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By Manos Angelakis
Toloache
251 West 50th Street (bet. Broadway & 8th Aves.)
212-581-1818
Ceviche (also spelled cebiche, or seviche) is a form of citrus-marinated seafood salad, popular in most Spanish-speaking countries. The name is derived from the Spanish word "escabeche" (marinade), from the Moorish "sikbaj", the Arabic language root of escabeche.
Ceviche is a dish served by many different Spanish-influenced cultures that settled on the New World shores of Central and South America.
Mexico, Peru, and Chile are the countries with the best-known versions. In ancient Peru (pre- Spanish conquest), the Mochica prepared a similar dish using the fermented juice from a local fruit called "tumbo". During the time of the Inca Empire, the raw fish was immersed in chicha. Later, with the arrival of the Spaniards, classic Mediterranean ingredients i.e. lemon juice, cilantro, and onions, were added to the dish.
In modern Peru, ceviche is composed of chunks of raw fish, with a mixture of onion, chili pepper, lime and lemon juice, though sometimes the juice of bitter orange (naranja agria) is also added. In Chile, ceviche is often made with sliced fillets of a single fish variety that is marinated in lime juice, with onion and finely chopped cilantro as well as minced garlic and red chili peppers. A version made of freshly chucked clams, mussels, machos (pink razor clams) and sea urchin eggs, marinated for a few minutes in a lemon/lime/hot sauce blend and shaved red onion and cilantro, serves as a hangover remedy for residents of Santiago. Shrimp, octopus, squid, tuna, and mackerel are popular bases for Mexican ceviche; cubed tomatoes and avocado are sometimes added to the preparation. Ceviche de Corvina (white sea bass) is very popular and served as an appetizer in local restaurants in the Philippines.
One of the joys of dining at Toloache, named after a flower famed in Mexico for its use in love potions, is the broad range of offerings from guacamole to ceviches, tacos to quesadillas, botanos (small plates), platos principales (entrees), and the variety within each of those categories. Chef Julian Medina, transforms traditional Mexican favorites into lighter, more nuanced dishes. In reality, the dishes at Toloache are haute versions of authentic regional Mexican dishes, using seasonal, organic ingredients. Also, for a happening New York City restaurant, the food and wine prices are very reasonable.
Medina’s ceviches are the star of the Toloache show, dramatically prepared before the restaurant’s clientele in an open ceviche bar. Vuelve a la Vida, is a combination of shrimp, octopus, yellowtail (hamachi), and oyster with spicy tomato salsa and avocado. The Ostiones Caballito is an oyster shooter of Malpeque oysters with a squirt of Meyer lemon, red onion, salsa and a ½ ounce of Frida Kahlo Silver tequila (3 shooters per portion). The Salmon “Panzon” is made with organic salmon belly, tomatillo, serrano, and green apple in a lime-only marinade. There are many other ceviches including one with spicy yellowfin tuna, another one of cubed yellowtail and small chunks of watermelon, and one of seared rib eye with cactus salad and chipotle mustard. The ceviches can be ordered either individually or as choices of 3 (El Acapulco) or choice of 5 (El Grande). We ordered El Grande and we were not disappointed, the entire variety was just magnificent.
We actually started with a trio of Guacamoles mashed to order at the bar, a traditional mild version with avocado and tomato, onion, cilantro, and cerano; a spicy Rojo, the traditional variation but with red onion, chipotle and white cheese; and the Frutas with avocado, pomegranate, vidalia onion, mango, apple, peach, Thai basil and habanero. They were served with nicely warm, crunchy, but quite salty tortillas. All very tasty and a great accompaniment to our Tequila based cocktails.
 And, talking about Tequila, they have the largest collection of tequilas I have encountered in New York City. From silver, blancos and platas, to oros, reposados and añejos, plus extra añejos and Mezcal, practically every tequila produced in Mexico is available at the bar, as well as every bottled Mexican cerveza (beer).
The cocktails we tried were the Toloache, their house cocktail, with Frieda Kalho Blanco Tequila, muddled blueberries, hibiscus flowers and lime juice, and De La Calle, that uses Siembra Azul Blanco Tequila, muddled jicama and cucumber, basil and lime juice.
We tried some of the tacos with handmade tortillas. We loved the Foie Gras taco, with a mango and habanero salsa. The foie gras nuggets resting on a soft taco were properly silky soft. Another also pleasant surprise was De Cabeza, braised veal cheeks, onion, cilantro and chile de arbol salsa. Our friends refused to even entertain the idea of seeing what the Oxacan-style dried grasshoppers with sautéed onion and jalapeño on a taco look like. I’m adventurous in eating, but sea-cucumber, chocolate-covered honey ants, and now grasshoppers are where I draw the line.
With all the above appetizers, we were fairly full, so we only ordered three “platos principales” i.e. entrees, and shared them. They were outstanding. The Carnitas de Lechon, oven roasted shredded suckling pig, sour orange salsa, habanero, cactus, avocado and chicharron salad, was a tasty dish that combined the sweet shredded pork with a spicy/sour/crunchy salad and salsa. It is a very interesting variation on a dish (roast suckling pig) very popular in the countries bordering the  Mediterranean. The second dish was the Costilla de Res, fork-tender braised beef short ribs in a pomegranate sauce with celery root puree. Also very good.
The wine list has a number of decent whites and red wines by the glass and a number of very good whites and reds by the bottle; the bottles at quite reasonable prices. Depending on the meal choices, I would look towards the Sauvignon Blancs or Chardonnays from California for white bottles - you need substantial tastes to work with the spicy profiles of the food. For the reds, I would look to Span’s Tempranillos, Californian Syrahs or the Malbecs. I was delighted to see on the list Kaiken Ultra, one of my favorite Argentinean Malbecs created by Chile’s Montes winery in Mendoza, and Santa Julia’s Organic Malbec, also from Argentina.
By the end of the evening we decided that we should throw caution to the winds and have dessert (Postres). Barbara decided on the Pastel de Chocolate, a warm chocolate cake with dulce de leche ice cream. According to her it was the most amazing chocolate cake she ever had. Our friends having dinner with us had the Tres Leches de Limon, a Meyer lemon cake covered with cream and soaked in three milks and a hibiscus coulis, and the Flan, with a coffee caramel sauce and fresh berries pico de gallo. They declared both to be outstanding. I decided on an old favorite, Churros, with both Chocolate and Caramel dipping sauces. This version was as good as the one I had at Chocoletería San Gines, the Madrid patisserie that by all food experts makes the best churros.
Chef Julian Medina has created a menu that is far removed from the cheap beans-yellow rice-sour cream dishes that pass for traditional Mexican food in this city. If you like that kind of food, don’t bother coming to Toloache. But if you prefer impressively inventive fare that will challenge and titillate your palate without doing much damage to your pocketbook, this is the restaurant for you. Our toques off to Executive Chef Medina and Pastry Chef Roberto Villamil and their staff.
© May 2008 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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