By Ian Tobman

One of the great things about being a SIPA student is the opportunity to mingle with a large pool of students from more than 80 countries around the world. Not only they provide diverse economic and political views in the classroom, but they also introduce their native cuisine outside the campus.

That is exactly what happened one lazy afternoon in Central Park. While I was recouping with my Latin- American friends, our conversations fleeted from one subject to the other. Interestingly, one moment we talked about the rowdy SIPA party that we had the other night and about Café Habana the next. Because they described the Cuban-Mexican food at the Habana with gusto, it stayed on top of my head.

When my sister and her husband came to visit a few weekends ago, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try out the food at Café Habana. Nestled among the trendy boutique stores and bars on the corner of Elizabeth and Prince Streets, in the South Houston (SoHo) district, getting to the restaurant is a wonderful, labyrinthine journey by itself.

As we walked east along Prince Street, away from the bustle of shoppers on Broadway, we ended up at the hippie enclave of NoLita (North of Little Italy), a home to a number of America’s famous establishments, including Lombardi, the first pizzeria in the United States, and The New York Shaving Company, the premier men’s shaving salon, not to mention the street vendors who sell personalized T-shirts with titles like “Skiing in Baghdad”(I thought, great for SIPA).

While the restaurant is sunny and lively, it may not be a comfortable place for more than two people. The place is tiny, literally, that I don’t even know how the slender waitresses could navigate the few crevices of space between the 10 or so tables.  After about 20 minutes of waiting, our waitress plunked down on our mini-table three heaping plates of huevos rancheros — Mexico’s answer to bacon and eggs— that consists of fried eggs on thin corn tortillas topped with salsa and served with black beans and addictive home-made fries (the French fries I spotted looked pretty solid, too). Perfecto.

Of course, Café Habana is well known for its corn, which is topped with a Mexican version of parmesan cheese, mayonnaise and a little paprika. Since I am not a big fan of corn, I can honestly say that I got converted. Every kernel of Habana’s grilled corn was munched up.  Despite its simple menu and dive-like décor, I was pleasantly surprised by its top-notch latte.

There is also a wide array of margaritas for those who are in the mood for different types of booze.   And, please, never underestimate its hearty sandwiches and quesadillas, as well as the restaurant’s very own specialty: the Cuban sandwich (roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles).

I will definitely return to Café Habana again to sample the chicken enchiladas in chocolate-less mole poblano or grilled steak. For those seeking to sample its delectable dishes without the wait, however, I would recommend going to its take-out counter next door.

Address: 17 Prince St. at Elizabeth St.

Price: Inexpensive

Website: http://www.cafehabana.com/