These fish tacos are what you would expect: a piece of fried fish with chopped cabbage, picco de gallo (chopped tomato, onion, and green chile), served on a corn tortilla with a wedge of lime for squeezing. What sets these fish tacos apart is that they're served with Spanish potatoes. I think these potatoes were deep fried with skin on, smashed, and then garnished with crispy fried shallot slices and crumbled cotija cheese. Both the tacos and the potatoes were served with what I think was chipotle mayo. Patatas Bravas would usually be served in Spain with a sauce flavored with spicy smoked paprika, but that wasn't the case at this Mexican restaurant; however, I applaud their attempt at serving Spanish style potatoes, and they let me know that they think that this is what sets them apart from other Mexican restaurants in the area.
Location: Jalisco Restaurant, next to Jalisco Tires on Indian Canyon, Desert Hot Springs, California. Date: April 7, 2023.
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This is a Nicaraguan take on shrimp with garlic served with gallo pinto (rice with beans), unripe plantain smashed and fried, and a salad of lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and a cucumber slice with Italian dressing. The shrimp tasted like they'd been cooked in garlic flavored butter, but I didn't actually see any garlic. I ate outdoors, but I could see that the shop inside specialized in corn tortilla chips.
Location: La Casa del Maiz, 1 block from Lake Managua on Avenida Bolivar, Managua, Nicaragua. Date: February 26, 2023. These were some nice meaty dark shellfish served in their own dark juice. The sauce had chopped tomato and onion in it as well as lime juice and salt. The glass had a lime slice garnish as well as a tomato garnish and a lettuce leaf. The meat from the shells was obviously raw and had a fresh seafood flavor a bit like squid ink. At sunset on the beach, this was spectacular.
Location: Bomalu, Playa Las Penitas, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 16, 2023. Yesterday I had a shrimp cocktail with whisky in the sauce, and today it's a shrimp main course with rum in the sauce. This sauce was creamy and a little smokey and tangy. Knowing rum was in the sauce, I could taste it, and the rum flavor built as I ate. The plate was served with both rice and fries, which I thought was very Peruvian until I realized that in Nicaragua this combination is even more prevalent. I got a side salad of lettuce, tomato slices, and cucumber slices with a ranch type dressing. The shrimp were slightly over cooked, but the sauce was delicious. I dined al fresco as is common here.
Location: Restaurante Mediterraneo Terraza, Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 15, 2023. There were fourteen shrimp and it was February 14. Coincidence? The creamy cocktail sauce definitely had whisky in it, a first for me, but it was delicious. It didn't taste like the alcohol had been cooked out, but it really worked here. The sauce was a little sweet, tangy, salty, and alcoholic. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the dish came with a celery leaf garnish. This was my Valentine's dinner, and I fell in love with it! The restaurant itself was beautiful. I sat on the patio with lots of potted green plants and a small fountain. The smokiness and maltiness of Lado Oscuro, a Nicaraguan artisinal dark beer by Moropotante, went well with the whisky flavored cocktail sauce. The beer's label claimed notes of coffee and chocolate, which there were, but I also detected a slight fruitiness. So far, this is my favorite Nicaraguan beer. I love it!
Location: Carnivorio, Avenida Central (2 blocks from the central plaza), Leon, Nicaragua. Date: February 14, 2023. The ceviche was shrimp, ahi tuna, and scallops with chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, and chile serrano. There was a fresh seafood taste that just got better as I ate. The shrimp were halved lengthwise, the tuna was diced, and the scallops seemed to be whole. The tamarind salsa was both a marinade and a tangy dressing. The dish was topped with half a sliced avocado garnished with sesame seeds. It was served in a bowl like poke but without rice. At first I was a bit underwhelmed, but by the time I'd finished this healthy dish some really good flavor, with some heat from the chile, lingered in my mouth.
Location: Low Desert, 1775 E Palm Canyon Drive, Ste 405, Palm Springs, California. Date: February 8, 2023. A new Mexican place just opened in what used to be my BBQ hangout in Palm Springs, so this evening I went to check it out. I ordered the Mahi Mahi Tostada which was served with avocado, tamarind salsa, mango jicama topping, and jalapeño mayo. The avocado was fanned out on top, garnished with white and black sesame seeds, micro greens, and sliced radish. The other ingredients were so well integrated that I didn't really notice them individually; however, the flavor popped in a big way. The fried tortilla was crunchy, there was a little heat, some sour, and some creaminess. The mahi mahi was marinated in lime juice, and the fish pieces were delicious. This was, in fact, one of the best tostadas I've had.
Location: Low Desert, 1775 E Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 405, Palm Springs, California. Date: January 6, 2023. I had no idea what to expect when I ordered this Chinese dish. What I got were about eighteen medium shrimp fried in a thin batter that was so crispy it all but shattered when I bit into it. The crispy shrimp were coated in a thin layer of slightly creamy and sweet sauce, and the dish was served with candied walnut halves. The overall profile was sweet and crunchy. Although I ordered this in a Sichuan restaurant, this dish is Cantonese, and I was told that it should not be served with hot sauce. The pairing of shrimp with walnut was interesting, but the incredibly crisp thin batter on the shrimp was definitely noteworthy.
Location: Cie Sichuan Cuisine, 45682 Towne Street, Indio, California. Date: December 3, 2022. This is not ostrich! These are Italian-style oysters on the half shell with shredded fresh spinach and smoked pancetta cream sauce. The four oysters I got were served on rock salt for stability, and they were garnished with two slices of orange. The texture came from the oysters and the spinach, while the sauce was creamy and just a touch smokey. As far as bar food goes, these were exceptional.
Location: Enzo's Bistro and Bar, 70030 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, California. Date: October 15, 2022. These delectable tacos, on the traditional corn tortillas, came with perfectly cooked medium shrimp, diced grilled pineapple, tamarind-chile sauce, and a generous amount of guacamole. The pineapple came through with crunch, flavor, and sweetness. The tamarind sauce was in the background, but it provided some sourness. The tacos were garnished with chopped cilantro which added to the flavor, and the creamy avocado tied it all together. I was given two salsas, red and green. The green one was more tart and the red one more spicy. I used one salsa on each taco as you can see below. These were two of the best tacos I've had!
Location: Luchador Brewing Company, 68510 E Palm Canyon Drive #140, Cathedral City, California. Date: October 15, 2022. |
AuthorChef Roland has been a legal resident of seven countries and has travelled in over thirty, documenting food along the way. He currently resides in the desert in Southern California. Categories
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