misc. food blurbs
86 ICE
Published January 27, 2024
holbox
who said a michelin star was with white table cloths and linens?
holbox was one of the first restaurants i tried once i entered culinary school. we had been reading about current events, one of those events being how holbox had won best restaurant of the year AND had a michelin star. to my bright eyed and bushy tailed self being new to the culinary world in that regard, i simply did as much research as i could because i was comitted to understanding what made this place so amazing. now i have had the pleasure of going TWICE.
to get there, i first had to find someone to go with me. when i head on my food adventures i need another person to experience it with me. it’s like after you read an insane book or watch a show and you can’t stop thinking about it and HAVE to talk to someone about that insane cliff hanger. therefore, i went through my roladex of foodies that i have in my, uh, extensive list of 5 people, and headed on the road.
when we pulled into the parking lot, i had no idea what i was getting myself into. holbox is inside one of the most amazing places i have ever been inside. mercado la paloma is a food cafeteria that houses holbox plus a variety of other stalls that i can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on. the surprise was most welcomed and i couldn’t get over how beautiful it was in there. there were wall hangings and little bits of decor that emphasized all of the different cultures that had created a home inside the cafeteria. not only that, there was a live band practicing and i cannot resist live music for the life of me.
trying to choose something off the menu the first time around was hard, the second time was nearly impossible. first round we had settled on the tostada de lenguado and the smoked kanpachi taco.
to get there, i first had to find someone to go with me. when i head on my food adventures i need another person to experience it with me. it’s like after you read an insane book or watch a show and you can’t stop thinking about it and HAVE to talk to someone about that insane cliff hanger. therefore, i went through my roladex of foodies that i have in my, uh, extensive list of 5 people, and headed on the road.
when we pulled into the parking lot, i had no idea what i was getting myself into. holbox is inside one of the most amazing places i have ever been inside. mercado la paloma is a food cafeteria that houses holbox plus a variety of other stalls that i can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on. the surprise was most welcomed and i couldn’t get over how beautiful it was in there. there were wall hangings and little bits of decor that emphasized all of the different cultures that had created a home inside the cafeteria. not only that, there was a live band practicing and i cannot resist live music for the life of me.
trying to choose something off the menu the first time around was hard, the second time was nearly impossible. first round we had settled on the tostada de lenguado and the smoked kanpachi taco.
i don’t think i can do the food justice with any descriptive words i have in my vocabulary. the tostada came first, and it was like the sea (in a good way) got into my mouth and gave me the freshest catch of the day with a kick and then some. i have never in my life had fish so fresh or have something taste so complex with such simple ingredients. and boy was i in for it when the taco came. who the hell comes up with a smoked peanut salsa? because i could drink that like my life depended on it, and the taco was smothered in it. The fish inside was perfectly cooked and between the fish then the smoked peanut salsa, there was definitely a fiesta happening in my mouth.
the second time meandering into mercado la paloma, i really didn’t know how my choices this time could top the first round, but they did indeed. this time, i did a bit more research on what was cream of the crop and went with a different foodie, which meant a different palate. we shared one of the largest shrimp and octopus ceviches i have ever seen, antoher one of my tostada de lenguado’s, and their scallop taco. everything, like before, blew me the f**k away. if you want to lightest and brightest ceviche you will ever have, go right now. run. they should be mellow and dont close until nine pm.
i dont know if i should be ashamed of admitting this because technically i am still a baby in the vastness of the food world, but this was the first time i have ever tried a scallop. i nearly whacked myself for never trying a scallop before then. the scallops were perfect with this incredible sauce, then they put on caramelized onions that added a touch of sweetness to a rather smokey taco.
if i lived closer to holbox, or mercado la paloma in general, i would be there every single week without fail. its a travesty i have to drive forty miles for ceviche, especially when i live in the land of fast food ridden suburbia, but it’s fine, i’ll make do. although taking a step away from the food, it is truly a cultural hub where you can go to explore without having to leave LA’s backyard. I highly recommend going there to even just see what it’s like even if seafood isn’t really your thing, because i guarentee with other stalls you’ll find something you love.
the second time meandering into mercado la paloma, i really didn’t know how my choices this time could top the first round, but they did indeed. this time, i did a bit more research on what was cream of the crop and went with a different foodie, which meant a different palate. we shared one of the largest shrimp and octopus ceviches i have ever seen, antoher one of my tostada de lenguado’s, and their scallop taco. everything, like before, blew me the f**k away. if you want to lightest and brightest ceviche you will ever have, go right now. run. they should be mellow and dont close until nine pm.
i dont know if i should be ashamed of admitting this because technically i am still a baby in the vastness of the food world, but this was the first time i have ever tried a scallop. i nearly whacked myself for never trying a scallop before then. the scallops were perfect with this incredible sauce, then they put on caramelized onions that added a touch of sweetness to a rather smokey taco.
if i lived closer to holbox, or mercado la paloma in general, i would be there every single week without fail. its a travesty i have to drive forty miles for ceviche, especially when i live in the land of fast food ridden suburbia, but it’s fine, i’ll make do. although taking a step away from the food, it is truly a cultural hub where you can go to explore without having to leave LA’s backyard. I highly recommend going there to even just see what it’s like even if seafood isn’t really your thing, because i guarentee with other stalls you’ll find something you love.
email @serenaauriel@gmail.com
*if someone from eater or the infatuation sees this, please hire me