Karissa RangelIf you asked Chef Johnny Hernandez 20 years ago what kind of restaurant he’d open, he’d say “seafood.” Before La Gloria and Burgerteca, his first love was cooking regional seafood.
Photo by Karissa Rangel
A long time in the making, Villa Rica—located at 403 Blue Star in the Flats at Big Tex—is a partnership between the popular San Antonio chef and Enrique Guzman of Veracruz. As the San Antonio food community continues to embrace Mexican seafood, the duo brings traditional regional foods from Veracruz, Baja, Yucatan and the Pacific. The concept heavily focuses on the freshness of seafood used. Meaning, what ends up on your plate for dinner is brought in daily and based on seasonal availability.
Tasting the freshness from appetizers to ceviches and entrees, the menu presents classics cooked up like no other. You can’t go wrong starting dinner off with Fish Minilla Empanadas, a fish stuffed corn masa turnover topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, crema, queso fresco, salsa roja, or a seafood tostada crowned with fish, octopus, shrimp and avocado.
As for the ceviches on the menu, the Ceviche Veracruzano is a Mexican classic ceviche with black drum, tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado. While the Peruvian Ceviche Nikkel is yellow fin tuna prepared the Peruvian way—leche de tigre— with added soy sauce, sesame oil and fried leeks. We recommend eating your ceviche with tostadas made from non-GMO stone ground corn from Chef Johnny’s local Molino for the perfect flavor combo.
Photo by Karissa Rangel
The Tuna “Marejada” is gorgeously sliced and rolled tuna, filled with cream cheese, avocado, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno chile salsa macha and ponzu sauce that I’ve definitely never tasted before in the Alamo City.
Photo by Karissa Rangel
Villa Rica’s cocktails pair perfectly with the coastal fare of the menu. The Clement House Mojitos are made with Chef Johnny’s special Rhum Clement, also found in Burgerteca’s BigTex Punch, while the refreshingly-fruity Ginger Berry and Strawberry Jaimaica have Cruzan rum. When they said mojitos pair well with ceviche, they weren’t lying! The Clement House Mojito is probably my favorite drink right now, but if you aren’t into Rhum, order a pisco sour or one of the two gin cocktails.
Photo by Karissa Rangel
Eager to give the new restaurant a try? Visit Villa Rica Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Don’t forget to order a Clement House Mojito!