Yucca Fries at Versailles

Versailles is an authentic Cuban restaurant that has been given many Best Of Awards by the Miami New Times including Best Cuban Restaurant and Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners. This Miami gem has been a favorite hangout in Little Havana since1971. The food is cheap and the portions are large, but the cultural experience is an integral part enjoying Versailles. The décor is a bit outdated, but that just adds to the charm of the restaurant.

You will find traditional Cuban favorites on the menu and if you have a sweet tooth, the bakery adjacent to the restaurant makes their own breads and desserts. When you have a starchy carb craving, but you are really not in the mood for French fries, Versailles offers another fried favorite - yucca fries for $5.50.

Yucca, also known as cassava, is a woody shrub that is a common ingredient in Cuban cuisine. Although yucca is not a common ingredient around the globe, Miami residents are no stranger to yucca because of the multitude of Cuban restaurants in the area. The small yucca fries were crispy and delicious. The thicker fries were a little undercooked and stringy on the inside, but they were not a complete disappointment because the fries remained hot and crispy on the outside. In addition to the unique flavor of yucca and the fact that anything fried tastes better, there was dipping sauce on the side that is well worth mentioning. The secret green sauce that comes with the yucca fries really made these treats delicious.

When asked what ingredients were in the sauce, the server replied, "It's a secret, so I am not really sure. I know that there is mayonnaise and cilantro in the sauce, but I don't know anything more than that."

Although we didn't get a clear answer, the sauce was most likely some variation of aioli. Regardless, it was a better use of time dipping the yucca fries in the sauce rather than trying to figure out what was in it.