Opah, or moonfish, stew is the thing to get for breakfast in El Sauzal, just north of Ensenada on the Baja California coast. We only know of one under-the-radar place that specializes in it, but it’s an absolute must, checking the boxes of local ingredients, detour-worthy taste, and cultural backstory.
According to Eater San Diego, opah stew came about to approximate caguama, or turtle stew, which grew popular enough in Sinaloa, Sonora, and Baja California to endanger the poor creatures. Now prohibited, caguama stew has mostly been replaced by cahuamanta (manta ray) stew, particularly in Sonora and Sinaloa, but this one unassuming restaurant does it a bit different.
Where: We found the cash-only, weekends-only La Opah del Güero (Calle A 9, map) thanks to Migrationology; it’s otherwise very easy to miss, tucked away as it is on a residential road off the main drag. This restaurant appears to be the front room of a house where the Opah del Güero cart, once parked outside, stays put along one wall. “Estilo de caguama,” the cart proclaims. The rest of the space holds plastic picnic benches for diners, who are invited to leave messages and drawings on the yellow walls.
The güero in question is a septuagenarian fisherman named Ruben Valenzuela, and according to Gourmet de Mexico, he discovered the delicious versatility of the opah rather by accident, after finding one discarded after a catch.
When: Fri-Sun, 7am-2pm
Good to know: Moonfish, a Pacific-caught fish that’s often a bycatch of tuna or swordfish, isn’t exceptionally well-known. It’s long been eaten in Hawaii, but the San Diego Union-Tribune reports it’s become more popularly fished in the oceans between California and Hawaii. It’s a huge, oval fish, with plenty of fatty, pinkish-red meat that turns whiter when cooked.
What to order: While there are tacos and tostadas available, don’t let either distract you from the opah stew. Packed with meaty fish, tomatoes, and onions, it’s delicious as is, but diners are meant to fix it up to their tastes using the table condiments: lime, chopped onions, chopped habaneros, cilantro, habanero salsa, and, most interesting, red wine and yellow mustard—both nods to the bygone turtle stew. (That splash of red wine recalled the sherry accent in the turtle soups I’ve had in New Orleans and Philadelphia.) The soup is served with tortillas and Baja’s omnipresent chipotle mayo as well, so you can make tacos.
However you doctor it, this stew is wonderfully rich and satisfying, with deep fish-packed flavor. It feels restorative in the morning, and is indeed a popular hangover cure. We absolutely loved it. Our family of four split two generous bowls, and then our kids moved onto decorating the eatery’s walls.
During our visit, carrot cupcakes, slathered with icing and topped with mixed nuts and orange zest, were also on offer, and a perfect sweet end to the meal.
Alternatively: We don’t know of any other place offering opah stew around here, but you can seek out cahuamanta stew, made with manta stew and shrimp, at a few spots, including La Cahua del Yeyo (Ocampo 1542, map), in Tijuana.
