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Who likes orange soda?: The chef at Xochitl likes orange soda (in his shrimp ceviche.)

Photo by michael persico

Epicurean sage and hip-hop philosopher Ol’ Dirty Bastard said it best in his ditty “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”: “Ooh, baby, I like it raw.” If you’re among the curious when it comes to raw food, let ceviche be your bridge to consumption. If you’re squeamish thinking of uncooked fish, know that the citric acid in traditional ceviche dishes “cooks” fish and shellfish proteins in the same way heat would. 


If You Want a Fiesta in Your Mouth 


Drinking the Brandal Albariño at Chifa (707 Chestnut St. 215.925.5555) brings a grapefruit-like acidity to the party thrown by pickled mango and spicy rocoto pepper puree for the sashimi-like Shimaji. The horse mackerel complements his plate pals with a hardy, deep sea flavor, while in another ceviche, the citrusy-saucy “leche de tigre” has a drunken threesome with tender conch and oyster. 3 W U
 


If You Still Play With Your Food


The animated barkeeps at Xochitl (408 S. Second St. 215.238.7280) will instruct you in the fine art of eating the coctel de camarones—aka shrimp cocktail. This variation comes with sweet mango, crisp jicama and a traditional garnish of peppery cocktail sauce kicked up with orange soda. For more refined dining, try the carpaccio-like ceviche de atún (tuna ceviche) with a julienne of apple, lemongrass and a creamy avocado topping. 3 W T M 


If Castro Is Turning Japanese 


Find the soul of La Isla Grande at Alma De Cuba (1623 Walnut St. 215.988.1799) and treat yourself to a three-, five-, seven-, 
nine- or 10-ceviche tasting. Comidas necesarias include corvina in a spiced-up creamy scallop-rocoto sauce served on a crisp yucca fry; the Japanese-
inspired shima-aji, amberjack in a simple but intense citrus, red onion jalapeño and cilantro; or hamachi nikkei, yellowtail served in yuzu, thai basil and sweet soy. This Cuban soul food warms our corazones. 3 W U


If You Bring Your Own Buzz 


Bring your own bottle of tequila blanco and sit on the open air balcony at Las Cazuelas (426 W. Girard Ave. 215.351.9144). The fresh air and passing retro-trolleys add a sense of nostalgia to a summer night while the unaged liquor won’t overpower the traditional ceviche de camerón, a lime juice cured shrimp dish with tomato, onion and cilantro on mixed field greens with a fanned avocado garnish. B T M 


If You Don’t Learn From Your Mistakes 


We were apprehensive about visiting Dos Segundos Cantina (931 N. Second St. 215.629.0500) in Northern Liberties due to our experience with the condescending staff and underwhelming ceviche at its hermano Los Caballitos. We went anyway, and among its daily rotating cast of ceviche was the jumbo lump crab with pico verde and spicy peanuts that benefited from half a lime’s worth of juice. We’re happy to report things are a lot different at Dos Segundos—at least the staff is nice! 3 W U M 


If You’re Free to Travel 


Cuba Libre (10 S. Second St. 215.627.0666), in the heart of Old City, is captained by the man who quite literally wrote the book on ceviche, Chef Guillermo Pernot. The restaurant offered a shrimp and bay scallop ceviche cocktail with citrus and tomatoes next to raw tuna in a creamy sauce. It was oddly paired with crushed saltines and roasted coconut. The rapid expansion of the restaurant into other markets may have forced the ceviche chef’s attention elsewhere, because here the ceviche is adequate at best. W T U ■

Key


3: Three or more ceviche choices


W: Wine list


B: BYOB 


T: Traditional 


U: Untraditional