Eric Ripert Picks Manhattan’s Best Fish Taco

A lot of top chefs are fish taco fans. I first came across Bobby Flay mentioning them in the New York Times article. The other day I stumbled across a very old GrubStreet post where noted chef Eric Ripert tasted several of Manhattan’s Best Fish Tacos. He ultimately rated Mercadito’s as the best. I’ve also heard several good things about Mercadito and I have to stop in on my next visit to New York.

One of the the things that I liked about the article was the rating system used: 10 points for taste, 5 points for presentation, 5 points at Ripert’s discretion. I’ve gone back and forth with actually rating the fish tacos and how to do it if I decided to. I haven’t quite made up my mind yet, but I’m leaning in the direction of doing so. If I do, I will unashamedly use this system. 

I’m also going to work on taking more photos to show the atmosphere of each place. I want you to be able to envision yourself there and tell a complete story of the experience. 

Hankook Taqueria – Atlanta, GA

I just got back to Atlanta last night and the first thing on my mind was having a fish taco from Hankook Taqueria. I’ve been to Hankook several times since I started this blog, but I just felt like the post needed to a bit more epic so I haven’t written about it yet. I’d like to interview the owner and talk about these tacos because they are by far one of the best I’ve ever had. However, since I can’t go to Hankook Taqueria today like I want to, I’m writing about it instead. Just don’t be surprised when they pop back up on the blog again.

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The drive to Hankook Taqueria is uninspiring. This humble Korean taco joint is located on Atlanta’s Westside amidst warehouses. Your only real clue that you’ve arrived at the place will be all of the cars that are haphazardly parked in front of the building and the endless stream of people going in and coming out. Inside this brown shed looking building lies one of the greatest fish tacos that I’ve ever had. It easily ranks in my top three favorite fish tacos. When you walk inside, the first thing you will notice is a cafeteria style counter followed by a space filled with brown tables. It isn’t exactly inviting, but it doesn’t need to be because the food speaks for itself. 

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The fish tacos are panko crusted tilapia topped with, romaine lettuce tossed in a sesame vinaigrette, monterey jack cheese, cilantro and some amazingly concocted bright red sauce. For me, it’s the sauce that takes it over the top…spicy, with a hint of sweetness…just delicious. I’m not sure if it’s made in house. Something tells me it isn’t and it doesn’t matter to me. The flavors all work perfectly. The taco is served in a flour tortilla and it pretty much sums up why I prefer flour over corn. This just wouldn’t work with a corn tortilla. 

hankook-taqueria-5In addition to the fish tacos, there are several other tacos on the menu as well as Korean dishes and street snack sides. Try the sesame fries. It makes no sense why those things are so good.

I thought writing this would make me feel ok with not being able to have one. Boy was I wrong. Oh well, a couple more weeks. Maybe I’ll even try to secure that interview the next time I head up there. 

Fish Tacos in the News

It’s been a mostly productive week. My hand is finally back to normal. I’ve been waking up consistently at 5 am. I’ve kept the blog updated all week. I’ve also consumed a lot of news about fish tacos. One of the things that you should know about me is that I’m a news junkie. It probably stems back to the days when I was studying journalism and had to get in the habit of reading/watching the news every morning. Or maybe it was my love of the news and reading that led me to journalism. Either way, I’m constantly reading. Since I’m working on this blog, the student in me has to keep on top of everything that’s happening in the world with fish tacos. I decided this week to add a roundup of fish tacos in the news. Here’s the wrap up:

1. I haven’t been to LA in a long time, but Ricky’s Fish Tacos food truck seems as good of a reason as any. Ricky, freelance taquero has been serving up Baja style fish tacos in Cali for years and finally picked up a food truck. LA can rejoice. 

2. Wahoo’s Fish Tacos added another location. The Southern Cali chain is opening at the L Street Lofts building in Sacramento. I wonder when they’ll start a full expansion east. 

3. My favorite DC restaurateurs/nightlife impresarios opened a new space in DC called El Rey. While the Hilton brothers are adamant about it not being a taqueria, their new spot serves nine different types of tacos. And you guessed it…they have a fish taco on the menu. The brothers have been working on this concept for the past three years. It reminds me how long things take and to not fret about Studio No. 7. Can’t wait to try this new taco/Mexican beer garden concept!

That’s it for this week. I’m going to start adding cocktails to the rotation next week because seriously, how well do fish tacos pair with a good tequila or rum?

Have a great weekend!

Best Restaurants in Philadelphia for Fish Tacos

Back in college, my roommate and I would find ourselves on a few Saturday afternoons lounging around trying to figure out what to eat. Then inevitably one of us would say, “You know what would be great right now? A cheesesteak.” An hour later, we’d be making the two hour drive from DC to Philadelphia to chow down on a cheesesteak from Ishkabibble’s or Jim’s on South Street. They were always great. Who knew that I should have also added getting some fish tacos on our short trip.

I was in Philadelphia a few weeks ago to shoot an engagement session. My client, another food lover asked me if there was anything in particular that I wanted to eat while I was in town. Well, well… I told him about Taco Pescado and he said he knew one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia for fish tacos and I had to try it. I’m starting to like that this happens now. The great thing about this blog is getting to meet other people that love fish tacos as much as I do. It makes it easier to discover new ones. 

In addition to his suggestion, I was able to cram in two other restaurants during my trip. It was quite a feat since I was only in the city for about 36 hours. I was impressed with what Philadelphia had to over and I had a hard time choosing a favorite. Here are the contenders:

1. Distrito – After the shoot, my clients and I headed to Distrito for brunch to sample his favorite fish tacos. I spent the first 10 minutes being distracted by my failing phone. Yes, I still have a Blackberry. Yes, I know this is wild. After the fish tacos came, I finally started taking in the ambience of the place. The best way to describe it is upscale kitsch. Slightly charming, slightly screaming of pink.  The presentation of the fish tacos were beautiful. A perfect balance of color. More places should use red cabbage. Distrito’s tacos have a fried, plantain-encrusted mahi mahi with a chipotle remoulade, red cabbage, and avocado. They’re tiny, but delicious.

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2. Rouge – I was staying at the Latham Hotel in Rittenhouse Square which was around the corner from Rogue. Can I just say that I love Rittenhouse Square? Somehow in all of my trips to Philly, I’d never been to this part of town and I’ve been missing out. Anyway, I walked into Rogue as they were opening for lunch. The restaurant is reminiscent of a Parisian boutique and a seat at the center, circular bar, offered a great view of Rittenhouse Square. As I ordered my fish tacos (tilapia, avocado, romaine, mango salsa), Steve, one of the regulars sat beside me. As I chatted with him, I became really intrigued by the restaurant. I’d never heard of the place so I didn’t realize that this fine dining spot was a hotbed of who’s who in Philadelphia. It was interesting to say the least. I found the journalist in me coming out and wanted to dive in further into what this place was and who it was for. I can’t explain the vibe that it has, but an article from Philly Mag in 2006 perfectly nailed it. When the tacos came, I realized that this was my first time trying fish tacos in a fine dining establishment. They were really good. The fish was cooked perfectly and didn’t have that weird aftertaste that tilapia has sometimes and the mango complemented the fish perfectly. They weren’t the best fish tacos I’ve had, especially at the price point, but there was something special about eating them there. A noteworthy fish taco experience. 

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3. Cucina Zapata – On my way out of town, I made a quick stop at Cucina Zapata. When I saw the line for this popular Thai-Mexican fusion food truck, I was just sure I was going to miss my bus. Anyway, I felt like I had to do it. They had a Cap’n Crunch fish taco that brought back all types of warm and fuzzy feelings from my childhood from the name alone. When I stepped up and made my order, the guy said, “Shannon, right?” Puzzled, I asked how did you know? Turns out I’d tweeted about the place the day before and they saw it and remembered. Nice touch…point. It turns out that the fish tacos, were actually a burrito, but he was kind enough to give it to me in taco form. Another point. When the fish tacos were ready, I grabbed them along with my bags and schlepped my way to the Megabus, careful not to tilt the container. After I arrived, I had a bite of the Captain Crunch encrusted taco with avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, red cabbage and a secret sauce of sorts inside flour tortillas.  I was pleased with the taste. There’s only a hint of sweetness from the cereal, so it doesn’t overpower the fish. Very good flavor. It did need some heat to it. I realized he didn’t hear me say spicy, so I missed out on the sriracha. Slight bummer.

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So now that we have the best restaurants in Philadelphia for fish tacos, who takes the crown? While I loved every experience, if I’m judging strictly on taste, Distrito wins. I really enjoyed all the places I visited, but my client was right, Distrito has a great fish taco. They actually rank very high in my best tacos I’ve ever eaten list. I had a really great Taco Pescado experience in Philadelphia though. Reminds me that I need to get back to the city more often.

Cape Charles, VA

As it turns out, my cold weather adventures in New York did more damage than I could have expected. It’s been almost a week and my hand still has a tingly sensation from being exposed to the cold. I’m guessing frostbite and from what I’ve been told, it can take weeks or months for my nerves to recover. Who knew? Needless to say, I’m a little over the cold weather right now. So in the spirit of chasing warm weather, I’m posting about better times and sunshine.

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Back over the summer, I went to Cape Charles, VA for a much needed two day vacation (it turned into three because I was having such a good time). Cape Charles is a small beachside town on the eastern shore of Virginia. I’m not sure how I’ve missed out on this gem, but it’s quickly become one of my favorite places in the US.

Before I went, I did some research on what was in the area. It turns out that the town had about four different restaurants. When I read the reviews for Aqua, there were several people commenting that they had the best fish tacos ever. It was a pretty bold claim. Sampling these tacos quickly shot up the list of one of my must-do things in Cape Charles. 

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I ended up eating at Aqua three times, so it’s safe to say that the tacos were good. I definitely wouldn’t say best ever, but they were good. Before the trip, my travel companion told me he didn’t like fish tacos, but he loved these and two out of the three trips back to Aqua were at his insistence. (I’ve since forced him to try other fish tacos and he’s now a big fan.)

The fish tacos come with a grilled mahi mahi, monterey jack cheese, pico de gallo, cilantro and a creamy coleslaw. The fish was incredibly fresh and the grilled flavor was amazing. All of the flavors worked well together. It doesn’t hurt that there is a great view while eating the tacos. I was pleased. While it wasn’t the highlight of the trip (which says more about Cape Charles than the tacos) they were definitely memorable. 

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While this is a fish taco blog, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include the great ice cream from Brown Dog ice cream. The flavors at this cute little shop change daily, but the homemade taste is always consistently delicious. All in all, Cape Charles was amazing. Hopefully I can make the trip again this year. 

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Photo of the fish tacos courtesy of Aqua.

Test Kitchen – Curry Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

I’m doing the Daniel fast for the next 21 days so that means I won’t get to try any new fish tacos. No need to fret. Since I haven’t posted consistently for months, I actually have tons of things to add. As part of my fast, I made a chickpea and potato curry with coconut milk last night. I love curry. It’s such a great mixture of spices and works really well to add flavor without adding a bunch of healthy things.

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Last night’s kitchen adventures reminded me of our second test kitchen. Andrew made steamed mahi mahi fish tacos with a curry sauce. They turned out great. I’d never steamed fish before, put the process was easier than I imagined. I’ve been trying a lot of mahi mahi fish tacos lately and it’s surprising to me how many people overcook the fish. This leads to this terrible rubbery consistency that’s no bueno. Steaming the fish after it was marinated made the pieces nice and flaky.

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What I really liked about these mahi mahi fish tacos was how perfectly all the flavors blended together. The addition of red onion worked great with the caramelized onions and that worked with the curry.

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Although my favorite fish tacos are battered and deep fried, it’s nice to have some healthy options because I eat them so often. To make these mahi mahi fish tacos even healthier, you can use corn tortillas. We used flour because we both prefer flour tortillas. However, I have to admit, I’ve been having a lot of corn tortilla fish tacos lately and they’re growing on me.

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Here are the curry mahi mahi fish tacos all assembled. When Andrew mentioned he was going to use arugula, I was a bit skeptical. I’ve never had arugula in a fish taco. However, it worked nicely. I would have still sprinkled some cilantro on these because I believe cilantro always goes on a fish taco.

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Give these a try and let us know what you think. 

Curry Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos
Serves 2
A delicious mahi mahi fish taco with a flavorful curry sauce
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Ingredients
  1. 1 red onion finely diced
  2. 1 large white onion chopped into large wedges
  3. 1 pound Mahi Mahi skinned filet – cut into 12 pieces
  4. 3 Tbsp olive oil
  5. 1/4 tsp sea salt
  6. 1/8 tsp black pepper
  7. 1/2 tsp fresh ginger -heaping “finely grated”
  8. 6 Flour tortillas
  9. Arugula
  10. Curry sauce (see below)
  11. 3 Tbsp oil
  12. Hot water
  13. Curry Sauce
  14. 3 1/3 Tbsp oil
  15. 4 Tbsp curry powder
  16. 1 tsp Zatar spice
  17. 1 tsp minced garlic “heaping”
  18. 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Mix together sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and fresh ginger. Add fish and let marinate for at least 1 hours.
  2. While the fish is marinating, make the curry sauce. On low to medium heat, heat pan then Add oil to pan- let heat for 30 sec.
  3. Add curry and allow to cook for five min on low heat, keep moving the curry around in pan.
  4. Turn off heat and add zatar and minced garlic, incorporate into curry to make paste. Let paste cool.
  5. Slowly add heavy cream to curry paste whipping gently until you reach a creamy consistency. Add salt to taste. Set aside.
  6. Heat med to large skillet on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes. Then add oil and let heat until whispy smoke.
  7. Add large pieces of onion and let caramelize on all sides. (Don’t let onions cook down.)
  8. Once caramelized on the exterior form a bed in the middle of the pan and place the marinated mahi mahi on the bed of onions.
  9. Add hot water and almost cover the onions. Cover the pan.
  10. Turn heat down and let fish steam for ten minutes or until flaky to touch.
  11. When fish is cooked, reserve the caramelized onions for the tacos.
  12. Assemble tacos using tortillas, two fish strips, diced and caramelized onions, arugula and curry sauce.
Taco Pescado https://tacopescado.com/

Where is Aruba and Why Don’t I Like It?

Where is Aruba? It’s too far from the United States to feel like the United States. It’s about 20 miles from Venezuela and I wish it had a little more Latin American culture to it than it does. However, while I don’t like Aruba, I really wouldn’t mind being back there right now as my fingers are still thawing out from one of the coldest days ever. 

Oh…why don’t like Aruba? It feels like I haven’t left the country. My first visit to Aruba was to shoot a wedding in 2010. I was super excited to go, but after I arrived, I just remember feeling completely underwhelmed. The beach was beautiful, the weather was nice, but I could have honestly been in Florida.

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When I found out that the Annual Takeover trip was going to be in Aruba this year, I wasn’t thrilled. I knew it would be a good trip because the people were great, but I just couldn’t shake this “Aruba sucks” feeling.Believe me…I know it sounds absurd. I’m traveling to a beautiful island for free and I’m not thrilled about it. Who ever says that? I’ve just been spoiled by so many great islands (and places in general) and Aruba isn’t one of them.

When I travel, I like culture and food is a very big part of that for me. It’s almost impossible to find anything local. I also love luxury boutique hotels and there’s only one on the island. I love trying street food and well, you want find that in Aruba either. The entire island is set up to accommodate tourists. I’m sure there are people out there that enjoy this, so I don’t want to discourage anyone from going. Aruba just isn’t for me. I’d rather be in Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, or just about anywhere else.

Anyway, I was able to find some fish tacos at the Divi Phoenix Aruba. They used fried grouper which is one of my favorite fishes. It was fried perfectly and topped with pico de gallo, lettuce, cheese and salsa. They were good. I wouldn’t mind eating them again, but I definitely wouldn’t make a trip back for them.

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Hello Brunch…New York

I ventured out on Saturday, despite the blistering cold, for the New York ritual known as brunch. I wasn’t going to go. I didn’t want to go. While Winter Storm Hercules didn’t live up to it’s name, it still left a couple inches of snow and it was just a little too cold outside for my liking. However, my friends mentioned wanting to go to Cantina and since it was on my list of places to try, I went.

If you’re not familiar with brunch in New York, it can be quite an unexpected event. Twenty and thirty somethings gather at various restaurants all across the city for food and most importantly mimosas, bloody marys, wine and the occasional margarita. It’s fitting that most brunches are dubbed boozy brunch. I forgot what an institution this was in New York social life until my friends proposed brunch on this Saturday morning. Off we went from uptown Harlem to 117th St where Cantina is located.

Cantina was pretty full when we arrived and unfortunately inside was almost as cold as it was outside. I’m sure the food would have been more enjoyable had I not been freezing. However, I was still pleased with my fish tacos. At Cantina, the fish tacos come with beer-battered fried fish, pico de gallo, guacamole and a mango habanero sauce. They’re double wrapped in corn tortillas. The flavor was good and I really enjoyed these. I opted for a side of yellow rice and black beans which were actually much better than I expected. Now that I’m sitting and reminiscing in warmer quarters, I’m realizing that they were pretty damn good fish tacos. Definitely in the better half of fish tacos. (Lesson learned, don’t eat fish tacos in the cold.)

I’d definitely head back to Cantina for brunch (probably when it’s warmer). However, I came across this list on Buzzfeed of affordable bottomles brunches in New York and there are quite a few places on the list that I must try. 

Do you have any favorite spots in New York for brunch?

I wanted to bring my camera out, but my hands were just too cold. Instead, I had to settle for a photo from a camera. Not too bad.

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Hello New York and Winter Storm Hercules: The Search for Fish Tacos in New York

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I love visiting New York. I always get a burst of creative energy that I don’t experience anywhere else. So to welcome in the new year, I was pretty excited about heading to New York to see some of my friends and of course taste some fish tacos. What I didn’t expect was to be greeted by Winter Storm Hercules, six inches of snow and 10 degree weather. Even though I grew up in New Jersey, I just don’t like being cold. And the way the wind whips around New York buildings…I just don’t like it.

The chances of me heading out are kinda slim. In case I don’t get to try any places here, I’m posting my list of where I would have gone for fish tacos in New York. Hopefully you won’t arrive to New York during a storm named Hercules and can let me know how they are. Or maybe you already live in New York and can vouch for the best fish tacos in the city. If so, leave it in the comments. 

Breakroom Burgers & Tacos 
83 Baxter St
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown
This seemed to be the most promising of the locations that I found. If I can only make it to one place, this would be first on my list. 

Cafe Habana
17 Prince St. 
New York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: Nolita
I discovered the corn from Cafe Habana about 8 years ago and I’ve been in love with this place since. So much so, that I sent my uncle here on his trip to New York. He said he saw a rat in the place and I have to admit, that won’t stop me from going. Maybe it’s because the corn is that good or maybe it’s because I believe most New York eateries have a rat or two. This is terrible, I know. In any event, they have fish tacos on their menu and I’d definitely give them a try. 

Cantina 1838
1838 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd
New York, NY 10026
Neighborhood: Harlem
I don’t have high hopes for these tacos, but I’m always in harlem when I’m in New York and this was the only location I could find with fish tacos in Harlem, so I figured it’s worth a try.

Happy New Year!

I’ve completely slacked on this blog because I’ve had a lot going on for the past few months. This sounds like an excuse right? And for the most part, it is. I haven’t written here because I just haven’t made enough time for it. As I sat down a few days ago and wrote my goals (not resolutions) for the year, growing Taco Pescado was #2 on my list. Even though it might not seem like it due to my lack of posts, I really love this little blog and what it can become.

Yesterday, New Year’s Eve, I went to Clyde’s in Washington, DC and devoured my last fish tacos of the year. I realized then that fish tacos are really a huge part of my life and not a gimmick. I love those things and when the flavor profile is right, they just completely make my day. On the flip side, I just cannot simply write a blog with nothing else about fish tacos on it. I mean, I could, but I don’t want to. As I’m in the middle of opening my cocktail/food/creative concept, it just seems disingenuous to not include that stuff on here as well. 

That’s one of the things I’ve struggled with about this blog that sometimes prevents me from writing. So many things in my life are happening and pertain to food and then I skim that away and just post about fish tacos. Eh, it’s…I just feel like I’m cheating you. I’ll figure it out as I go along. The most important thing for me is that I keep writing. 

Happy New Year!