searching for ceviche in San Francisco

I'm totally craving ceviche, and would prefer to stay in SF. Also looking for a more low-key atmosphere (as opposed to say, Limon). Any tips?

fresca on west portal is low key with good peruvian ceviche

there is another location in the fillmore and a new one (haven't been there yet) on 24th in noe valley but these two are a little more limon scene with more attentive service in my experience- you could sit at the bar at either and have a low key high quality ceviche fix

the one on 24th is said to have an extensive ceviche bar- more than the others- it's only been open a week or two I think- they start serving lunch next week I was told when I called to go for lunch this week to check it out- could be a scene since it's new in that neighborhood

best meals I've had and the one I go back to have been the original lower key location

Pachi's (415-422-0502), a great little Peruvian restaurant at around 18th and Clement in the Richmond district, has excellent ceviches -- very fresh, and great balance of flavors and textures. And they are pretty cheap too -- ceviche appetizers are about $8 or $9 and the portions are generous.

A couple of low key options:

Mochica in SOMA: large slices of fish in very tangy marinade, with pretty large dices of peppers, and plenty of hominy.

Fresca: the place to go if you want an entire meal of ceviche. They have several choices, including a ceviche bar (3 plates of ceviche served in a tiered serving dish) for $28. The halibut one was also in large slices, like the Mochica version. Slightly different marinade--not quite as sour? The atmosphere is low-key, but I find Mochica even more casual. I'd say that neither Fresca nor Mochica are as hip and noisy as Limon, but Fresca is certainly lively at night and fairly hip. Mochica is more cozy and quiet, IMO. Perhaps I was there on a quiet night.

Platanos: the most casual of the three choices I'm offering. I love this space because they have huge twenty-foot tall glass window, lofted ceilings, large colorful paintings, and woven grass fans turning slowly above. It's a great place for lunch on a sunny day. The picture below is of the ceviche I had there, which was almost a meal. The fish is cut into smaller pieces than at Fresca or Mochica, there's big chunks of buttery avocado, and the ceviche is served with wonderful fried plantains. This ceviche was tangy enough that it would be hard for me to make a meal of it; the perfect meal for me is a plate of pupusas and a ceviche shared between two people, then a stroll across the street for dessert at Tartine.

Pachi's is on my list to try, as I've heard good things.

Image: http://www.jimmyshang.com/peggy/blahg...

a not so low key option: alma on 22nd and valencia corner. They used to have three different ceviches to choose from.

Habana on Van Ness does 3 kinds of ceviche. This may not be low-key enough though.

Link: http://www.habana1948.com/home.html

Whoever recommended Platanos was dead wrong. The ceviche tasted like it was pure lemon/lime juice with no other flavor. The ingredients looked decent enough and the presentation was as beautiful as in the provided photo. However, if it wasn't for the plantain chips, I would've had the worst stomach ache from drinking pure lemon/lime juice. I even tried the chicken empanadas which were cold in the center and tasted like frozen burrito filling. Again, the presentation was fine and the service was fantastic, but the food was less than subpar. I was glad to have the agua con gas and sangria to kill the bad ceviche taste and to forget that my empanadas were refrigerator cold. I'm still on the hunt for good ceviche though. Any other recommendations will certainly be welcome. Do try the tres leches cake though. That was superb. And as I've said before, the service was ab fab.

We ended up going to Fresca (Fillmore) on Sunday afternoon, as the Noe location only open for dinner.

Unfortunately they were only serving a limited brunch menu, and had 3 ceviches: halibut, shrimp, and a mixture of shrimp/halibut/octobus/squid. These all used the same slightly spicy, citrus marinade. A bit disappointing, but the cool, fresh chunks of seafood were tasty - as were the toasted corn kernels (canchas?) that our server was kind enough to bring an extra cupful of.

thanks for the tips; I'll keep the other suggestions in mind.

[mzscahlett]

I ended up in this little gem in the West Portal district of San Francisco through the suggestion of a friend. Thus, while it's a find I cannot take credit for, it's one I really enjoyed. We arrived hungry, and a few minutes early for our 6:30 reservations. The place was pretty full. There were only two tables, one right in the doorway, and a nice big six top in the back with comfy banquette seating. Fortunately, they were kind enough to allow us the slightly bigger table away from the door, which after my near refrigeration at Sala Thai, I was prepared to argue for, but thankfully there was no need. Victorious in my non-battle, seated and with a menu, I began my meal with a glass of wine. The BH and our companion shared a pitcher of sangria.

Our companion was interested in sharing a platter of ceviche. They have quite a few selections at Fresca, maybe eight or more different ceviches, all prepared on the spot. Though they have sampler plates of up to five of theirofferings, we decided three was sufficient to try on this occasion. Their Trio of Ceviche - which resulted in a platter containing three different ceviches with a nice offering of sides. The first we tried was the Ceviche 5 Elementos; the Ceviche Mixto, and finally we had a Salmon Ceviche. I was impressed. Ceviche is often too fishy or too chewy for me. I've had ceviche that was only edible, some that is good, a few that were actually great. This was delicious. The sides were yams and (I believe) some lovely pickled mushrooms. The blending of the savory salmon with the yam meat was stunning. It was a perfect study in contrasts. My mouth rang with the gentle savory meat of the fish, the citrus of the ceviche pickling sauce and the soft sweet cream of the yam. The fish was tart, well-seasoned and extremely moist. An absolute hit.

The next appetizer we tried was a dish called Camarones Chícama, or coconut-crusted jumbo tiger prawns. They sat atop a black bean salad, with what they described as a lucuma-orange glaze. No idea what lucama is, but these shrimp were cooked beautifully, and the crunchy-coconut sweet outer shell soaked up the glaze, the meat inside was moist and laced with a hint of the seasonings it had absorbed from its marinade. Combined with the beans and corn salad beneath, and the tang of the dressing... another impressive offering. At this point, I'm thinking this place was on a roll.

The last of the appetizers we sampled were called Tequeños, which though dubbed a fried wonton filled with shrimp and crab cream cheese, was more of an eggroll filled with plain soft cream cheese. The promised flavors of crab and shrimp did not properly materialize, bur rather were a tiny presence, sadly overwhelmed by the cheese. The crust of the wonton was slightly greasy and was too heavy for the filling. It might have worked if there was some texture from the crab and shrimp, to cut a bit of that cream chees, but the only thing I tasted was a mouthful of cream cheese. The dipping sauce, (an lovely light aji amarillo aioli) added some tang, but not enough. I found this dish not well thought out, and not as flavorful as I’d have liked. At least the side salad that came with it had an lovely chunky tomato salsa in a perfectly seasoned vinaigrette that was quite good.

The BH ordered a Chupe, which is a creamy seafood chowder. The menu listed its ingredients (other than the seafoods) as andean corn, potatoes, rice, green peas, aji panca, poached egg. When it arrived the poached egg sat on top ominously (the BH is not normally a fan, though I am) but to my amazement he gave it a try and he loved it. The soup was full of various fresh fish, mussels, shrimp, everything from the ocean but the kitchen sink.

I ordered a variation on the seafood stew, I think it was called Picante de Mariscos. Mine also had a creamy base and much of the same seafood, but it was much spicier. This dish was the sort of thing I dream about at night. I've often written how much I love heat in my food and this was hot. Really spicy, but not so much so that it made the dish difficult to eat, or wiped out the other flavors. It was spice perfection. Every bite was creamy, with the flavors dancing on the palate until the heat made it's appearance, like the finishing kick at the end of a jig. There was just a tiny bit of sweetness blended into the broth at the base, but the dish was mostly a savory one. Though it was slightly reminiscent of a curried coconut broth, it was not exactly a curry, nor was it coconut flavored. It was unique and absolutely delicious. All the seafood was remarkably moist and tender as butter. Not a bit overcooked or tough. I have never had calamari that tender. Never.

We left happy and satiated. I loved my stew so much, that, even though I was stuffed, I just kept eating until there was a sad, empty bowl before me. You know that feeling you get when something you really loved eating was completely gone? Sadness. But a good kind.

They've got several locations, and it woudl seem from these old board posts that the food is consistent at all of them. The online menu is pretty much the same. However, if you've been to one of the others, let me know what you thought.

I have pics posted at my blogsite if you're interested.

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Fresca Restaurant
24 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127