A new Cuban flavor in town

Mary Furr

It opened only a few weeks, but word gets around in Huntington Beach

quickly and a line of diners was waiting to be seated at Habana Cafe

when we went.

The new Cuban restaurant on Beach Boulevard has a friendly air

about it. Sitting in the large dining room at glass-covered tables,

we feel adventurous when handed the menu to select from one of the

five $6.99 lunch specials. For me it is the largest, fattest

oven-baked white meat chicken and Polo Asado, the skin a crispy brown

crust, the meat rubbed with garlic and herbs. This is family-styled

Cuban cooking prepared by co-owner Martin Espinosa with his daughter

Katia Barron managing the front of the house.

The chicken is served with mojas, a combination of small grain

rice and black beans and includes several pieces of plantains. Called

“cooking bananas” in Latin American, they have a squash-like flavor

and are soft and sweet.

Also, from the lunch specials, my friend chose Picadillo a la

Griolla ($6.95) intensely flavored Cuban-style ground beef in a

tomato sauce with olives, a popular addition to Cuban dishes. This is

served with excellent steamed white rice and a bowl of tiny

herb-flavored black beans. It, too, was oven-baked and bubbling hot.

Desserts are very sweet here like Dulce con Papaya ($3.25) six

slices of golden yellow fruit -- juicy, silky smooth with an exotic

tart flavor served with a big dab of sour cream, a good contrast to

the sweetness of the syrup.

Habana Cafe lured us back for dinner with another of its generous

entrees Camarones la Plancha ($15.95), savory grilled shrimp in a

colorful mix of tiny broccoli flowers, red and green bell peppers,

carrots, cauliflower and onions presented in a hot skillet by server

Thais Hurpia. It was like a dish you would have for a Cuban family

meal. In fact, it probably is as the owner/chef Martin learned his

trade helping his mother Bive in her kitchen, which is true of many

chefs. It’s a great dish with plenty to share but heat the coffee,

please.

For the all-American meat lover, it was an excellent, very tender

Filet Mignon ($15.95) marinated in garlic and topped with gobs of

grilled onions. Garlic is rubbed on everything at Habana Cafe but

gently to give meat its enticing whiff.

Our dessert this time was pure Cuban -- Coco Rayado ($3.25) a

scoop of moist sweet fresh coconut accompanied by another scoop of

smooth slightly tart cream cheese. It’s simple and a new taste for me

but good, not as sweet as the papaya.

Two of the most ordered dishes, we were told, are Arroz and Pollo

and Langasta a la Mantequilla ($15.95), lobster tail seasoned with

garlic and herbs, topped with garlic butter sauce and grilled.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail

[email protected]