-[Eat]- Delicious Puerto Rican Honduran Fusion at Casa Yari, Chicago

The Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago provides a wide array of culinary options, and Latin American food specifically, isn’t hard to find at all. You’re hardly ever a block away from a good Mexican, Cuban, or Puerto Rican food, so it may be hard for restaurants to stick out, but not for Casa Yari. At Casa Yari, you are treated with a Latin American fusion, with a high-end feel, in an intimate environment.

Stepping into Casa Yari is meant to feel like walking into Chef Yari’s very own home. The seating is cozy, and photos of Yari and her family are delicately placed to feel like you’re part of the family. The menu Puerto Rican emphasized with a Honduran flare, a first for me.

We started with tostones and a Relleno de Aguacate (stuff avocado) for an appetizer, which is topped with shredded beef and seasoned in all that’s great. For entrees, I had to try the Eggplant Jibarito Sandwich, a Chicagoan traditional fried plantain sandwich with lettuce Tomatoes, caramelized onions, mayo-ketchup topped with choice of chimichurri or garlic aioli sauce (I had the chimichurri), it tasted just as amazing as it sounds. My partner had the Mofongo, a Puerto Rican traditional dish of a garlicky mashed mound of green plantains molded into a cup shape, topped with your choice of meat or veggies, topped with with Yari’s homemade creole tomato sauce. A must have.

For dessert we have the coconut flan… it was so good, it was gone quicker than we were able to take a picture of it. All in all, we’ll definitely be back.