(Chicago) – One thing I miss about my home country since I moved here to Chicago is seafood. Not that it is scarce on this part of the planet but it is pretty expensive here, especially if you order it in a decent restaurant. I could get a better deal, though, if I cook at home but the preparation is not too simple at times. What else to do, but just to suppress my seafood cravings for now and wait till I visit Manila again for some real deal seafood feast.
While searching for a new place to eat one Friday night, a visiting friend from DC insisted that we try this Mexican seafood restaurant. I was hesitant to drive that night but it’s a BYOB (bring your own beverage) place according to my friend. I stopped arguing, took my car and drove as fast as I could. After a few minutes, we arrived at this unassuming, tightly packed restaurant called Mariscos El Veneno (“Poisonous Seafood”).
The seafood escapade started upon entering place. Servers paraded with enormous plates of lobsters, crabs, prawns, etc, while a Mariachi band was entertaining the hungry patrons. The festive site and appetizing smell of the place made the 50-minute wait bearable. A table opened up and hostess cleared the table right away. Behind her, a busboy was waiting to serve a complimentary fish ceviche on crispy tostada with a small bowl of pale red salsa and wedges of lime. I wasted no time. I spooned almost a teaspoon of salsa, spread all over my tostada and took a big bite. The busboy came back and gave an ominous warning in a deep Spanish-accented voice. “That chili sauce is very hot”, he said. Too late! My mouth was already on fire! The guy was nice enough to replace my tostada with a fresh one. This was a second chance to savor this crunchy tostada topped with fresh tangy fish flakes and chopped tomatoes, onion and cucumber. It was a good, yet fiery introduction.
I was expecting for more ‘hot’ surprises that night but the succeeding dishes we ordered had more tolerable piquancy. Next came, the oyster special plate. It was fresh raw oyster on its shell topped with “ensalada” of chopped tomato, onion, octopus and shrimp. The freshness of this dish brought back memories of my summer vacations in some remote islands back home. I could easily finish a dozen but more dishes were coming. We left 12 very cle
an oyster shells on the plate.
Next dish was “chapuzon del mar” which means “a dip in the sea” according to my server. It was a mélange of shrimp, oyster, octopus and red onions with an intimidating sharp red spicy sauce. I had a flashback of my burning start with the “poison sauce” a few minutes ago. To my relief, the heat was subtle but the taste was explosive. The sauce strung together exquisitely each piece of seafood on the plate. This is a perfect “pulutan” (a small dish accompanied with liquor or beer) for my uncles in the Philippines.
I was almost full but we had one more dish left. You bet I wouldn’t let it pass. The spotlight was now at “Huachinango zarandiado estilo Nayarit”. It was fried whole red snapper bathed with spicy sauce and topped with sautéed red onion and shrimp. It came with french fries, savory rice and salad as well. I had no high expectations at these side dishes but I was surprised that the fries and rice were flavored distinctly and very addicting. I even ordered some extra fries to bring home. I wondered a little, though, why an extra cup of rice here costs almost $3. Going back to the star of the plate, the fish was well seasoned and fried exceptionally. The skin was crispy while the inside meat was kept juicy. This reminded me a lot of a local Philippine dish called “escabeche”, a deep-fried whole fish with sweet and sour sauce. It felt like we were just dining back home. We consumed the whole fish, literally; including the head and all its sumptuous innards. My American companions just watched in all amazement, perhaps in disgust.
At this point, we were beyond full. Every plate was fantastic along with the final bill. Each of us paid $15 only which included a generous tip already. Even though the ambiance is not as grand as those restaurants in downtown area, the food was superb and very cheap topped with a warm and attentive service. I will definitely come back here and try the giant lobster I saw at the other table next time.
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