If there was a definition of Mom and Pop Shop, it would be Flan Factory. When your parents are on the frontlines of your restaurant, ringing up customers and serving flan, you feel at home. And for Jose Palau, this is home.
Hailing from a multigenerational line of cooks and restaurateurs, he started Flan Factory in the heart of Ybor city, the Cuban Mecca of the Tampa Bay area.
If he’s not zipping around town in his blue Jeep Gladiator buying supplies, he’s sweating in his 250sqft kitchen cooking up an array of Cuban classics with his staff.
Everything about this place just feels like home.
The funniest thing of it all… Jose didn’t even like flan growing up.
It wasn’t until he had this strange abomination of a Peanut Butter Flan that his pallet changed. And he never looked back.
No Cuban family would have ever thought of such an idea. Yet, for whatever reason, that inconceivable union of peanut butter and flan gave way to one of the greatest fusions in Cuban cuisine.
On any given day, you can find about 15 different flan flavors. From originals like dulce de leche, guava and coconut, to the more adventurous Fruity Pebbles, Oreo and Thai Tea.
Oh, and have I mentioned Jose holds the title for Best Cuban Sandwich in Tampa? Literally.
His team won first place for best sandwich at the International Cuban Sandwich Festival. It's here that the classic argument of Tampa vs Miami gets put to rest. There is no denying this is the way the Cuban Sandwich should be. Mustard, pickles, ham, salami, mojo roasted pork, Swiss cheese, buttered and pressed in between La Segunda's Cuban bread.
There’s a reason the line comes out the door during lunch rush. The food here is made with intention. Everything is handmade in an impossibly small kitchen. Behind the Flan and Cuban Sandwich is a lineup of Cuban staples like Fritas Cubanas, Pan Con Bistec and Mojo Pork Sandwiches. Along with new twists such as the Cuban French Toast, Biscuits and Chorizo and Fried Timba (queso fresco fried and drizzled with guava sauce). Did I mention fried rice? Yes, fried rice, bean sprouts and all, and don’t forget the platanos maduros. Believe it or not this lesser known fusion of cultures is a Cuban kitchen classic. And Jose makes sure it’s made authentically, shopping at asian markets and like everything else he does, with love.
All this wouldn’t be possible without the backbone that is Ester and Tony Palau. A.K.A Mom and Dad. On a good day, their commute from home is at least 45 minutes. But without them around, there wouldn’t be a good day. They are the reason for keeping the place running smooth. Both Ester and Tony were previous owners of Happy Fish, a Cuban restaurant now turned Peruvian. But back in its glory days, it brought masses of hungry patrons to the historically hispanic West Tampa. With their experience and Jose’s ingenuity, they had no trouble replicating success and creating one of the hottest new restaurants in Tampa Bay. One that hopes to outgrow their tiny kitchen and fill bigger spaces and more bellies in the years to come.
