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A newish restaurant near what’s left of Mall 205 just east of the freeway is trying something bold: operate as the only upscale Mexican seafood and steakhouse in a sea of chain eateries. Mi Cava & Cocina may be surrounded by shopping centers and strip clubs in various stages of decline, but the business shares little in common with its neighbors and offers diners a major upgrade from the area’s corporate-heavy fare, which includes the usual suspects (Taco Bell, Olive Garden, Red Robin, Denny’s).
Mi Cava’s building was once home to a chain itself. The bright white exterior is unmistakably the shell of a former Newport Bay—and while the marquee has been changed, the signature anchor remains next to the front door. Inside, the owners have made light renovations, mostly to the bar and patio, which exude a Mexico beach town/tourist trap vibe with colorful, clubby lighting that is best enjoyed with one of the signature margaritas, like La Toxica, a blend of tequila blanco, ancho chile liqueur and strawberries. The dining room, however, is vastly different with its minimalist décor, black booths and white walls, and a Top 40 soundtrack playing in the background. If anything, though, the restrained space puts the focus on the food and company.
Let’s be clear: Mi Cava is head and shoulders above most other Latino restaurants east of 82nd Avenue. Plates, like fajitas with dry-aged steaks and seared Columbia River steelhead, come out piping hot. The waitstaff is attentive and educated about each ingredient, and can tell you the difference between mole and macha sauce. This is food for people who care that the crab in the seafood enchiladas was never frozen.
The fish and shareables dishes shine, but I’d pass on the four-hour stewed pork carnitas ($24), which were too dry and overcooked on my visit, but could be dressed up with the bevy of excellent housemade sauces, like achiote or serrano-lime soy. Some of the sides (beans, pico de gallo, and a generic salad) were bland compared to the more exemplary appetizers and house specialties. Load them up with extra sauces and dressings that are otherwise dabbed, dolloped or drizzled on the main plates.
The market-price pescado zarandeado arrived sizzling on a board after it was crisped head to tail on an open flame. Its buttery soft meat was drenched in a spicy adobo sauce that will make you reach for the accompanying bowl of puffy, infused rice. A side of steamed tortillas was also welcome, but the beans didn’t gel with the flavors of the fish and earthy adobo—and to make a taco, you need more than the pickled red onions and radish slices that come with the pescado as well.
You can make a satisfying meal from the appetizers, like steamed clams ($14), bacon-wrapped prawns ($18), chicken-and-cheese taquitos ($13), nachos ($13-$16), chorizo queso ($16), or the aguachile tatemado ($19) that we tried. While the latter—chewy chunks of tiger shrimp cured in lime juice with cilantro, pineapple and cucumber—weren’t quite at the peak of freshness on our visit, you’d hardly notice while spooning bites with crunchy tostadas in between sips of a mango, tamarind, watermelon and cucumber margarita.
Sometimes it feels like Mi Cava is trying too hard, like when the chips and salsa come out in hand-size fryer baskets, or when the addition of flower garnish on a drink seems to command a $5 upcharge. Mi Cava already stands out as the best fish in its shopping center pond; however, it might need to focus on a smaller, more approachable menu rather than trying to blow the minds of nearby Home Depot and Target customers with dishes like wild-caught Spanish octopus and chipotle beurre blanc. But God bless them for trying.
EAT: Mi Cava & Cocina, 9722 SE Washington St., 971-383-1779, micavaandcocina.com. 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday, 11 am-11 pm Friday-Saturday.