eastside | taste
Seafood Reimagined Este Brings Mexico’s Coastal Region to Austin WORDS ABBY L. JOHNSON PHOTOS BAPTISTE DESPOIS
The briny scent of the sea is absent in Central Texas, but crossing the threshold of this bright and airy seafood restaurant, one can almost catch a whiff of the salty ocean breeze.
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he minds behind Suerte, owner Sam Hellman-Mass and Chef Fermin Nunez, bring Mexican seafood to East Austin with the same level of service and attention to detail patrons have come to expect of the duo. While tacos and tortas are familiar to Austinites, there is a lack of eastern Mexican cuisine, and Este sets out to fill the gap. Every aspect of Este is well-designed to enhance the senses. It’s the minute details that make the space spectacular. The booths are clothed in textural Oaxacan fabric. Coastal-inspired art
44 EASTside | Spring/Summer2023
sets the scene, and a backdrop of ocean blue and sunny yellow tiles, made in Guadalajara, makes it easy to forget where you are. A curated record collection enhances the warm ambience. But of course, the food is the star of the show. Oysters on the half shell, accompanied by salsa Negra, lime, and house made hot sauce gracing the tables, cause eyes to widen in delight at the take on a familiar coastal dish with an elegant twist. The menu celebrates traditional dishes that will feel familiar to those in the know, but it also serves as a playground for Chef Fermin’s imagination. Sam exuberantly explains, like a find more at eastsideatx.com
proud family member, the care and innovation Fermin brought to the creation of the Trout a la Pulla. He looked to the famous French dish Salmon with Sorrel and seamlessly translated its basic ideas into an ebullient rendition all his own. “Fermin twisted [it] around and made the Trout a la Pulla. He made it Mexican seafood where instead of salmon, it's trout. And instead of a French sorrel cream sauce, it's a dried chili cream sauce draped over top with a little bit of chili oil and trout roe. It's quickly become one of the standout dishes of all the staff and guests.” It’s Fermin’s ideas, pushing the boundaries of what Mexican seafood can be, that make Este