South Philly’s menu grows with Salvadoran flavors

Make way for pupusa power! South Philly’s menu has been enriched significantly over the last two decades by the arrival of Mexican immigrants. Only recently, though, have the flavors of Central America been making an appearance, as well. And they come to Bella Vista via El Bocado, from the family of Jackie Martinez, whose sister owns another Salvadoran favorite of mine, El Cuscatleca in Upper Darby.

The menu here is similar, led by the handmade masa cakes known as pupusas that come stuffed with various fillings. You can choose any of eight stuffings a la carte ($2.50 each), from creamy refried beans to chicharron (mashed pork) or oozy cheese scented with the tangy loroco flower; or sample a pupusa alongside several other Salvadoran treats for the $12 Salvadoreño combo, which includes a sweet corn tamal, sweet plantains, and fried yucca topped with a mop of tangy curtido slaw.

Unlike Mexican cooking, which Bocado also serves, Salvadoran food is rarely spicy, even if Martinez’s chef is now her Mexican husband, Aldo Perez (Parc, Yards, Besito), who recently took over from Martinez’s mother. But just taste the bountiful saute of shrimp “entomatadas” that brings a bowl of sweet crustaceans in a tomatoey brew seasoned with peppers and onions and Martinez’s mother’s secret spice blend. It’s full-flavored yet delicate, with fresh plump shrimp, and at $12.95, it’s a crazy bargain along with a platter of rice and beans. If there is spice in that sauce, it’s just a flicker.

My favorite entree at El Bocado, though, is the Churrasco Salvadoreño, another stellar $14.95 deal that lays a crisp link of mildly spiced Salvadoran sausage alongside a thin but juicy cut of simply seasoned rib-eye served over a mound of rice and beans called casamiento. Topped with a creamy fan of avocado and the colorful red-and-green confetti of pico de gallo, this rustic dish is a party of flavors and textures that resonates.

El Bocado is a humble place. It took several years, in fact, for Martinez to rehabilitate the long-derelict corner space at this sharply angled corner of East Passyunk and Seventh Street, where the BYOB’s windows are still tagged with old graffiti. The service can be slow and spotty on basic details. But the quality of food is vibrant enough that Philadelphians should pay attention, because this menu has added something genuinely handmade and fresh to a neighborhood already rich with Latin American flavors. Our pupusa prospects have suddenly grown bright.

– Craig LaBan

Churrasco Salvadoreño, $14.95, El Bocado, 1005 E. Passyunk Ave., 267-758-2390; facebook.com/ElBocado725