L.A.’s taco universe is alive and constantly evolving. The latest exhibition of real-time taco-ology to behold is Mariscos San Juan de Los Lagos, a low-key mariscos truck on East L.A.’s iconic Whittier Boulevard that has been earning a base of loyal followers since it first opened as a seafood trailer in 2014.
They have made Boyle Heights’ iconic daytime taco, the taco de camarón, their own by topping it with a chopped aguachile de camarón (red or green) and a drizzle of crema. The latter of which is sure to send a feeling of skepticism if you are loyal to Mariscos Jalisco or have had the privilege of eating aguachile around Mexico’s nearly 7,000 miles of beaches.
Crema (Mexican sour cream) on aguachile? “Just trust me, I would love to take you,” said the homie and Boyle Heights resident, Ernesto Yerena—the ‘hood-famous graphic artist who has been telling me about this truck for years. But even then, I was stubbornly against the idea of adding sour cream to aguachile. “That sort of milk n’ lime-cured seafood on a fried tortilla combo conjures up mean ol’ Tex-Mex vibes! I don’t know, dawg,” I would tell him.
But like playing a game of mariscos chess, the strategic move actually makes sense once you think about it and, most importantly...give it a shot. Tostada de ceviche logic: If Sinaloanses can add mayonnaise to their ceviches, why can’t a chef from East Los add crema to their aguachile?
Both mayonnaise and crema perform the same duty in ceviches and aguachiles since they temper down the heat and add an appreciated layer of richness to the otherwise *light* dish.