Natilla at Felix Continental Cafe

Felix Continental Cafe mixes the cuisine of Cuba and Spain with the vintage charm of the Orange Circle. Although most of the food is not too aesthetically pleasing, Felix's makes up for it in bold flavors and harder-to-find items likes croquetas and platanos maduros.

The dessert menu at Felix's contains the standards–flan, bread pudding, tres leches cake–but it also features natilla (or natillas), an egg custard popular in Spain, Cuba and many other Latin American countries–although you will find it made differently in each. Made with eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, natilla is a simple dessert, yet it has the power to blow away anyone accustomed to tasting processed custards and instant pudding.

Natilla, served Cuban style, has a light vanilla flavor, and the extra sprinkling of cinnamon on top gives it an edge, steering it away from being too plain. Natilla is more the consistency of pudding than flan, but does not have the ultra-smooth texture of pudding found at the grocery store.

Head to Felix's for a taste of natilla when you're looking for something enjoyed internationally. Natilla is the dessert equivalent of frozen yogurt–light, simple and satisfying.