Simōn
Taco restaurant · Silver Lake
3667 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Highlights
Mexican seafood truck with creative tacos & unique refrigerated salsas
Mexican seafood truck with creative tacos & unique refrigerated salsas
"If you’re someone who enjoys food trucks, mariscos, and/or eating sweet and spicy dishes, you'll be very into Simón. The chef (who also runs Carnal) comes from a fine dining background in Oaxaca, which shines through in various ceviches and things like a barbacoa octopus taco. If we had to pick a highlight on the menu, it'd be the aguachile negro in an inky black sauce that’s silky, a bit sweet, and punchy. We also love that Simón has its own refrigerated self-serve salsa cabinet. They offer five different housemade options and if you're not sure which one to try, the jar labels provide taco pairing suggestions." - sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park
"In roughly 16 feet of space, this Highland Park food truck can whip up mariscos that wouldn’t look out of place in a fine dining restaurant. Smoky octopus barbacoa, softshell crab tacos that pop from spicy pineapple salsa, and an aguachile negro with jet-black sauce that’s silky, a bit sweet, and properly punchy. It’s made with burnt tomatillos, which gives it an acidic pucker that makes your eyes shrivel up. Whatever you end up getting, just make sure to top it with one of the truck’s salsas in the refrigerated cabinet. They range from nutty salsa macha to unexpected flavor combinations, like the creamy, tangy carrot habanero that’s so good we mindlessly put on everything we order here." - sylvio martins, garrett snyder, brant cox
"This Highland Park mariscos truck serves two very different fish tacos, so naturally, you should get both. You’re missing out if you don’t because Simón injects interesting textures and complementary flavors into each one. The fish in the classic Baja-style taco is wrapped in a delicate beer-battered shell, but it’s still sturdy enough to hold its shape under a heap of chipotle crema and limón-massaged cabbage. The grilled fish al pastor has crunch from its crispy onion topping, and the grilled onions and charred pineapple combined mimic an al pastor spit’s usual smoke. Adding splatters of Simón’s tangy pica piña salsa (or any of the truck’s incredible self-serve salsas) is strongly recommended." - sylvio martins, arden shore, garrett snyder
"From the presentation to the thoughtful tastes and textures, Simón pushes the curbside taco experience to another level. You can find their blue truck everyday in front of York Manor Market in Highland Park serving creative mariscos dishes cooked by a Oaxacan chef with a fine dining background. Imagine spicy tempura soft shell crab tacos topped with tangy pineapple salsa and a slathering of smoked chile mayo. Imagine a fish al pastor taco that gets dressed in nutty salsa macha and very spicy carrot habanero. These dishes wouldn't be out of place at a fine dining restaurant, which feels kind of magical in its own right." - sylvio martins, garrett snyder, brant cox
"It’s easy to be cynical about magic tricks. No one actually believes those doves appeared out of nowhere or that the ace of hearts was in the guy’s mouth the whole time. But after our first visit to Simón, we found ourselves scratching our heads in disbelief and amazement, as if someone had just pulled a quarter from behind our ear. Working with limited kitchen space (about 16 square feet) and limited hands (there’s one chef), this Mexican mariscos truck in Silver Lake serves seafood dishes that wouldn’t be out of place at a fine dining restaurant, which feels kind of magical in its own right. In many ways, the experience at Simón reminds us of the glory days of Guerrilla Tacos, back before the famed street taco spot had graduated to a brick-and-mortar space. Which is to say, this isn’t just your average mariscos operation. The flavors and textures here are calculated and complex, from the smoked tomatillo salsa in the aguachile negro to the caramelized onion and charred pineapple on the fish al pastor. photo credit: Matt Gendal Simón is run by the Carnal chef, who previously cooked at Pitiona, a renowned fine dining spot in Oaxaca. The menu at Simón takes inspiration from that region as well as the coast of Chiapas in Southern Mexico, which in many dishes, translates to a good amount of tropical fruit mixed in with chiles and fresh herbs. There’s an excellent Baja-style fish taco with a tangy tomato sauce that soaks into the crunchy beer batter, and one of the most show-stopping tacos we've had in recent memory: soft shell crab tossed in smoky chipotle mayo topped with pickled onion. All these creations are delicious and gorgeous, but there’s also a secret weapon that bumps them to the next level: the truck’s refrigerated salsa cabinet. Whatever you order, these creative flavor combinations will crank your food up several notches. The creamy carrot habanero salsa packs a heat that creeps up on you, and the sweet, nutty pica piña salsa belongs on everything edible. photo credit: Matt Gendal As Simón’s logo proudly displays, the truck specializes in mariscos chingones (a.k.a. some real bad*ss seafood). We strongly agree. And yet, despite the caliber of food, you’ll never forget you’re eating from a food truck. You’re sitting at a table on York Blvd, eating an octopus barbacoa taco topped with life-altering salsa while cars whoosh past. The juxtaposition feels quintessentially LA, and maybe even a little magical. Food Rundown Aguachile Rojo We're fans of this aguachile because every bite is a little different. It's wonderfully bright at first from fresh lime, before you get a bite of sweet pineapple. Then a huge wave of heat hits from the fiery chiltepín. It's a wild rollercoaster ride for your mouth. photo credit: Matt Gendal Mixed Ceviche This ceviche is like the rest of us: not perfect, but trying its absolute best. The shrimp and octopus are nicely cured and tender, the leche de tigre has the right balance of salty and sour, and we love the big chunks of cilantro, sweet mango, and cucumber. Fish Al Pastor This fish al pastor might not pack the same flavor bomb as a traditional pork al pastor, but it's a pretty genius idea nonetheless. The fish is flaky and pairs well with the caramelized onions and charred pineapple wedge. Adding big splatters of pica piña salsa is strongly recommended. photo credit: Matt Gendal Soft Shell Crab Taco If you find small crabs cute, this taco might be kind of jarring. You'll see fried little crab legs peeking out of the tortilla, but the shock factor quickly dissipates once you hear that satisfying crunch. The diced pineapple and pickled onions inside keep things light and fresh, even with a big glob of spicy mayo on top. photo credit: Matt Gendal Baja-Style Fish Taco We didn't come here expecting to find love, but this suave Baja-style fish taco now owns our hearts. The crispy beer batter is fried perfectly, then coated in a smoky tomato sauce before being finished with chipotle mayo and a heap of salted red cabbage. Salsa Cabinet This cabinet is a flex. Other taco trucks give you room-temperature salsa verde, but at Simón's, the salsa selections are chilled, varied, and served in mason jars with little wooden spoons. There's a nutty-sweet pineapple one, a tangy carrot habanero one with a fiery vengeance, creamy guacachile with lots of fresh cilantro, and a smoky salsa macha made jet black by charred chiles. If you're not sure which one to try, the jar labels provide taco pairing suggestions. photo credit: Matt Gendal" - Sylvio Martins
