Readers of my blog know that Cuban food is mine and Sean’s favorite cuisine. It’s really difficult to find good Cuban cuisine in California, though (which is why we make yearly trips to Miami, no joke), so when we do find a place, we have to go.

I heard amazing things about Habana in Costa Mesa and had to give it a try. All I have to say is that we were NOT disappointed.

We started with flavored mojitos, available in fruits like raspberry and blackberry. Cheers!

For a starter, we can never say no to empanadas. The vegetable empanadas are made with roasted corn, cotija cheese, caramelized onion and roasted bell peppers and are served with mango slaw, jalape’o cream and banana-habanero ketchup. They were delicious and we were super sad the dish only came with 3 small empanadas.

We also had to start with plantains, which were honestly not great. This was the first time I’d ever met a plantain I didn’t like.

For our entrees, I chose the tamale, made with sofrito polenta and cheddar cheese and bathed in a roasted tomato sauce. It also came with a giant plate of vegetables like cauliflower, purple cauliflower, lettuce and tomatoes. It was flavorful and filling.

Sean ordered the daily special, steak and eggs, with chimichurri and white rice, which he really enjoyed.

All in all, it was a good Cuban meal, especially for California, and I’d definitely visit again!