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Miami Fusion Brunch: Puerto Rico, Peru and Greece on One Menu

By the Bistro Cafe Miami Guide editors · Published · Updated

Miami Fusion Brunch: Puerto Rico, Peru and Greece on One Menu
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The plate that confuses first-timers most is the Trifongo & Waffles. A waffle on the bottom, a mash of green plantain, sweet plantain and yuca on top, then onions, mayo-ketchup and a sunny-side-up egg. People ask if it's breakfast or lunch. It's both, and it's a fair summary of how Bistro Cafe's menu works.

"Fusion" gets thrown around a lot in Miami. Here's what it actually means on Bistro Cafe's menu: which plates mix which cuisines, where each idea comes from, and what you're getting when you order it.

The Short Version

Bistro Cafe started as a bakery-cafe in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, in 2011, and opened on NE 1st Ave in Downtown Miami in late 2019. Owner Jan Karlo Ruiz told the Miami Herald in 2023 that the menu keeps the essence of Puerto Rico but blends it for Miami's different palates. That's the whole idea in one sentence.

The menu doesn't try to be authentic to any single cuisine. It's a Miami breakfast menu, which is its own thing. The history guide covers how it grew from the first Bistro Café in Puerto Rico.

The Fusion Plates, at a Glance

DishPriceWhat's on itWhere the idea comes from
Trifongo & Waffles$35Waffle topped with sweet plantain, green plantain and yuca, onions, mayo-ketchup, one sunny-side-up eggPuerto Rican trifongo + American waffle
Stuffed Avocado with Lomo Saltado$30Steak or chicken, onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, spinach and fried potatoes in an avocadoPeruvian-Chinese stir-fry
Papas Griegas with Lamb$28Greek-style potatoes with lamb, feta and tzatzikiGreek
Papas Griegas with Steak$29Same potatoes, with steakGreek + Latin steak plate
Stuffed Avocado with SteakAsk (listed at $29 on Uber Eats)Skirt steak, onions, tomato, spinach, green peppers, guava sauce, pesto-mayo, raisin vinaigrette, fetaCaribbean guava + Mediterranean feta
Octopus Avocado Tostones$34Octopus and avocado on fried green plantainCaribbean tostones
Cuba Carnitas$25Cuban-style pork sandwichCuban

Prices are dine-in prices from the menu page and can change. Delivery apps often list higher prices than dine-in.

Trifongo: Mofongo's Three-Starch Cousin

To understand trifongo you start with mofongo, the fried green plantain mash that Puerto Ricans treat as close to a national dish. The earliest known written mofongo recipe appears in Puerto Rico's first cookbook, El Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño, from 1859 (Wikipedia).

Trifongo swaps the single starch for three: green plantain, ripe sweet plantain and yuca. The green plantain keeps it savory and firm, the sweet plantain adds softness and a little sugar, and the yuca stretches it out (Experience Kissimmee). Yuca was a staple crop of the Taíno people long before plantains arrived (WFTV).

Putting it on a waffle is Bistro Cafe's twist. The waffle soaks up the egg yolk and the mayo-ketchup, and you get sweet, salty and starchy in the same bite. If you've never had trifongo, this is not the traditional version. If you have, you'll recognize it right away.

Mayo-Ketchup: The Sauce Puerto Rico Claims

The pink sauce on the trifongo plate is mayo-ketchup, usually mayonnaise, ketchup and garlic. In Puerto Rico it goes on fries, tostones, sandwiches and almost everything else (Paste Magazine).

When Heinz announced its bottled "Mayochup" in 2018, Puerto Ricans online pushed back hard, pointing out they'd been mixing it for generations (Marketplace). So when it shows up on Bistro Cafe's plates, it's there on purpose.

Lomo Saltado, Inside an Avocado

Lomo saltado is Peruvian, but its roots are Chinese. It came out of chifa, the Cantonese-Peruvian cooking that grew in Lima after Chinese immigrants arrived in the 1800s. The wok technique and the soy sauce are the Chinese part; the beef, tomato, onion and fries are the Peruvian part (Wikipedia: Chifa). A short description of the dish appears in a Peruvian cookbook as early as 1903 (Wikipedia: Lomo saltado).

So Bistro Cafe's version is a fusion of a fusion. Instead of rice, the stir-fry goes into a halved avocado with spinach and fried potatoes. The avocado cools down the soy and onion, and it's a lighter plate than it sounds. You can pick steak or chicken.

Papas Griegas: The Greek Plate on a Latin Menu

This one surprises people the most. Papas Griegas are Greek-style potatoes topped with lamb or steak, feta and tzatziki. The Miami Herald called out the lamb version when the Coral Gables location opened in 2023, alongside the lomo saltado avocado (Miami Herald via AOL).

It's on the menu because it works at 10 a.m. as well as 2 p.m. Potatoes, protein, something cold and sour on top. That's a breakfast plate in a lot of countries.

Guava, Feta and Pesto on One Avocado

The steak-stuffed avocado is the busiest plate on the menu flavor-wise: skirt steak with guava sauce, pesto-mayo, a raisin vinaigrette and feta. Guava is the Caribbean note, feta and pesto are Mediterranean, and the skirt steak is the Latin steakhouse part. It's one of the most-liked items on the cafe's Uber Eats listing, which is the closest thing to a public vote.

The Coffee Comes From Puerto Rico Too

Jan Karlo told the Miami Herald he brings the coffee in from Puerto Rico and keeps experimenting with it, mixing in caramel and Nutella. The pistachio and white chocolate latte got a mention in that same story. See what's pouring on the coffee section of the menu.

Where This Fits in Miami

Miami's food scene already mixes Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Venezuelan and Haitian cooking on the same streets, so a menu like this one doesn't stand out as strange here. If you're curious how cafes and bistros blur together in this city, including the Cuban ventanita, that's covered in Cafe vs. Bistro.

What to Order First

If you want...OrderWhy
The most "Bistro" plateTrifongo & Waffles ($35)Puerto Rico and brunch on one plate
Something savory but lighterStuffed Avocado with Lomo Saltado ($30)Big flavor, no bread
A plate to sharePapas Griegas with Lamb ($28)Portions run large
Sweet, not fusionPistachio Pancakes ($27)Pistachio, white chocolate chips and pistachio cream

Portions are big. A lot of tables order one fusion plate and one sweet plate and split both. Planning a Saturday? Read the weekend brunch guide first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bistro Cafe Puerto Rican food?

Partly. The owners and the original location are from Puerto Rico, and dishes like trifongo and mayo-ketchup are Puerto Rican. The menu also borrows from Peruvian, Greek, Cuban and American breakfast cooking.

What is trifongo?

A Puerto Rican mash of fried green plantain, sweet plantain and yuca. It's a variation on mofongo, which uses green plantain only.

Is lomo saltado spicy?

Not usually. It's savory from soy sauce and onion. Ask your server if you want it adjusted.

Can I get these plates vegetarian or gluten-free?

Several dishes can be adjusted on request. Lomo saltado uses soy sauce, which usually contains wheat, so mention gluten when you order.

Bistro Cafe is at 1352 NE 1st Ave, a short walk from the Adrienne Arsht Center, and opens daily at 8 a.m. Groups should call the cafe at (786) 533-3876. For more on the Puerto Rican plates, see the stuffed avocado guide and the dish names guide.

Sources

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