Green Street Café has been a hit among huka lovers

"I thought it would be a good idea to introduce hukas to campus, it was already here but it was not authentic enough," said Amit Chopra, owner of the Café and a University alumnus from the College of Business. "We offer students an alternative to campus bars, a nice relaxed and chilled out place. Our service is our priority."

Shisha, which is the general Arabic term for the tobacco, consists of tobacco leaves, molasses, fruit pulp, honey and glycerin. The exact proportioned combination of the above is what gives regions of the Middle East their distinctive huka flavors.

"Everyone who comes here, keeps coming back," Chopra said. "In a week or so, we are expanding our menu to include shwarma, an Arab gyro and kebabs. This means we are expanding to a full kitchen."

While hukas are imported directly from Syria for the Café, the tobacco and charcoals are shipped in specially made from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Chopra also showed a frequent customer card that he recently introduced, which upon being clipped for each huka smoked, the 10th huka is free.

Among the 12 people working there was David Humphrey, a sophomore at Parkland. About his boss, he said, "(Amit) expects people here to work hard, be friendly and take initiative."

"Customer service is like the main thing, it's not like chain bars where they don't really care for the customer, he wants you to be like the customers love you and when they next come in they say 'hey, how's it going?'" Humphrey said.

Chopra added, "We try to get a personal touch in, remember customers and what they've ordered before."

The bar at the Café is equally entertaining. Chopra is ever ready with a new card or coin trick to dazzle his customers as well as a few bottle-juggling tricks.

"I've been to every huka bar one time, but this is the place to be for good hukas," said Mike Laurent, a frequent customer and Parkland Alumnus. "There are 10-15 things I look for as a professional bartender in people who are taking care of me, but even this bar has taught me a few things to improve service."

Hukas are well known to have evolved to its current form in Turkey over hundreds of years ago. The first water pipes originated in India in a very rudimentary form using a coconut as a bowl. Over the centuries, as the instrument gained popularity in the Middle East, it became used as a means of artistic impression with glass blowing, glass painting and metal works.

Most huka cafes in the Middle East serve only hukas, coffee and tea. The most traditional flavors are plain tobacco, grape, apple, double apple, Bahraini apple, mint and strawberry. Served alongside Turkish coffee or Sulemani Tea, huka cafes are frequented by old and young alike, to discuss politics, religion, current events, watch soccer matches and socialize in the evenings. A single huka should last at least an hour while the smoker has a chance to relax after his busy day. The tobacco is not meant to burn excessively as this would make the smoke harsh. The 'smoke' is primarily water vapor with an intense fruity flavor. Inhaling a good Shisha should feel just like air while it tastes and smells just like the fruit used.

Hukas get their name from the Persian and Indian word for it, which was borrowed into English. Egyptians and the countries of the Arabian Gulf call it Shisha, and the Turkish and other areas of Asia Minor refer to it as the Nargile.

Since Dec. 5, 2003, Nargile, Champaign's first huka bar, has become more and more popular every year.

"We've picked up a lot, summers are horrible with all the students gone but we've been on a steady increase since we opened," said Garenne Bigby, a Champaign resident and owner of Nargile.

"We decorated about eight months ago. We're trying to make it a real lounge just to chill with friends," Bigby said. "We have a lot of fraternity and sorority parties where we book the place just for a party."

With its low lighting and comfortable seating for its huka lounge, along with its concert hall, a basement with video DJ equipment and a large bar, and a beer garden on the outside, along with a gazebo, Nargile can accommodate 300 people. Nargile certainly does have the facilities for a large college party.

"We used to have bands in here (and) now we have more DJ's. We also work with a lot of student organizations," Bigby said.

Eric Heine, a University alumnus and one of the 20 or so people working at Nargile said, "I've been here just over a year, I love working here and we have a good crowd usually."

"The weekends are usually pretty crazy. We do a lot of work with outside promoters and our events are ridiculously varied," Heine said.

"We like to get as many different types of crowds and music as we can," Heine said.

He also mentioned that a few nights back all proceeds went to the American Red Cross to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims.