Desnuda

It wouldn’t be right to mention ceviche in Manhattan without a nod to teeny spot in the East Village called Desnuda  It is a cevicheria afterall and a fine one at that.  Other than wine, they have little else, so settle in for a ceviche tasting.  There’s no kitchen, just a sushi fridge and a toaster oven. Their approach is far from traditional and always exciting.  Ever had a gravity bong smoked oyster?  Order the Sichuan Tea Smoked oyster and you’ll never see oysters again.  The menu features Ceviche de Salmon, marinated in lime and mingled with mango, bell pepper, aji amarillo and smartly crowned with roe.  While we’re not one usually inclined to mix too many fish in one dish, we happily make an exception for the Ceviche Mixto here.  Desnuda’s version comes with salmon, tuna, prawns, cinnamon and pineapple. There’s Ceviche de Langosta basking in coconut milk, lime and orange juice and an imaginative Tiradito de Atun with thinly sliced tuna in a truffle-pepper glaze and pickled jalapenos.  The final touch is the salty crunchy addition of salty potato chips.   It may not be your run-of-the-mill ceviche, but who wants that anyway?