Restaurant Review: Happy Fish in Tampa, Florida

Overall:  4.5/5.0

How to Get There:


     It usually takes us about an hour to get to Happy Fish from our side of town, but it's a ritual we complete about every other week.  As I publish this article, they rank #6 on Trip Advisor out of all restaurants in Tampa, Florida, quite the accomplishment for a small restaurateur family.  We have been to many of the local Peruvian restaurants and cevicherías around town, but I'm going to tell you if you like seafood, Happy Fish is king.  Yes, most of the menu is really good, you have to give them their due, this is a family place and it shows that they put their heart and soul into the food, but if you really want to have a new restaurant addiction in this town, hear me now: go with the seafood.  More on that later.
      Price ($ - $$$):    $     Dinner for two adults and one kid is pretty much never over $50 unless we really overdo it on drinks.  $ per value, this place is tops, especially in an area where a person can easily go and overpay for mediocre food with a waterfront view.  Imported Peruvian longnecks are only $3.50, and the average seafood entree is about $14.00.  Tampa can be a pretty touristy place, but when you get tired of sandy beach food and you want something hearty and tasty, load up the rental car and make a trip over to the north side of town.  Forget the waterfront if it's food you crave; go eat something awesome, you won't be sorry.
     Ambiance:  Since their recent remodel, this place is more inviting than ever.  Family owned and operated, Happy Fish (click here for link) voted in their own favor by investing in a dining room that is comfortable while unassuming, warm but not cloying.  The murals were also completely redone in the remodel and you will have plenty of Peruvian vistas to entertain you while you dine.  On Saturdays and Sundays there is live music, usually of the Peruvian style called criolla, but we have heard some Caribbean music as well.  On Sundays it starts and ends early, from about 2 pm until 6 or 7, but on Saturday expect it to go a good bit later, perhaps until 10.  There are also 4 flatscreens throughout the room, displaying always 4 different programs, anything from the NFL to South American news.  Thankfully they are kept muted and with closed captions for those who are interested in watching.  Service is always friendly, so don't hesitate to call if you have questions, and don't worry if they answer the phone in Spanish, everybody down there speaks English, too and they will quickly switch over for you. 

     From the outside, nestled in the corner of a shopping center between a Winn-Dixie and a beauty supply store, this is without exaggeration a hole in the wall, but when you walk inside you will be pleasantly surprised by so much more than you expected from the storefront.  There's not really a hostess stand, so just seat yourself and someone will attend you shortly.  Don't be surprised if Kevin the owner comes by your table to greet you and make sure everything is excellent.  If anything is out of place, do let him know and he will make it right.
     Menu (click for link):  As a family man, I'm always on the lookout for a kid's menu, even a small consideration, but I'm sad to say there isn't one here, nor are there many pictures in the menu.  If you have a small, picky eater with you, I recommend salchipapa, cut hot dogs over some of the best French fries you've ever put in your mouth (they literally invented potatoes in Peru).  With a dash of  ketchup, your small, picky eater will devour this.
     The menu is a little large, but it's not off-putting.  They handle it quite well, even at full capacity, as many of the dishes offered are classic Peruvian fare, the kind of comfort food you grow up eating down there, that you would learn how to make from Grandma.
     Appetizer:  For an appetizer, you will probably be fine with the complimentary tequeños, which is a sort of a fried, crunchy flat noodle with about a medium-spicy dipping sauce on the side.  If you're hungrier than that I would steer you toward the anticucho, a grilled, marinated kebab of beef heart.  It's not as good as some that I've had in Peru, but it's as good as any I've had anywhere in the US.  I know the idea of eating heart is probably strange for some, but going to Happy Fish is the next best thing to international travel; I suggest you roll with it, have a Peruvian beer and enjoy it to the fullest.  If nothing else it will make great watercooler conversation on Monday.  Ceviche also makes a great appetizer to share with a few people, but we usually have it as one of our shared entrees. 


     Main Course: Sometimes 

Jalea

our order will vary a bit, especially if with friends, but our go-to meal down here starts with jalea, a battered and deep-fried delight piled high with shrimp, calamari, and chunks of fish, with a couple pieces of fried yuca and mussels on the side.  On top is a serving of cool, thinly-sliced onion and diced tomato marinated in lemon juice.  To get the most out of the experience, make sure you pair each bite of fried seafood with a bit of the marinated onion and tomato, they go great together, like a dash of vinegar with fish and chips.  The shrimp are always fried in such a way that the tails are crunchy and will melt in your mouth.  Word to the wise, jalea is finger food, so be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get intimate with it.
    

Stock image from their website.

Our other favorite entree is the house ceviche, and we are fond of the mixto variety, preferring the mixture of fish, shrimp and octopus.  The fish ceviche is prepared and seasoned just as expertly, it just doesn't have the variety of seafood.  Your ceviche will come with some puffed corn (canchita) on the side, and a slice of cool sweet potato.  If you order your ceviche spicy, save the sweet potato to cool off at the end.  We order ours spicy, but I should warn you that it is spicy.  They will gladly prepare yours with no spice, medium spice, or spicy.  The sliced onions sprinkled on top are again something out of Grandma's secret cookbook, it takes quite some dedication and experience to get your onions seasoned, marinated in lemon juice and crunchy, all at the same time.  In fact, it's a great time to mention that this is one of the things I love most about Happy Fish:  they are firmly grounded in authentic Peruvian cuisine.  Unlike some really high-dollar Peruvian places, they don't change things out of boredom, but when something really works, like what I'm sure is Grandma's ceviche recipe from the Old Country, the proprietors here are smart enough to know that the best ceviche this side of Lima doesn't need any changes.  True art is as much about what you don't paint as it is about what you do, and there lies the true artistry of Happy Fish:  when they get it perfect, they don't keep changing it.
     Another highlight from the seafood menu is the arroz con mariscos, a dish of yellow rice, calamari, octopus, shrimp and mussels.  A steaming plate of saffron, rice, seafood and heaven, this dish typically serves two, in my opinion.  
     Dessert:  Unlike a lot of places, the desserts here actually are worth the calories.  My two favorites are the picarones and the tres leches cake.  Picarones are freshly-fried doughnuts, drizzled in sweet syrup, these delights will still be hot and doughy inside, crunchy on the outside, when they reach your table.  The tres leches cake is pretty much what you would expect of a good one, a wet, spongy cake with plenty of condensed milk, right on the border of too sweet.  The portion size of the cake is small, so do enjoy a little indulgence.   
     Overall:  4.5/5.0:  The lack of a kids' menu is frustrating, but not a major detraction.  I do like to let my child eat something she likes when we are out.  She has a major thing for mac n' cheese, which is almost completely banned at my house, so she would like the place more if there were some options like that.  
     The neighborhood is not trendy.  Beyond that, it's borderline sketchy.  I'm used to navigating some pretty rough places, so again, it's not a major reason to mark the place down, but it does bear mention.  If you're not familiar with the area I'd estimate it's as safe as the area around the Raymond James Stadium.
     This place really shines with seafood and I emphasize that a lot.  We have had some non-seafood dishes here and most have been excellent.  For those of us who love Peruvian food, I should note:   I'm pretty sure their aji amarillo (yellow Peruvian chili pepper) is fresh, so if you're like me and you're used to getting your aji amarillo out of a jar, you may want to steer clear of the papa la huancaína.  I think if you are accustomed to a little higher-qualility Peruvian cuisine, this will not be the curve ball for you that it was for me.  It wasn't a big deal, but it did lead us to lean almost entirely on the ample seafood menu from then on.  "Fish" is in the name of the restaurant, so probably I'm the foolish one for coming in there and ordering cheesy potatoes, and I really think I have to blame my own palate for the mix-up. 
     We have been here many times over the last couple years that we have lived in the Tampa area, and in that time the consistency of the back of house has been a thing of beauty, the kind of accomplishment that brings a tear to the eye of any true foodie.  A lot of restaurants can get lucky sometime and have a good day where they send some good food out the window and make a few happy customers.  The fact that Happy Fish has amazed us time after time, not a few times, but a few dozen times over the course of a couple years, really speaks volumes about the skill, dedication and passion to be found in this kitchen.  Whatever they pay the chefs here, it's money well-spent.