dinastia is still open as I have their delish boneless chicken crackling in my mouth right now!!! (72nd st)
Very interesting mix. Would like to try this place.
Discovered this in 1986 when Miles asked me to go get him some oxtail. It became a favorite; I went regularly until leaving NYC is 2012. I saw Antonio there hundreds of times and never knew his name until now. Very sad that Impermanence did its job here and they've closed.
Lol I love the Cuban guy 😂❤️
La Caridad 78 has just reopened on 72nd literally on the other side of the street from Dinastia. They are know known as La Caridad 72. I ordered the other day and they are as good as I can remember. Visiting 72nd you cannot go wrong with either La Caridad or Dinastia.
Amazing fusion
Cuban-Chinese food?! I had no idea such a thing existed, but now I want it. 😋
La Caridad recently closed. Sad to see such a great place go.
A lot of people don’t know how prominent Chinese culture is not only in Cuba but in Latin America/the Caribbean in general. Cuba even has its own Chinatown. It’s really interesting and goes to show that Hispanics come in all shapes, colors, and sizes.
I enjoy both cuisines, I'd love to try this.
Love that place. Haven't been there in years. Must go back!
I too face a similar dilemma.
A paternal ancestor of mine came spoke Flemish (or Frisian?) and descended from Benelux traders living in Persia
They moved to India when Queen Victoria was crowned Empress of India.
My great-grandfather used to love eating Flemish and Iranian food in the early 1900s but the family recipes have been lost over time due to us converting to Hinduism and not eating beef, pork and meats.
So interesting, I thought "Comida China y Criolla" was only a thing in here the Dominican Republic. Basically every Chinese restaurant here serves a mix of Chinese and Caribbean food, where tostones are as important as rice.
This is awesome! First Restaurant I will go to where I visit New York
😮 Cool to know!! This also reminds me of 'Chifa' a mixture of chinese peruvian cuisine. I love cultural blending, especially in food!!!
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals went to Cuba between the 19th and 20th centuries. Chinese immigration to Cuba started in 1837 when Chinese (Cantonese and Hakka) contract workers were brought to work in the sugar fields, bringing the religion of Buddhism with them. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers were brought in from mainland China about 700.000, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan during the following decades to replace and/or work alongside African and mixed blood or free slaves. Most Cuban-Chinese left Cuba when Castro took over. Cuban-Chinese food is out of this world. It's sad that La Caridad (78th Street and Broadway) had to close.