Sea Bites at Mesa del Mar

Mesa del Mar Restaurant lies a few blocks away from the hub of Villarrica and it specializes in dishes made with fish and seafood, as well as grilled meat. A spacious diner, with sea decoration and soft colors predisposes customers to make contact with these gastronomic specialties.

We resolved to accept the invitation made by some friends of ours who usually visit this restaurant and enjoy its sea creations. A complete menu and the advice provided by the waiter let us choose. Our decision implied simple preparations to taste the authentic properties of each ingredient.

As main courses, we ordered griddled salmon sprayed with olive oil, accompanied by black olives and golden potatoes and a seafood casserole made with picorocos, conger eel, choritos, navajuelas, clam, shrimp and locos, all of them softly spiced so as to let the palate enjoy the various textures. wise, a conger eel broth is a classic Chilean recipe that has been immortalized by the famous poet Pablo Neruda. We had to wait for fifteen minutes. In the meantime, we entertained ourselves with some pisco sour, a traditional Chilean drink, accompanied by shrimp in lemon.

We had a chat with Adolfo Aravena, owner and chef at Mesa del Mar, in order to learn something about his career. He gave us a brief explanation of his own satisfaction to have discovered his calling for cuisine ever since he was young hand in hand with his family: “My way to learn was based on practice and dedication, immersed in pots and pans on the fire pits.” He worked in several renowned venues both in Argentina and Pucón, and it was not until 2004 that he settled down with his wife Jenny at their present space in Villarrica.

It may be said that they serve signature cuisine which privileges the freshness of ingredients and regional products cooked on request. Just his mother did in the past, Adolfo searches for original flavors adding only garlic, olive oil, the algae known as cochayuyo, a condiment called merkensome simple sauce served in the right amount, avoiding cream and bechamel. Fresh fish and seafood come from Valparaíso, Puerto Montt and especially Mehuin, according to fishing seasons during the year.

An excellent Chilean premium wine list provides several options to accompany the dishes. We ate without haste enjoying the delicate flavors of each course. The perfect finale for our food was a dessert made with ice-cream combined with papaya flambéed with curazao, an apple crepe and a fresh combination of melon and berries.

We finished our lunch with a digestive drink and, as we noticed more customers were crowding the facilities, we confirmed what we had been told: Mesa del Mar is a classic of good cuisine in Villarrica. Simple and impeccable.