Oh ceviche. Have I told you lately, that I love you? Have I told you, there’s no one else, above you? Fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness. Ease my troubles, that’s what you do. Sorry, I sometimes have conversations with my food that lasts well after a meal concludes. Ceviche House opened a location in North Park in December and had previously set up shop at local farmer’s markets throughout San Diego. Unassuming from the outside, it’s what’s inside that counts.
What a bright and welcoming vibe once you step in, kind of like ceviche! The owners Vivi and Juan Carlos were super nice and excited to share their ceviche with us that day. It’s always fun hearing from new restaurant owners as their energy radiates into the room and seeps into you. Licking our lips and hungry as ever, my friend and I went with some of their recommendations.
Friend loves spice. Like the kind of spice mere mortals wouldn’t ever dare thinking about ordering. I think I can handle a good spice level of 6/7 on a true (not Americanized) spice meter. He can probably handle a 9 with ease. So of course he orders the Veracruz and asks they make it spicy. If you can see they put jalapenos throughout to up the spice level. Jalapenos aren’t terribly spicy and he could have probably handled a bit more heat. But the ingredients and seafood were fresh as can be. They source from Catalina Offshore Products so you know you are getting good quality. The cuts of mango gave a nice sweetness to balance the heat which lasted for a tiny bit after. The seafood didn’t have a strong taste, nor was there the normal sour punch you get from most ceviches. I would say this was quite delicate and smooth. The different textures were also pleasant to munch on.
The Acapulco almost had just as much spice with the serrano in the equation. The similar ingredients lends itself to a comparison to most other ceviches you would find at other restaurants. But I can’t say it tasted the same. Again, I was expecting a much stronger tanginess from the lime. The EVOO and fish for me shined the brightest and acted as the main attractions. The heat was perfect and left me panting like a dog on a hot summer February day. I wish there was more lime and a little more seasoning, but other than that I rather enjoyed it. I can’t emphasize enough how fresh tasting it was and can’t forget to mention the rather generous portion size.
The last shareable item we were struggling to narrow down ended up being the Yellowtail Tiradito because of its savory and Asian influence. This probably was my favorite of the trio because of the bold flavors. The other ones I felt could have used a little more seasoning while this was perfect. With a little avocado, yellowtail, and bean sprouts in one bite, my happiness scale went up a few notches. When I look at the picture now I can actually smell and taste it all over again. Success. Food memory stored.
Everything is made to order with fresh ingredients and you have to respect them for their approach. One thing to note is you can make your ceviche into a bowl or lettuce wrap. Maybe they are trying to attack the poke bowl craze and get in on some of the action. I don’t blame them, rice is good! Overall, I had a great time trying their food and can’t wait to come back to try other items.
Ceviche House
4594 30th St
San Diego, CA 92116
www.cevichehousesd.com
