Señor Big Ed

I stopped by Señor Big Ed’s Restaurant in Cypress, California because I have been craving some good, authentic Puerto Rican food. They have a two part menu, one featuring Mexican staples and the other Puerto Rican. Since moving across the country to the west coast I have missed some of my favorite cuisines that are rarer to come by, out here. I lived in Florida for a while, where many Puerto Ricans have started restaurants featuring the island’s unique cuisine. I love their varied use of plantains, which are a staple of Puerto Rican cuisine, found in both green, unripe and neutral flavored like a potato, and yellow, ripe and sweet more resembling its cousin, the banana. 

Inside, the vibe is nice and casual. Señor Big Ed has a counter to order in the front, or you can sit down in the dining area for your meal. A pair of wings themed after the Puerto Rican flag is there to pose with while you wait for a fun photo-op. And their food is soul satisfying comfort food. Make sure you grab a Malta from their drink fridge for the real Puerto Rican experience. 

What to eat at Señor Big Ed in Cypress, CA

I love a sampler platter, and luckily they have a big one that comes with loads of goodies. A pastel: cassava tamale wrapped in banana leaf with bits of pernil pork, an alcapurria: mashed plantain around ground beef that’s been deep fried, papa rellenos: a ball of mashed potato filled with ground beef and deep fried, two pastellios: empanadas filled with either beef or cheese, tostones: fried smashed green plantains, and maduros: fried sweet plantains. This was a huge plate fit for a group to share as an appetizer or a whole meal for one.

Canao de platano maduro: a sweet cooked plantain split in half to resemble a canoe, topped with seasoned ground beef and melted cheese. The salty-sweet combination is so good, it’s exactly what I was craving when I headed here. The dish is served with a side of savory tostones and well seasoned rice with pigeon peas to fill you up.

Bistec encebollado: (recommended by Matthew, a server and aspiring engineering student) this is a tender piece of flank steak sauteed with onions to give them just a touch of caramelization, served over rice and beans with tostones.

Flan de coco: a soft, decadent, Puerto Rican flan with coconut flakes mixed in. The caramel sauce has a wonderful bitterness to contrast with the sweetness of the whole dish.