I coulda had a V8...
...but I woulda missed out on the dozen shrimp in this ceviche con camarones ($6).
On a later visit, in the coolness of early autumn, cold ceviche was less appealing than hot pacaya (small, $4), translated on this Guatemalan cart's menu board as "bamboo shoot." Though Central America is indeed home to many species of bamboo, pacaya is a type of palm tree; the edible portion is a flower cluster, lightly battered and deep-fried. The texture and flavor has been compared to baby corn, but it's not unusual for pacaya to have a nagging bitter aftertaste. Such was the case with this one; salsa masked the bitterness somewhat.
Another countermeasure: a relleno de platano ($1.50), filled with some sort of milk custard, deep-fried, and sprinkled with sugar.
Ochoa cart
Red Hook Ball Fields
Near Clinton and Bay Sts., Red Hook, Brooklyn
Saturday and Sunday, May through October only
