The Columbia, Tampa, Florida

This is a highly regarded Cuban restaurant in Ybor City near downtown Tampa. They offer entertaining flamenco dancing most nights which is a fun time to watch. They do not technically offer a crème brûlée, but rather "creme catalana" is on the menu. It is in the same family though as a crème brûlée so I'll still give you my opinion.

Presentation:
Fairly simple low brown ramekin on a dinner plate. The server will pour sugar on top and caramelize it at the table side which is impressive.

Crust:
Classic sugar crust which is fairly delicate and adds a good flavor. Occasional charring is present, although I'm sure this varies widely between each dessert as it is done by each server.

Custard:
Apparently what makes this a crème catalana as opposed to brûlée is that Spanish cream is used instead of the classic custard. According to my research, the two are similar but it seems there may be a gelatin aspect to Spanish cream which is typically absent from custard. At the Columbia it is chilled but the top portion of the cream heats up thanks to the table side torching. The vanilla taste is very muted if present at all. There is a definite flavor that resonates strongly with this cream, but I could not put my finger on what it is. The most disappointing aspect to this cream is that it had a very grainy texture which was puzzling at the least to eat.

Overall Impression:
Overall, this is a different flavor than I was expecting when I asked for the best "crème brûlée" at my hotel. In some ways that is good, but overall I would say it's disappointing to someone looking for a true crème brûlée. The grainy texture of the cream was the biggest downside to this dessert. It is definitely edible and has potential, but I would likely not order it again.

Rating:
1/5
(Despite the rating scale stating "this is crème brûlée, that's all" I realize this technically isn't crème brûlée. Kudos to anybody who catches me on that.)