Restaurant Review: Este

Hongos fritos, a surprising sleeper dish on the Este menu (Photos by John Anderson)

Ask anyone who's dined at Este, the new seafood restaurant from Best of Austin: Restaurants Best Chef winner Fermín Núñez (Suerte), what they would recommend and, to a person, you will get a different answer. One person's favorite might be the tuna tiradito while someone else raves about the Camarones "El Ricas" – grilled shell-on shrimp. Others' can't-miss items might cause someone else to grimace in distaste.

The jury is still out for me as to whether it's a good thing that opinions are so strong and so disparate about one menu, but I do know what I loved and didn't after a few visits to what is arguably the hottest dining ticket on Austin's Eastside.

What I loved: It feels really silly to say that my favorite dish at a seafood restaurant is the mushroom tacos, but I'm owning it. I split the hongos fritos with a girlfriend when we popped by for happy hour, mostly curious about what on earth could justify a $26 plate of fungi. The way the masa batter, spiked with vodka, puffs up around the oyster mushrooms, adding a delicately crunchy bite to the meaty mushrooms, makes that price tag worth it. Dab some hominy and salsa chipotle on a house-made corn tortilla, add a few pieces of mushroom, and roll it into an utterly delicious, unforgettable taco, the corn and umami flavors dancing together beautifully.

Este's bright and welcoming interior

I loved them so much, in fact, I ordered them again when I came back for lunch, along with the swordfish tacos, which are dressed in that same masa batter and are an equally delicious choice for a lighter midday meal. My Guavamente mocktail, which tasted like a softened strawberry popsicle, was a perfect complement to the light-as-air tacos on a warm February afternoon.

I also loved both desserts I tried: the pastel de elote and the tarta de chocolate. Both of them succeed in ending a meal on a sweet note without being overly sweet or cloying. Indeed, I appreciated pastry chef Derrick Flynn's attention to complex flavors in both; the light corn cake mingles subtly with strawberries and a brown butter crema, while the more flamboyant chocolate tart demands the full attention of your taste buds with its powerful dark chocolate crema, crackly cocoa nib tuile, and tart tamarind caramel.

What I didn't love: the tuna tiradito, praised as can't-miss by multiple people, including my waiter when I asked for a recommendation. The sashimi-sliced fish was dressed very lightly with a salsa negra and topped with cubes of avocado and fried leeks. The fat from the avocado paired with the fat of the tuna was, effectively, putting a hat on a hat, and my friend and I both found ourselves wanting a little more acid to cut through the fat and help brighten up the flavors.

When my spouse and I visited for dinner, we tried the Este ceviche, which had all the acid I'd missed with the tiraditos, so much so that it muted the flavors of the corvina, avocado, and carrot-pepper salpicón. That didn't stop us from scooping up every morsel with the thick, addictive, plate-sized tortilla "chips" (more like slabs) that arrive at the table after you've placed your order.

Pastry chef Derrick Flynn expertly weds subtle flavors with the pastel de elote

Another dish that came recommended by our server was the monkfish a la tumbada, a unique dish from Veracruz, usually served as a stew but here comprising Carolina Gold rice studded with golden raisins and almonds served in a molded disc topped with monkfish that's then topped with a mushroom gravy. It's not a dish that screams "coastal Mexican cuisine," but it is thought-provoking and not unpleasant.

There's a lot to like about Este, including the interior, which gives high-end beach vibes, the blue tile surrounding the kitchen blending into the bright yellow tile of the bar. It's mood-elevating on a sunny day, and romantic when the lights are dimmed for dinner. The patio is comfortable and spacious; guests would do well to book the deck as we approach high patio season, perfect for enjoying the simple, expertly prepared margaritas.

The service at Este is attentive bordering on lightly overbearing, depending on who's serving you. When we visited for lunch, our server felt more like a knowledgeable guide, inquiring into dietary restrictions, confidently giving his recommendations, and checking in at appropriate intervals; this felt like the perfect level of service.

On the whole, I have been pretty satisfied with my visits to Este, although the price point dictates that it will remain a special occasion restaurant rather than going on the regular rotation (more generous happy hour specials might make me revisit this decree). But I am curious to explore the parts of the menu I couldn't cover for this review.

As we waited for our car after dinner, the valet asked us what stood out. We shared our opinions and he offered up that he really loved the tuna carnitas, claiming that the tuna is cooked in the fat from the pork carnitas, adding another layer of richness to the fish. "They are outstanding," he exclaimed. "You have to try them next time you come."

I'll add them to the list.

Este