SPANISH OCTOPUS @ SELECT OYSTER BAR
Vibrant, succulent, and tender are just some of the words that could describe the Spanish octopus dish at chef Michael Serpa’s Select Oyster Bar.
Many hungry eyes were on Serpa, the former chef at Neptune Oyster, when he struck out on his own in 2015. Would his new take be tried and true, or would this be an entirely new occasion for Bostonians?
The latter was definitely the case as Serpa moved to fill a void he perceived in the Boston market at the time. Serpa’s focus lies in featuring local and specially sourced international seafood, and focusing on preparations with Spanish, Mexican, and Latin influences – with some Japanese flair for good measure. With no deep-fryer in the kitchen, the food comes out with a light, fresh, flavorful burst, which is a perfect fit for the small and cozy bistro ambience.
For his most popular dish, Serpa sources octopus from the waters around Spain. It is gently braised in aromatics, then just before serving, pan-roasted and covered with a bright and intensely flavored salad of tomatillos, blistered snap peas, cilantro, and chimichurri. This dish is as much a feast on the eyes as it is on the palate, with intense red tentacles curling out from under a brilliant mound of greens.
To accompany the octopus, Select offers oysters and other raw selections such as hamachi crudo, dayboat scallop ceviche, peekytoe crab salad, dressed Maine lobster, yellowfin tuna tartare, Faroe Islands salmon crudo, and white anchovies, that are each worth a visit on their own.
