Zsuba Review in the Dining Out Guide
A hideaway that is anything but underground, a favorite of the Marina locals.
Not only has Zsuba livened up the Malecón of Marina Vallarta but it’s also refashioned its menu. The furniture was repositioned and the inside sushi bar will now feature a sports screen for those hot sporting events. Meanwhile, the main restaurant continues to offer a classy minimalist environment with fare that will tip your taste buds.
Manager Gerardo Villanueva comes to Zsuba with ten years of experience in hotels and restaurants, knowledge he puts to good use at this Marina hangout. Located right on the marina, with a view of the yachts and sailboats that ply the coast and the bay, seating is outside during high season while low season offers air-conditioned comfort.
Once you’re seated, try one of the deluxe martinis, seemingly appropriate. The order of crab meat ravioli comes with three, so share among your friends, they are scrumptious. Other taste treats are the goat cheese with pink pepper and balsamic-Dijon vinaigrette. The beef carpaccio is marinated in rosemary vinaigrette with capers and parmesan cheese. Don’t think about passing on salad, you must try the spinach and brie salad, a real treat for the palate.
This extensive menu features seafood, chicken and meat, so choose your entrée carefully. Huachinango (red snapper), a local favorite, comes in an almond meunière with grilled banana over wild rice. Benedict is a favorite of mine, so if you lean towards that, try the chicken breast Benedictine, served with prosciutto, rissole potato and vegetables in a Hollandaise sauce. Meat lovers will waver between the beef filet Chemita, named after the chef who “invented” it, and the rib-eye steak with a three-chile sauce.
If you can manage dessert, think delights such as puff pastry with saffron cream, a version of brandy-flambéed bananas; a hot, caramelly-crêpe stuffed with pear and apple; a cold goat cheese cake with raspberry sauce; or red fruits jubilee flambéed over vanilla ice cream. You can’t pass up a demitasse of espresso or cappuccino, or maybe an aperitif.
