Sonoran-style seafood specialties

Da Seafood Cartel was busy building its following at farmers markets for two years before moving into the gas station venue of the former Wally Ho’s Garage & Grill, so there’s little wonder that the line for its Sonoran-style seafood specialties starts the minute it opens its doors at 11 a.m., and doesn’t slow down for the next two hours.

It’s a wonder they can keep up with the barrage of phone and live orders, and get everything right, but somehow they do!

Experience pays. Owner Amanda Cordes’ family owns the Forty Niner Restaurant at nearby Honomanu Street, and from her mother’s roots in Sonora — a Mexican state bordering the Sea of Cortez, or Gulf of California — comes family recipes for a full menu of fresh seafood specialties.

Da Seafood Cartel’s initial claim to fame at farmers markets was its ceviche, and it wasn’t long before the citrus-cured shrimp, cucumber, onion and tomato dish found its way onto a tortilla.

Today, that OG tostada ($9) is one of the most basic of the tostada offerings, but it remains a thing of beauty: two golden deep-fried corn tortillas layered with creamy blue crab spread, the ceviche, a bit of BSOD or “Black Sauce of Death,” and topped with slices of avocado. In all cases, the tortillas hold up well to the juicy toppings.

Please note that sturdiness does not mean “broke da tooth.” The tortillas maintain their crispy, light texture. And have no fear of the BSOD, a Mexican-style soy-based sauce that’s smoother and less salty than many local soy blends.

Diners quickly fill interior tables and spill out into the outdoor area where gas pumps once stood. Seating is at metal tables that accommodate four each.

For those who typically enjoy family-style dining, this is more of a get-your-own kind of place, because when ordering multiple tostadas there’s a certain sameness to the combinations of seafood and tortillas.

You can experience some differences via appetizers such as chicharrón de pescado ($18) and aguachile ($15.95). The former comprises cubes of deep-fried mahi mahi served with a Sonoran-style salsa verde, chipotle aioli and warm corn tortillas. The mahi can be salty when eaten alone, but the flavor is balanced when tucked into a tortilla.

The aguachile is the most authentic I’ve had in Hawaii — the shrimp marinated in fizzy chili-and-citrus water, topped with jalapeño and red onion slices, and served in a molcajete, a Mexican stone mortar.

A giant cocktail glass full of their classic ceviche ($14.50) also qualifies as an appetizer along with cocktail shrimp ($17.50) and campechano ($29.50) full of tomato-drenched seafood with a crowning touch of a single oyster on the half shell.

Tostadas form the bulk of the menu with nine offerings. The most impressive is “La Torre” ($34), a tower of fresh seafood that starts with their blue crab spread, ceviche, cooked shrimp, shrimp crudo, octopus, mahi crudo and scallops. It’s a wonder staffers can walk it out to your table without the tower collapsing.

Fans of guacamole may gravitate toward a combination of shrimp and octopus ($12.95) served on a bed of guacamole.

And tostada la basta ($19.35) also impresses with its poke-style combination of cooked shrimp, shrimp crudo, octopus, mahi crudo and ahi, all marinated in BSOD.

Rounding out the menu are a handful of tacos and quesadillas. I gave a steak taco ($9.75) a try but the steak was rather dry so I think seafood is definitely their forte.

Da Seafood Cartel

Aulani’s Garage
98-380 Kamehameha Hwy., Aiea
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ***
Value: ****
Call: 808-762-0044
Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
Prices: About $40-$50 for two

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).