Contramar. (Inside Eating Out).

In this crime-plagued city, I am used to guarding against common dangers--muggers, pickpockets and the like--that lurk among the flora of the urban jungle, however I am not accustomed to watching out for pirates. Admittedly, that is a slight exaggeration, but it was the first thing that came to mind upon walking into Contramar, one of Mexico City's few authentic seafood joints with a simple decor reminiscent of an island bungalow.

Basket made into hanging lamps complimented the ceiling's unique criss-cross straw design, while square wooden tables dotted the spacious dining room. An open kitchen in the back was pleasant reassurance that we were in for some underwater delights, but the Afro-Cuban tunes piped in only accentuated the incomplete tropical feel of the place--there were hardly any plants.

We decided to begin our debauchery with an order of tostadas de pulpo and sashimi de darado. The octopus served atop crisp tortilla shells was excellently seasoned with a special sauce and the layer of beans underneath added a welcome Mexican flair. We were a bit surprised by the sashimi--strips of raw saltwater fish--but adding a few drops of lemon, along with the dish's side sauce, turned us into sushi fans. We loved our two appetizers so much, we ordered a third, tostadas de atun. Though simpler than the tostadas de pulpo, the tuna strips disappeared just as fast.

A short warning before we continue: the polite and well-dressed waiters are obviously trained at tempting hungry clients into spending as much as possible. Be sure to see the menu before placing an order as the first appetizers displayed to us on a silver platter turned out to be among the priciest items.

Curious to see how well a restaurant in Mexico could imitate a New England delicacy, two in our party asked for clam chowder, but unfortunately they were out. The mussel chowder turned out to be a delicious--and surprisingly genuine--substitute. To be honest, if the waiter hasn't told us, we would never have known the chowder wasn't really clam.

For the main dish, we ordered the filete esmedregal a las brasas and the pescada contramar con chile rojo y perejil. The esmedregal was a slightly salty, though tasty, soft fish fillet that came with a side order of spinach so good even a child would eat it. Our second, and much larger, platter was fried fish ordered by the kilo depending on how many people plan to share it. The body was opened into two, with one side covered in a spicy red chili and the other with parsley sauce. Both sides were perfectly seasoned, leaving two people in our group at odds over which was better. Our excursion would have been incomplete without dessert, which this time around was a pay de queso and flan de nutella. Although the strawberry covered cheesecake was as good as anything you could get in a bakery, the flan left us somewhat disappointed.

Overall, our time at Contramar was well spent and is recommended as a restaurant where ordering memorable seafood won't have you fishing too deep into your wallet.