 |
 |
Sergs Mexican Kitchen, a closer look
Don't just take my word for it! See what others are saying about Serg's Mexican Kitchen!
|
Check out Serg's Facebook Page! |
 See Kristen Brummel commenting for the Advertiser! |
 Mari Taketa's take on Metromix! |
Aloha!
3/10/10 - Yup, still fixated upon Me-hee-kah-no cuisine. And it ain't over yet, even after today. Serg's Mexican Kitchen is yet another of those relatively new spots helping raise the bar here in the islands for South-of-the-border cuisine. The banner has been proudly displayed now for oh, a half-year or so, and ever since, it's been drawing raves from just about everyone, from the professional media, bloggers, and consumer review sites alike. Of course, you're always gonna have at least one internet domineer on Yelp or ChowHound or Trip Advisor razing (not raving!) a place, but by and large, the news has been mostly positive.
They are located along the main thoroughfare of E. Manoa Road, just before the Manoa Shopping Center in an abandoned gas station facility it shares with two other eateries - Boston Pizza and a cute-little crepe shop. Hours are 11am-9pm Monday-Thursday, 11am-11pm Friday-Saturday, and they are now open on Sunday, as well, from 12pm-8pm.
Besides Mexico Restaurant in Kalihi, which is a full-fledged, sit-down restaurant, the newest Mexican additions to the island scene all do their best in duplicating the casual, order-at-the-counter, street-food type of cuisine that can basically be found in some places on the Mainland for a quarter of the price found here, and perhaps not much over a quarter, period, in Mexico itself! That's a huuugely difficult starting point for us here in Hawaii - we're already beginning two steps back for diners already irked at having to pay two, three, even four times as much! No wonder the plethora of folks from the Mainland out there, constantly reminding us how terrible Mexican is here!
But to be fair to our haughty tormenters, in the spirit of truth and objectivity - how can we deny them? When you're right, you're right... right? After all, questioning authenticity in Mexican cuisine here is no different from what happens in other food types, as well - how many times have you heard the Japanese completely shunning local rice, local sushi, or all things made here in general? Or the Italians frowning upon the bevy of Southeast-Asian owned-and-operated Italian restaurants? Or the Chinese longingly boasting of Hong Kong, Shanghai, or even San Francisco! Actually, same goes for Thai, same goes for French, and same goes for Yugoslavian, for that matter! We get pretty close in some types of cuisine, but no matter how close, there's always that barrier of difference that can't be duplicated, whether it's regarding prices, those one or two extra ingredients that make all the difference in the world, and/or yes, even just a complete lack of authentic, hands-on experience and knowledge with the real thing!
As far as the subject of todays' Closer Look page goes, though... Prices, yeah, ingredients, yes-and-no, perhaps, but lack of experience and knowledge in Mexican cuisine? I don't think so. Chef/Owner Sergio Arrelano has his roots in Mexico City, owns a formal culinary education, and had been employed in fine-dining restaurants and hotels in Vegas before arriving here in Manoa. But it's the real, home-style Mexican dishes learned from mom and dad that Chef Sergio has decided to concentrate upon, and we couldn't be more thankful. A little more ammo to defend against all of you flying-in from LA or San Diego, ya know!
Chefs' lair is an open-air haunt with Wal-Mart-like dining arrangements. With the University of Hawaii just down the street, it all seems in lock-step with college crowds flocking the area - super laid-back, no-frills, relatively inexpensive, and... byob!!! You can't eat Top Ramen every night, ey? Gotta splurge once in a while, maybe on weekends, with an $8-$12 meal, and what's a few more bucks for a few drinks, especially when you can purchase a six-pack for $6 or $7 instead of a single draft for $6 or $7!!!
Up at the counter, you'll find some Mexican-made soda's to quench your thirst, as well as a few iced containers holding self-serve sauces - guac, hot rojo (not too hot), mild rojo, and verde:
You'll find a decent mix of items here at Serg's, with nothing in the air above $8.95! There's nachos, mini-chimichanga's, tostada's, carnita's, burrito's, enchilada's, quesadilla's, chili relleno's, steak picado, a whole chicken roasted in guajillo chile/orange rub, rajas con queso (slow-roasted anaheim and poblano peppers), Mexican soups and salads - just about everything you'll ever need. In fact, on Friday and Saturday, they even have that classic Mexican soup made with tripe, Menudo! There's also a host of traditional desserts, small munchies, and drinks, such as raspado (Mexican shave ice), helado frito (deep-fried ice cream), elote (an interesting roasted corn on a stick, drizzled with mayo, cheese, lime, and spices; a popular street food in Mexico), and horchatas (sweet rice water w/cinnamon and sugar), to name a few.
However, if you're only doing one thing here, make sure it's their House Specialty - flautas. Larger than a taquito but smaller than the normal, burrito-sized chimichanga's we often find here, it comes as one long, deep-fried piece, which is then smothered in avocado salsa, sour cream, and queso fresco, a white, creamy, crumbly type of cheese often found in Mexican dishes:
Now, let's be honest here - it's all about the deep-fried flour tortilla! Yeah, the carnita inside was great and all, but if we really wanted more pork, we'd be ordering a burrito, or at least a chimichanga, which is also deep-fried. The ratio of deep-fried tortilla to stuffing is just right, all combining for a taste sensation I can almost gaurantee you'll be boasting about and coming back for! I'm definitely a believer!
The black beans on the side were a little dry but highly flavorable, while the rice... aaah, the rice... allow me a moment to introspect a bit. What, really, is it that makes a good Mexican rice? Surely, you can't compare it with a good Japanese rice, with their shiny-white, glossy sheen and full, chewy, tender yet firm granules? The texture always seems to me like a dry, light, long-grain Chinese rice more than anything else, not including the spices and sauces/oils that go with them. I mean, almost invariably, I always find the orange-colored variety prone to either clumping or falling apart Big Ben-style, two big no-no's and obvious signs in a lack of quality when considering Japanese rice types. What, then, is the determining factor in a good Mexican rice? Is it mostly about taste alone? Is it supposed to clump? Is it supposed to fall apart? Is it supposed to be on the drier side?
I have my own hunches, but I'm not gonna get stuck on a big debate on quality, especially since we are talking about an inexpensive, street food type of Mexican, yes? If someone doesn't educate me regarding this matter, though, I'll just forget it and move on, as the thing still tasted great to me, coming with a tiny touch of sweetness and slightly tangy taste of tomato.
My plate, on the other hand, came with no sides at all:
It's $2.75 for each of these tacos, except, that is, for the fish taco on the far right side, which goes for $3.25 and comes with either breaded (batter-fried) or grilled mahimahi. As much as you know I love deep-fried, I had to go with the more traditional grilled type, just to stay in the spirit of the occasion. Beans and rice can also be included for another $1.95. Though flautas are my most recommended dish here, I gotta say, these guys are a very close second, for sure!
Though you can't see any actual fish underneath the mayo-covered veggies on the fish tacos, believe me, they were done very nicely, grilled to moist, tender perfection and lightly seasoned as to highlight the simple, great taste of mahimahi. Having accidentally deleted the close-up, though (sorry!), we'll move-on to the other four, beginning with chicken:
Compared to everything else, I guess this one was the least inspiring of the five, but still, I got no complaints. The pieces were decently tender, portioned generously, and after a generous heaping of fresh, house-made salsa and guac, all was well.
Next to the chicken was a carnita al pastor, or pork marinated in a chile/spice-based sauce. It was a great alternative to a regular carnita taco, and instead of coming in shreds, came as whole, small, well-flavored chunks of meat:
Perhaps the most uh, interesting choice was the chorizo taco. Coming almost as a ground meat, this chile and spice-flavored pork sausage was as potent as you might expect, coming super-salty, super-smoky, and super-oily, its reddish-orange juices soaking right through its tortilla shell, making this one a messy, but tasty and delicious proposition. In fact, the flavor was so strong, I actually had to dump more than half of the meat for a little starch dilution! If I could have fit more in my stomach, I'd get at least two more shells to finish the rest of the chorizo!
And finally, a pork chile verde, or pork in a mildly spicy green sauce. The meat wasn't actually cooked or even tossed in sauce, but simply placed on its sauce right there in the shell. Like the chicken, its pieces were decently tender, and with all those sauces and a bit of red onion and cilantro, was a flavorful, well-balanced, very festive taco with, well, all kinds of things going on, a fusion of tender meat, chewy starch, crisp veggies, and a great layering of different sauces running all over the place.
I see why street tacos are so popular in Mexico and the Mainland - they're simple, tasty, easy-to-eat, and chocked-full of fresh ingredients from most of your basic food groups. No, we can't get 'em for 50 cents here, but for all of you up there - we know already, okay? No need for reminders! Hey, just kidding. We all want the truth, after all, no matter how much our little pride gets hurt!
But you know what? With places like La Bamba, El Mariachi, Tacos Rico's, and right here at Serg's, I'll still toot my own Hawaiian horn by saying I'm still proud of and well-satisfied with the Mexican offerings we have here these days, no matter what they say! I love 'em all!!!
Hey, hope you're all having a great and positive week! Still got a few more Mexican restaurants coming down the pike in the next couple of weeks, with perhaps a break of other ethnic grinds in-between, as well!
Take care, and Aloha till next time!
Post a Comment or just say hello! Don't worry about leaving REAL names if you don't want to! No e-mails will be posted without consent, last names will be abbreviated, and if you don't want me to post all or any part of your correspondence, please state so! Hope to hear from you all!
