El Malecon

[Pan]

I just noticed this chain (one at 175 St. and Broadway and the other between 97 and 98 Sts. and Amsterdam) doesn't have its own thread. I've enjoyed both locations, especially the Amsterdam location because it's 2 blocks from the apartment building where I grew up. Their Pollo a la Brasa is great.

But today, I ran into a problem. I ordered Sopa Marinera at the 175 St. location, and the fish in it tasted so old I was afraid I'd get sick. This surprised me. Has anyone else noticed problems with freshness of fish or seafood at either location? I generally like their "Especiales del Dia," such as Mondongo, Sopa de Pollo, Oxtail Stew, Chivo, etc.

[lia]

never noticed 'non freshness' from the amsterdam location, but the food's usually ordered in soon after they open. i work in a restaurant near there, and my mostly ecuadorean and dominican wait and busstaff eat from there regularly. i'm partial to the papaya batido and the mofongo (I love that word.)

[picaman]

I ordered Sopa Marinera at the 175 St. location, and the fish in it tasted so old I was afraid I'd get sick.

I eat here ~once a month--it's one of my favorite places to get an excellent meal with unbeatable value. I hate that I live a few too many blocks away from the edge of their 15-block delivery radius

On my next visit, I'll try to look at any fish dishes that come out. It seems like I always get a table by the kitchen door anyway. I'm always eating with the staff

But, given your warning and my natural preference for their pork, beef and chicken dishes (I've never ventured into their fish realm) that's all I'm promising

For anyone interested, here is a link to a piece about my first dining experience at El Malecon.

Jamie

[ellenesk]

I am a big fan of their shrimp and garlic sauce, and have never had a problem.

Tend to usually order the chicarrones de pollo, or the roast chicken(the chicken sandwich at $4.00 with garlic sauce, and fresh sliced roast chicken is one of the great NYC deals.

[Daniel]

Last night I took in food from here.. I ordered the King Fish in red sauce, the churrasco, the tripe soup and the tres leches.. A good value, but the food was off..

The churrasco was completely cooked through.. It was dry and grey.. The beans were average.. One interesting thing was that they served a side of what tasted like Chinese Black Vinegar with it.. Plaintains were good..

The king fish was a huge amount.. They real gave you a ton.. It was fried well and there was no freshness issues.. The red sauce was good if a little bland..

The tripe soup was boring.. Didnt have much taste to it.. Almost tasted like the same sauce the beans were in..

For dessert we had the tres leches.. This was rather tasteless too. A yellow sponge cake with milk poured over it.. Didnt have the sweetness from the other two milks.

All accompanied by a couple of glasses of Bacardi Coconut Rum..

Didnt know this thread existed until after I ate.. Will go with your suggestions next time.. Anyone try the soupy rice dishes?

[mascarpone]

Great photos! I like Malecon's Pollo a la brasa (Rotisserie Chicken) so much that I generally order this when I go to the 175th Street branch. It is only $6.00 for a half a chicken or $9.00 for a whole. This comes with a huge platter of steamed vegetables. When you consider that this is arguably the best chicken of it kind in New York, it is an outstanding bargain.

The result, however, is a feeding frenzy on the weekends.

[Pan]

I enjoyed the photos, Daniel.

I like the Mondongo very much, but the secret is that you need to squeeze the juice of some lime sections into it. I also like to add some hot sauce. They may or may not give you any lime sections unless you ask, but in that case, ask for them. Many patrons squeeze lime juice onto various other dishes, too -- particularly, fish and seafood dishes, I think.