TACOS DE PESCADO.

I don't know where my obsession with tacos de pescado came from. I honestly can't even remember the first fish taco that I've ever had...but I remember my first fish taco in the city - from Stanton Social. I like Stanton Social's fish taco because it has a hard crisp shell that keeps the taco and its goods intact. Plus they are mini (aka VERYYY CUTE), and who doesn't like paying MORE for LESS??? Structure, integrity, and durability are key components of a taco. Will your hard taco withstand finger and teeth pressure or will it crack in half at the first bite? Can your soft taco wrap fully around its filling without collapsing? Is your flour tortilla strong enough to not get soggy under pressure, but also not too tough that it is difficult to bite? All very key questions and things that every taqueria needs to consider.

Once the outer-shell is mastered, the only way you can differentiate your fish taco from another is the actual filling elements. And here I shall present to you the NY BATTLE of the tacos de pescado. EN GARDE!!!!!


Here we have the fish tacos from La Esquina. La Esquina is essentially a taco speakeasy. I called that restaurant so many failed times that I actually recognize the voice of the answering machine when I hear it via someone else's speakerphone. La Esquina has been around for so long that you would think no one wanted to go there anymore. But alas, you are forced to waste daytime minutes on a talking robot. When a mortal finally answers the phone, you will be offered really funny times to eat dinner - like 11:30pm. CHORTLE CHORTLE, GOOD ONE LA ESQUINA!!!! And you end the conversation by saying, you'll take the next available dinner reservation that is 3 weeks away. Nearly a month later, you will find yourself in front of a silly taco stand. You check in with a man inside the taco stand that is half-bouncer, half-trench coat mafia gang member and pray to god that your name is actually on the list. You are then ushered downstairs and forced to awkwardly pass through the kitchen and walk past all the line cooks that will be preparing your next meal. You suddenly enter a swank, underground, lively dining area. While the atmosphere is great and I would go to La Esquina to enjoy a few drinks, the food is definitely not worth the hype and the three week wait.


La Esquina is definitely one of those restaurants where you can't really see what you are eating. Thank god I accidentally took a picture of my tacos with flash because I was able to truly see how hideous and unappetizing my meal was. My highly anticipating taste buds were met only with big bites of runny guacamole (which they refer to as "salsa verde"), which definitely overpowered any flavor of fish. In fact, I couldn't remember tasting any seafood at all. It is highly possible that I was actually served a vegetarian taco. No bueno.


Pictured above you will find the fish tacos from yesterday night's contender: Yerba Buena, which was recently rated one of New York's best new restaurants according to NYMag. Top notch fish tacos by my standards. The tilapia is lightly breaded and fried, but not to the point where it is crispy fried. The softer nature of the fried fish helps it mesh with the textures of the soft tortilla. The seafood within the taco was great, and only accentuated (not masked) by a light drizzle of a spicy chipotle sauce and a splash of lime juice. Simply wonderful.


Behold the Moqueca Brazilian Paella - a comforting mix of octopus, clams, cod, shrimp, crawfish, and rice stewed in coconut milk. The coconut flavor is light so as not to endanger the dish becoming a curry. The seafood is delicious and unadulterated by a slew of overpowering sauces. The dish has a slight kick and that is all the flavoring that it really needs.


My indulgently creamy flan, oozing with caramelized sugar sauce. The addition of the dried fig and raisin compote made this Latin America's version of the fruitcake!


The service at Yerba Buena is also excellent. We were waited on by a kind, friendly, and attentive (but not overbearing) staff. They even served us complimentary champagne at the end of our meal! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!! Dear Julian Medina: I love that you serve me real food and not just a slurry of sauces. Yerba Buena > La Esquina.