Yes, you read that right. Cuban sandwiches in Ibaraki! I am going to talk about two places on my post today. Let me first start with Tsukuba's Cuban B.
"Do my eyes deceive me?" I thought as I looked at my phone screen. Cuban sandwiches in Ibaraki? Not only that, in the next city over from where I live!? I had to go and try this Cuban sandwich. That is what the Ibaraki Eats Duo did one Sunday afternoon in April.
Cuban B
The Cuban sandwich place is a food truck called Cuban B. It is in the parking lot of a restaurant called Sonute located in the Omonoi area of Tsukuba.
When we got there, we both walked up to the food truck and picked up our order. You can call the restaurant Sonute and order your Cuban sandwich ahead of time.
The Menu
The menu is pretty simple.
You have Cuban sandwiches at the top with your choice of chicken, pork, and beef and pork.
The middle part is the same Cuban sandwiches but in a box set. I think the set comes with fries.
Finally, the side menu. It has fries, salad, a pork steak, and a pork steak rice bowl.
My wife and I ordered the standard Pork Cuban sandwich and unwrapped it in our car.
Standard Pork Cuban Sandwich
At first glance, the Cuban sandwich looked pretty enticing. It was pressed right and the melted cheese was very inviting. It had everything a Cuban sandwich should have so I decided to dive in.
Hmmm ...
My first bite wasn't bad. The mustard, pickles, and melted cheese were pretty good. Cuban B doesn't use Cuban bread, which is a bit blasphemous, but the bread was great. The food truck could have buttered the bread up a bit more before pressing it but it wasn't that big a deal. The big deal was the meat.
I usually try not to go negative with my posts, but I have to with this one. I was so excited to have this sandwich that the disappoint was heartbreaking. Everything in the sandwich was going well, sure there were too many pickles from my wife's taste, but everything else was tasty, except the pork. One of the most important parts of the sandwich was terrible. The pork tasted old and fatty. I got a few pieces of chewy pork in that sandwich which I didn't really appreciate. It was honestly the biggest let down in the month of April for me. If this truck tried to operate in my hometown of Miami, they would be run out of town.
Cuban B was a bust. Will I give them another chance? I am still debating with myself on that. Maybe I caught them on an off day or something. My wife refuses to give them a second chance. She has had Cuban sandwiches in Miami and she will not let Cuban B's sandwiches sully her memories of those incredible sandwiches. If I do decide to give them another chance, I will post about it. But for now, I cannot in good conscience recommend this sandwich.
Even after reading all that, if you still want to give them a try, here is more information on Cuban B:
But not all hope is lost my fellow Ibarakians, there is a true Cuban sandwich truck that travels around Ibaraki, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefecture. What is the name of this truck? Mobile Kitchen Kogo.
Mobile Kitchen Kogo
I ran into this food truck at an event in Ajigaura Beach called Ibafornia, which I have talked about on this blog before. I was alone this time and cautious to try Kogo's Cuban sandwich, having been burned by Cuban B before. I finally walked up to the window and ordered my sandwich.
Kogo's Cuban Sandwich
After waiting a while, I grabbed my sandwich, sat on the sand, and unwrapped the paper bag it came in. When I first saw the sandwich, I thought it was perfect. It was the right size, the right texture, the right smell. So far so good, time to try it.
Perfection
This Cuban sandwich with the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, the cool ocean breeze, and the live music from the event, made my month. It was an incredible Cuban sandwich. The pork, the pickles, the toasted buttered bread, all perfection. I think a small tear ran down my face while I was eating it. This sandwich would do well in my hometown.
After I finished my sandwich, I went back to Kogo and asked for another one. Unfortunately, they were all sold out. I was bummed out but still very happy I got to try their sandwich. I told the owner where I was from and that his Cuban sandwich was the best I have had in Japan.
I loved Kogo's Cuban sandwich and hope to have it again sometime soon. But that is the problem. I am not sure when I could have it again. Kogo only comes out for events. I will just have to follow their Instagram and find out where they will sell their amazing sandwiches next. You should too.
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