If there is any dessert that describes Miami, it’s flan.
The creamy custard with a caramel top has become signature sur de Florida. It is on the menu in most Hispanic restaurants. Now that fall is picking up, Miamians should know where the nearest and best flans are for a quick and dulce dessert.
Here are a few of our favorite flans around Florida International University.
10760 W. Flagler St.
Miami, FL 33174
305-554-4484
Being cut into traditional triangular portions and drowning in a pool of syrup, the flan at Sabores Chilenos restaurant is a taste of home to many, not just Chileans. It has a Jello-like, yet firm consistency. However, the powerful taste of vanilla distinguishes this flan from the others. The festive restaurant is filled with Chilean flags dangling from the ceiling and colorful flower decorations. And, this flan is one to remember. It goes for a paltry $4.99.
9425 SW 40th St.
Miami, FL 33173
305-552- 9090
10855 SW 72nd St.
Miami, FL 33173
305-271-3101
2273 NW Seventh St.
Miami, FL 33125
305-271-3101
There are several locations, including this one right off of Bird Road, El Atlakat is in a convenient location that most Kendall residents pass by every day. The restaurant offers a classic Central American vibe that prepares you for the authentic and flavorful flan. At El Atlakat, you are given two choices of flan: caramel and coconut. We tried the coconut, and it left us speechless. The flan was creamy and sprinkled with specks of coconut. Served on a cute plate with a stylish dollop of whipped cream and garnishes, this $4 dessert will leave you wanting more.
La Esquinita Habanera
200 SW 107th Ave.
Miami, FL 33174
305-559-6117
Tucked away in the corner of a petite plaza just north of campus lies La Esquinita Habanera. Playing loud old-timey salsa music and serving plátano chips once you take your seat, this restaurant represents Miami’s Cuban roots. The $4.50 cake-like flan has a creamy and thick consistency. It is soaked in light caramel syrup and has a shocking sugary taste. The flan and prideful Hispanic feel of the restaurant can make patrons feel as if they are in Cuba. Conveniently, La Esquinita Habanera offers the flan to-go to anyone looking for something quick and sweet. If you decide to buy to-go, it will be packed in an aluminum cupcake liner, keeping your flan in place, chilled, and compact.
Luis Gallindo’s Latin American Restaurant
10700 SW 24th St.
Miami, FL 33165
305-227-7002
With “La Gozadera” by Miami’s Gente De Zona blasting on the speakers as you walk in and an abundance of simple wooden decorations, Luis Gallindo’s Latin American Restaurant is a hidden gem. The vanilla flan is heavily dosed in caramel, leaving your taste buds filled with lingering sweetness while also maintaining a just firm-enough custard enhancing its smooth texture. Do not judge the dish by its seemingly small size; this flan is indulgent and rich enough for two. It is further proof that the best flans are not always expensive, costing only $4.
12618 SW Eighth St.
Miami, FL 33184
305-221-7899
As if flan didn’t already bring enough Latino flavor, Cafe Chantilly Bakery finds a way to blend this dessert with a tres leches, a Mexican sponge cake soaked in three different kinds of milk. The texture of this $5 flan, is less dense than others and so much richer. The home-made sweet syrup at the bottom of the cup amplifies its sweet, honey taste. This was not the only mouth-watering dessert you can choose from. There are a multitude of cupcakes, eclairs, and chocolate cakes all presented in a decorative way. Overall, this family-owned bakery was one to remember.
