Latina Magazine: The Best Flan In America!

A Latina who doesn't get all giddy about flan? Doesn't exist as far as we know! After all, who could resist such a divine concoction of caramel, vanilla and leche condensada? A few months ago, we sent our fearless tasting team on a coast-to-coast search of panaderias, bodegas and fancy restaurants alike. The result? A delectable tour of our favorite flans from Miami to Los Angeles. One thing:  we couldn't possibly have tasted every flancito out there (whose caderas would handle that!?), so we're certain we've overlookedsome great ones. Let us know what we've missed at Latina.com/flan. In the meantime: buen provecho!

Miami
Versailles Restaurant
On the outskirts of Miami's Little Havana neighborhood lies this traditional Cuban cuisine staple, where political discussion is just as likely to come with your meal as a side of your fried yuca. At any point of the day, Versailles is buzzing with chatty customers, but a spoonful of Dulce de Leche Flan (for a friendly $3) can silence even the most boiterous of them. Keep a glass of water nearby; it's so thick it feels like peanut butter in your mouth.

New York
Bogota Latin Bistro
Think you're not a fan of flan? Then try this Brazilian-style Flan de Coco for $4, a dense block of pale, off-white custard so thick you'll think you're slicing into a chunk of cheese. It's almost cake-like, with chewy shreds of coconut embedded into every creamy, filling bite. The bistro's Rio-born chef who learned the recipe from his father who is also a chef in Brazil uses coconut, coconut cream and fewer eggs than your traditional flan so that there's no eggy taste or familiar jiggle. Trust us, you'll be begging for the recipe before you ask for the check. Bogota Latin Bistro 141 5th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217; 718-230-3805 -- Angela Serrano