I’m not used to ordering my food by color, but that is really what it came down to for me when choosing which aguachile to order. Of course, each color represents a different flavor, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Mariscos el Submarino opened in Jackson Heights during the pandemic and has been on my radar ever since we could eat outside again.
This bright lively casual restaurant specializes not in submarines, but rather in aguachiles, which are a Mexican specialty consisting of shrimp and raw seafood that is quickly mixed with peppers, lime juice, cucumbers, and red onions. Not so different from ceviche.
That is the base, but of course, they come in all sorts of varieties (and colors).
At Mariscos, you get to pick from Rojo (red), Verde (green), Negro (black), and Mango Habanero (isn’t mango a Crayola color?) I acted as if I was color blind and turned to the cashier for a recommendation. She suggested the green, since that seemed to be the most popular and traditional.
Served in a clay pot and with a large tortilla chip, don’t mistake this for guacamole. It’s bright green which melds well aesthetically with the avocado slices and big chunks of cucumber. With a dip of a chip, the flavors come to life.
This is a very bold sour, spicy, briny concoction. It’s refreshingly acidic and full of the freshest, softest sweetest seafood pieces you can imagine. The fish literally melted in my mouth just as I might expect at a high-end sushi restaurant.
It’s a loaded bowl that is probably big enough for two but also easy to take down as one person.
The green was really delicious, but as I chose the color of envy, I found myself eyeing the other colors coming out of the kitchen. And not because I was unhappy with my choice, mind you. Quite the contrary – it’s because I wanted to eat it all. Price: $21
| MARISCOS EL SUBMARINO |
| 8805 Roosevelt Avenue (between 88th and 89th Street), Jackson Heights, Queens (718) 685-2780 |
| Instagram: @mariscoselsubmarino |
