Like any true Miamian, chef Michelle Bernstein is passionate about Cubanos; a sandwich that defines the soul of the city. Here are her favourites, from Sedano's to Chug's Diner.

No visit to Miami is complete without trying a Cuban sandwich – aka, a Cubano.

A Miami native of Jewish and Argentine descent, Michelle Bernstein is the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Café la Trova, Sra. Martinez and La Cañita. She also hosts the television shows Check, Please! South Florida and SoFlo Taste.

(Credit: Michael Pisarri)

The beloved dish – marinated roasted pork butt, Cuban sweet ham, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and pickles on pressed Cuban bread – was created in Florida by 19th-Century Cuban workers who needed an easy yet tasty lunch. Today, it's both a symbol of Miami (home to 52% of Cuban immigrants to the US) and a delicious, proud representation of immigrant identity in this Latin-majority city.

But you don't need to have Hispanic heritage to enjoy it. "[The Cuban sandwich] feeds [people] a bit of the soul of who we are here in Miami, whether you're Cuban or not," says Michelle Bernstein, a James Beard Award-winning chef. "When my mother used to go shopping… she would sit me at the counter and order me either a Cuban sandwich or a media noche [a Cubano made with sweeter bread]." The chef has continued this tradition with her own son and honours the sandwich with her own creative take at Cafe la Trova, her award-winning Cuban bar.

Everyone in Miami has a Cuban sandwich story – whether it's dining at historic spots in the Little Havana neighbourhood like Versailles and La Carreta or ordering it from lunch counter windows. Many Miamians would agree with Bernstein when she says, "There is no more perfect bite."

Here are Bernstein's favourite places to get a Cuban sandwich in Miami.

Bernstein's first memories of Cubanos are tied to grocery shopping, so she considers having the sandwich at a Cuban supermarket "a quintessential Miami moment".

Insider tip:

"I wouldn't go anywhere too upscale for a Cuban… I've gone to [upscale] places… and I've been handed what they call a Cuban. I'm like, 'I can't eat this. This is not what it's supposed to be. It doesn't have enough soul in it.' So it's gotta have soul."

She recommends Sedano's, a Cuban grocery chain found across the city. Besides its impressive assortment of Latin American goods, "Sedano's is known for its deli and prepared foods. You can get [Cuban sandwiches] fresh and hot… everything is done to order," Bernstein says. "If I drive by a Sedanos, I can't not pull in, order a Cubano [and] do a little shopping."

Though freshness is part of the attraction, for Bernstein, the authentic Miami experience is the chain's real charm. "You are so incredibly immersed in this beautiful culture that is very Cuban, of course, but [Miamians are] from everywhere and so you're immersed in a full Latin-from-everywhere culture, and everybody's chit-chatting and you're making friends in line [while] you're drinking your cafecito [Cuban espresso]."

Website: sedanos.com

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