Just like all ethnic food dishes, Cuban food possesses a certain flavor and sazón that makes it unique. There are some herbs and spices that must be used to get that unique representational flavor… so what happens when the chefs decide to mix things up and add seasonings foreign to that particular kind of food? It can either be a disaster that might require endless bottles of Pepto-Bismol to fix, or the concoction can result in an explosion of flavor que te dejará con el ojo cuadrado. That’s exactly what happens when you eat at “Habana”, where they mix traditional Cuban cuisine with Jamaican, Mexican, and other Latin American flavors.
Three-course is the way to go
While “Habana” is a great restaurant to go solo o acompañado, thanks to its romantic setting (dim lights and all), it’s a much more enjoyable experience if you go with your peor-es-nada.
Unlike other restaurants where the best thing to do is to go right to the point, whenever you go to “Habana” it’s better if you experience the whole enchilada- drinks, appetizers, main course, dessert, and of course more drinks.
You definitely have to try their sangria. “Habana” serves your typical sangria, but they also have white sangria, así que no te saques de onda when they ask you if you want it red or white. White sangria sounded weird, but I couldn’t resist ordering some- boy was I glad I did… it was refreshingly delicious.
Now when it comes to appetizers, there’s no better way to begin your feast than with some “chicken empanadas” and “deep-fried avocado slices”.
The “chicken empanadas” were like the KFC’s Colonel Sanders would say: “finger licking good”. On the other hand, the “deep-fried avocado slices” where to die for, but I stopped at one piece- there’s enough cholesterol in one slice to clog your arteries for days.
Choices, choices…
Personally, while eating out, the most difficult for me to do is choose what I’m going to order. Everything just sounds so good… I must have changed my mind about ten times and since I was starving- and I didn’t want to annoy our server, I went for the “Plantain Crusted Chicken” and my partner in crime ordered the “Seared Ahi with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Fried Leeks”.
Now, when we eat out, we usually share plates- we go halvesies. But as soon as the server brought our food, I decided there wasn’t going to be any halvesies that night. We got a bite out of each others plates… una probadita y nada más.
The chicken not only looked and smelled delicious, but the taste was simply amazing. The lightly sweetened sauce made it one of the most memorable chicken dishes I’ve had in some time- suddenly arroz-con-pollo never seemed so flavorful.
The ahi tuna on the other hand was also good- it came with a spicy sauce that gave me a runny nose just by eating a spoonful.
There’s always room for dessert
No importa que estés a punto de reventar. You can’t and you must not leave “Habana” without having their “deep fried bananas”, which come with a creamy home-made caramel sauce and ice cream. Si tienes debilidad por los postres y las cosas dulces, you might be tempted to order a second serving- they’re THAT good.
Habana2930 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714)556-0176
