El Salvadoreño

After gathering about 30 years of collective restaurant wisdom between them, it seems about time that Lorena Salmeron and Camilo Rodriguez opened their own place. Monterey natives, the mom-and-pop entrepreneurs have passion and knowledge to spare, and it shows in their new spot, El Salvadoreño Pupuseria in Marina.

The place is unassuming from the outside in its strip mall location, but thanks to bright blue and lime green walls and the lively hues of the exotic menu, inside explodes with color. Interesting imagery catches the eye, like a giant map of El Salvador, and a large framed tapestry showing a woman rummaging through chilies at a Salvadoran marketplace.

As far as first impressions go, chilies figure in prominently. The salsa introduced us to their spicy style: It delivers a huge kick of spice; the crunchy, homemade chips partially tame the fire.

Although the tastes are bright and zesty, they weren’t quite enough to remedy a very long wait. Over half an hour passed between the time we ordered until the time our food was delivered (with apologies from the friendly server), and my hungry tummy wasn’t thrilled. It’s worth noting we were there during the dinner rush (7pm) – the small place (nine tables) was packed, and I imagine had a list of phone-in orders too – so I hoped it was a rare occurrence as I sipped the unique and lightly sour housemade tamarindoagua fresca ($2.50).

Some more spiciness came first in the form of the curtido, or “spicy cabbage,” which looks like coleslaw but tastes more pickled and less creamy (no mayo involved here). Intended as an accompaniment to the pupusas, this traditional combo was easy to understand once our plates were in front of us. Several hot and cheesy pupusas were enhanced by the cooling cabbage crunch, and even more so by a simple yet delicious, almost sweet tomato sauce. A long list of pupusa options reign at El Salvadereño ($2.50-$2.75/each), and given the affordable prices it felt prudent to try at least a few.

Cheese is the star with all of them, and the different filler options can seem almost like a second thought. The jalapeño pupusa has a nice, light bite to it, but the flavor gets slightly lost in the thick pupusa dough. I would love more filling with the zucchini pupusa too. The green and grassy flavor of loroco, an edible flower, was also slightly lost in the bread and cheese. The most striking pupusa was the revuelta, with pork and fried beans sticking out thanks to mildly crispy texture and color. It gives a little more flavor too, and left me longing for more.

The lusciously velvet mash could be eaten with anything.

Some other Salvadoran specialties provided other highlights. Two appetizers, or “Salvadorian Delights,” according to the menu, are satisfying enough to be main courses: the fried chicken sandwich ($7.99) and the yucca with fried pork ($7.99). The chicken is skillfully fried to an indulgently crunchy yet tender juiciness, and served on a giant, soft and hearty French roll with a mountain of thoughtfully prepared toppings. The best thing about this sandwich, besides the expertly fried chicken, is the blissfully refreshing coleslaw. Salmeron and Rodriguez nail this recipe with the right crunch and the right amount of mayo, allowing the freshness to speak for itself.

The menu offers yucca, a starchy potato-like root vegetable, in fried or steamed form. Though I suspected fried might taste better, I wanted to give the steamed yucca a try. The outcome: totally the correct decision. I couldn’t have imagined what was to come: a lusciously velvet mash with a somehow neutral-flavored creaminess that could be eaten with anything. The fried pork on top was overly fried, but it almost didn’t matter next to such a pillowy carb-lover’s dream.

I returned on a Monday evening a couple of weeks later. This time I arrived right when they opened, at 5pm, and the restaurant was full within the hour. Word is spreading fast about the new hotspot, so I hoped some of the kinks had been worked out since my first visit.

They had.

I had only taken a few sips of another housemade drink – a sweet hibiscus jamaica ($2.50) – when the tempting plates began arriving. A pork tamale ($2.50) brings tenderly yummy meat wrapped in a soft, flavorful corn masa. A chicharrón pupusa could use a tad more filling but is delicious nonetheless, with crunchy shredded fried pork in hot, melty mozzarella ($2.75). Traditional Salvadoran steak with sauteed onions ($14.99) delivers pizazz with the addition of bell peppers in a cumin sauce, and is elevated further by salty, buttery and heavenly rice.

Fried plantains aren’t meant to be dessert here, but they acted as one for me anyway. Sugary sweet fruit made a happy pair with tart Salvadoran cream and lush, savory black beans, and tied the meal together.

The owners’ expertise is revealing itself quickly as this newbie is becoming well-loved. Two things to know in advance: It’s cash-only (for now), and it’s delectable.

EL SALVADOREÑO PUPUSERIA 3056 Del Monte Blvd., Marina.
5-9pm Mon; 11:30am-9pm Tue-Fri; 8am-8pm Sat.
831) 747-2385