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Ready for some freakin’ gourmet pupusas? Bay Area native and chef Anthony Salguero left a promising fine dining career, most recently as opening co-chef at Oakland’s Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, to launch a pop-up in the Classic Cars West Beer Garden located in Oakland’s Uptown Arts District.
But it’s not just any pop-up. Popoca, which opened this fall and means “emits smoke,” is a love letter to Salguero’s Salvadoran culture, with handmade, wood-fired pupusas stuffed with top-notch ingredients as the stars. Nothing on the menu is over $18 and nearly all the dishes get a kiss of depth and smokiness from that comal.
To prepare, Salguero, who has worked in the kitchens of Saratoga’s Plumed Horse, as well as San Francisco’s Saison, traveled to El Salvador, visiting family and learning old techniques that he fused with his modern culinary skills to create something progressive and unique. Via email, he told us he’s planning to be in the beer garden “for at least a year” and is “working toward a brick and mortar.” We stopped by early on a Saturday night for a taste. Here’s how it went:
THE VIBE: Undeniably cool. Popoca is housed in the backyard beer garden of a boutique vintage car dealership that has its own cocktail bar, for goodness sake. The sound of Latin jazz lures you there, where you’ll find Salguero slinging corn-based pupusas and other Salvadoran eats on a sizzling wood fire. We’re not sure if it’s the fire or twinkly lights, but there’s something romantic about that lush beer garden, which also features a ping pong table, massive murals and barrels brimming with succulents. It’s an urban oasis you don’t want to tell anyone about — but end up telling everyone about. (And there’s indoor seating, for when the weather doesn’t cooperate.)
THE FOOD: The menu is small and focused, with three Pupusas A Mano ($8 each), Para El Alma ($10-$18), a collection of medium-sized dishes “For the Soul,” and a Salvadoran Dinner (two pupusas of your choice, carrot rice, refried beans and sour cream, $18). It’s the best option if you want to try a little of everything.
One of those soulful dishes, Pollo En Chicha ($18), is Salguero’s take on the Salvadoran stew made with hen and fermented pineapple. Salguero’s slow-cooked stew is made with fire-roasted chicken, turnips and prunes served with a warm, thick handmade tortilla to lap up all those sweet and sour juices. It’s really marvelous spooned over carrot rice, too.
You can get the rice as a side dish ($7, with beans), or you can use the portion from the Salvadoran Dinner, unless you’re totally distracted by the pupuas. We didn’t know dough and cheese could taste this … healthful, nourishing. Part of the reason is that Salguero uses freshly ground masa for his pupusas, which gives them a mild toastiness and blistered crunch.
In the Queso Con Chicharron ($8 a la carte), tomatillos and pasilla peppers give the braised pork shoulder a delicious smoky depth. There’s also a yummy pupusa with cultivated mushrooms and Fresno chiles, and a cheese-less cauliflower, black bean and jalapeno pupusa. Next time, we’re all about that Peras con Alguashte ($10), a dish of Asian pears, pumpkin seeds, hot sauce and lime.
DON’T MISS: Craft cocktails, including palomas and housemade chicha ($10 each), an alcoholic beverage made with fermented pineapple, on tap. They also have local beers and a full bar.
PERFECT FOR… Large groups, vegetarians, omnivores, date night, pupusa cravings, getting out of your dining rut, discovering elevated yet humble Salvadoran cuisine.
DETAILS: Open for dinner 5:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday (and 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday for lunch) inside the Classic Cars West Beer Garden, 411 26th St., Oakland; www.popocaoakland.com
