The service is surly at best, but if you can brave the cashier starting daggers into your forehead, it's worth the aftermath.
Glower at me all day if you will, just give me my free Oyster. It's the best treat on a half shell, buttery brine in a salty sea.
Fear not, the hatred at Holbox comes cheap. For a mere $110, we four are facing beautiful platters and impressive piles of the freshest seafood in LA.
A generous helping of Fish & Uni Ceviche snakes across a plate; a feisty Kanpai is thickened with tomato, ripe avocado mollifies onions with audacity, all soaked in a bold vinegar sting. The uni is melty and sweet, perfect pieces fresh enough to taste like it's live. Pick it off the top and eat it separately, though, enjoy it one nibble at a time. The ceviche overpowers its more delicate flavors if you eat it all together.
The Coctel Mixto is a gamble for one who dislikes tomato, but a single bite makes me a convert. The supple shrimp are spritely, the tender octopus nods in agreement, and the oysters seem to sing in this amplifying sauce. This cocktail is nothing like the heavier marinades. It floats the flavors rather than sinking in the stomach and makes this red martini good enough to drink.
Tacos de Pulpo en su Tinta: wow, what a mess. What a gorgeous, glorious mess, a finger-licking, ink-smearing, hot, steamy mess. A perfect corn tortilla achieves an impossible level of smoothness, full of octopus fried to a crisp and braised to a melt. The calamari ink stain turns the black beans to velvet silk.
The specials board boasts a Grilled Rockfish Collar. The broad bones conceal delicate flesh, some of it so fatty it's fish-butter. The side of beans and rice completes the set.
The Scallops are just spectacular. Perfectly seared scallops are stunning, but that bed of roasted poblano peppers steals the show. I cannot find the words to describe the dance those flavors do on my tongue. It is simultaneously a sultry bachata and a long, slow, seductive tango.
I'm in love with Holbox, and there isn't a single thing I would change except the service. I love the casual counter set in a colorful market, and I love the heavy wooden tables with their intricate high-back chairs, a beautiful casual-cafeteria space. It's so easy to eat at ease, and with next-level seafood like this, it's easy to savor every sliver.
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