This cebichería, with three branches in the DF and five more spread across Sao Paulo, Santiago de Chile, Panama, San Francisco and Lima, is one of the projects of Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, who attracted the gaze of people from all over the world with the cuisine of Astrid & Gastón, his first restaurant.
A bucket full of roasted peanut corn kernels takes the place of typical totopos. Its salty taste and soft texture, like popcorn, invite you to eat them until you see empty the container.
To not miss you have to try a cocktail with pisco, a grape distillate that is produced in different regions of South America, but which took its name from a province of Peru. The Marimba, with passion fruit juice, sounds fantastic and is exquisite. The acidity of the fruit dominates, although the pisco manages to give it some balance.
The menu is vast and looks even more extensive because it includes the explanation – necessary – of each of the names to which we are not accustomed in Mexico: nikei cebiche, tiraditos, soup chupe, sautéed…
The cebiches are served in tiger’s milk, which is their own juice complemented by chilli, purple onion, celery, salt, pepper and ginger.
The nikei cebiche is different. The sweetness of the tuna cubes, highlighted with a little honey, melts with tamarind sauce and sesame oil. A good choice to start the meal.
The gold foils of the limeño tiradito – a variant of the cebiche where fish is presented in very thin slices – are bathed in thick tiger milk, dyed with yellow chili pepper, the chili to which Acurio considers the main ingredient of Peruvian food. A refreshing and delicious entry.
One of the classics is Parmesan, axe callus served in shells tossed by a crust of golden Parmesan cheese. The juicy callus cleanses the bitterness of the cheese and the layer of fat it leaves in the mouth, complementing it perfectly.
If you prefer something more complex to start your meal, order a pacifier soup. It is a seafood broth with rice and egg, highly seasoned, with the unmistakable taste of curry. You’ll feel your heart beating faster and blood flowing harder immediately after trying the first spoonful.
As a main course you can order the marlin skewer, with a persistent garlic flavor that does not opaque fish, or a La Mar pasta, with breaded shrimp and jaiba pulp.
The sautéed fusion mixes pieces of fish and shrimp with pepper, onion, apple chili and Indian walnut. Seasoned with curry and coconut milk, this combination comes alive and plays, uncontrolled, inside your mouth.
To taste the best of La Mar, you must be willing to eat the black cod. The witch, as well as black or school cod, is a deep fish with meat so greasy that it is harmful; but, that only happens when you eat it in large quantities and, in addition, when roasted it decreases the concentration of oils.
The black cod is served on a potato puree bed and bathed in a blackberry sauce. Salty, sweet, greasy and fresh are the sensations that will give you an experience that will be etched in your mind.
The desserts are original and are designed to pair with the different nespresso blends.
La Mar is one of the best places to eat in Mexico City. It’s expensive, but satisfaction is worth it.
Cebicherías La Mar
Santa Fe
Juan Salvador Agraz 37, Escape Building, Santa Fe, Mexico City. Tel. (52-55) 5292-9776
Loreto Square
Altamirano 46, interior 3d-2, Colonia Tizapán, Mexico City. Tel. (52-55) 5616-5249
Palmas
Av. Paseo de las Palmas 215, Central Building Palmas III, Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City Tel. (52-33) 5202-7500