STEPHEN SANTACROCE -- Dining Review

In contrast to my evening meals, when I get to try some of the

county’s finest restaurants at a leisurely pace, lunches for me are often

hectic, grab-something-quick affairs. I try to avoid most of the

burger-oriented fast food. It’s not that I don’t like them, but my

waistline hasn’t benefited from my job as a food critic.

So when I need that quick bite, I’ve assembled a short list of good,

relatively healthful places I can get in and out of in a short time.

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos has topped that list for a while now.

Wahoo’s was started by three brothers -- Wing Lam, Ed Lee and Mingo

Lee. The brothers were born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to Chinese immigrants

who moved there in 1951.

The boys’ father opened Brazil’s first Chinese restaurant before the

family moved to Southern California. Here, the family continued the

restaurant tradition, opening the Shanghai Pine Garden on Balboa Island.

While Dad ran his restaurant, the boys pursued their love of surfing,

making many trips with their friends south of the border in search of the

perfect wave. They fell in love with the tacos they ate between sets,

small simple affairs of corn tortillas and fresh grilled fish, and the

rest is local history.

The first Wahoo’s opened in 1988, and today there are 18 locations

spread across California, Colorado and, soon, Kentucky.

So what’s behind this chain’s success? The recipe is quite simple

really: a small menu featuring mostly healthful items using fresh

ingredients. The service is quick and congenial, and the atmosphere is

surf casual.

All the Wahoo’s I’ve visited look pretty much the same inside. The

decor is Mexican cantina meets surf hangout. The floors are varnished

wood, as are the chairs and tables. The walls are covered with surf

memorabilia -- old surfboards and the like -- and a TV is usually propped

in one corner playing surf videos.

Every inch of window space is plastered with stickers advertising

surfing gear, radio stations, etc. Although I usually visit in my work

attire, it’s the kind of place made for cut-offs and flip-flops.

The menu at Wahoo’s is built from the same basic building blocks. The

entrees and most of the appetizers start with some sort of grilled meat

-- signature grilled fish, carne asada (marinated flank steak), carnitas

(shredded braised pork) or skinless grilled chicken. It’s from these

basics that most of the menu items are constructed.

Ordering is handled at the counter, where diners are handed their

beverage and a plaque with a number on it, which is to be displayed at

your table so the friendly servers can find you.

Appetizers include crispy taquitos ($2.95) -- corn tortillas stuffed

with chicken, steak or fish, and then deep fried. This is one of the less

healthful choices on the menu, but the taquitos are quite tasty,

especially when dipped in the sour cream or guacamole served alongside.

I was less impressed with the uninspired quesadillas ($3.25). Cheese

and one of the aforementioned meat choices is sandwiched between two

flour tortillas and grilled until the cheese is melted. The dish is

relatively bland and could benefit from some green onions or maybe

chopped chilies. I’ve made better at home with hardly any effort at all.

Wahoo’s signature dish is, of course, their fish tacos ($1.95 a la

carte). The tacos here are Mexican style -- corn tortillas are topped

with fresh, grilled fish of the day (usually wahoo or Mahi Mahi), and

dressed simply with shredded cabbage, cilantro, a bit of jack cheese and

some homemade salsa. The fish can be either charbroiled or blackened

Cajun style.

I prefer the simpler charbroiled variety. The Cajun spices overpowered

the dish, I thought. Of course, a bottle of hot sauce is available at

every table to spice your dish, if you like.

In addition to the fish, I also like the carnitas filling.

Traditionally, carnitas are made with pork that’s marinated and then deep

fried and shredded. Here the pork is braised instead of fried. There’s an

obvious trade-off in flavor -- the braised meat has none of the richness

of the traditional version -- but it’s an acceptable switch from a health

standpoint. The version here is still very flavorful and much less guilt

inducing.

I probably like the carne asada the least. The chunks of grilled flank

steak are often tough and don’t seem to have as much flavor as the other

choices.

In addition to tacos, heftier burritos ($3.70) are also available.

Basically, the burrito is all of the taco ingredients stuffed into a

large flour tortilla. Same taste in a different package.

The exception is the Banzai Burrito ($4.95), which in addition to the

other ingredients includes rice, black beans and fresh vegetables, all

grilled in a tangy and sweet teriyaki sauce.

The same tacos are also rolled without any of the toppings and covered

with melted cheese and red sauce to make enchiladas ($4.95 in a combo

platter only). It’s the only item I flat out didn’t like. The sauce was

thin, not very spicy and the lack of any other seasoning in the meat was

boring.

All of the entrees are available as combo platters, which let’s you

combine various choices that are served with steamed rice and black pinto

beans, which I like to mix together with a generous helping of fresh

salsa. A two item combo ($4.95) is my usual choice.

Wahoo’s has a generous selection of soft drinks and iced teas, and

most locations serve beer and wine.

Whether the surf is up or not, Wahoo’s is “da kine,” the place to go

for good, fresh fish tacos. I’d prefer the same food on a deserted beach,

while watching perfect 8-foot swells, but I’ll settle for Wahoo’s, which

is easily the next best thing.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other Thursday.

Send him your comments at food_critic@hotmail.com.

FYI

WHAT: Wahoo’s Fish Tacos

WHERE: Two in Costa Mesa: 1862 Placentia Ave. and 3000 Bristol Ave.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9

p.m. Sunday

HOW MUCH: Inexpensive

CALL: (949) 631-3433 (Placentia) or (714) 435-0130 (Bristol)