Discovering Sayuri’s nondescript corner cafe after walking the streets of Old Havana was like stumbling into an oasis.  After days of coping with the reality of limited food options in Havana, suddenly being greeted with the delicious smells coming from Sayuri’s cramped kitchen, and the choice of having sushi, rice bowls, tempuras, crepes and fresh squeezed beverages, brought on so much joy it’s embarrassing for this spoiled Yankee to admit.

In a country with enormous challenges when it comes to sourcing food ingredients, and a business climate that is anything but stable for legally self-employed proprietors in Cuba, pulling off even a basic pallidares (small family restaurant) is a feat.

Considering Sayuri found a way to serve sushi and Japanese comfort food, with all of its specialty ingredients, all while being a single mother in a foreign country and having no previous experience as a chef, makes her story an incredible example of the resilience and ingenuity of Cuba’s cuentapropistas — the country’s self-employed entrepreneurs.