Guava brings tasty ceviches, tapas to Westmont

Make no mistake, the owners of the new Guava in Westmont have ambitions - and heart.

Executive chef Ricardo DeLeon's presence as he walks around his dining room is just one sign that this Latin American restaurant, freshly opened where the beloved Cucina Roma once was, aims to please.

With its understatedly dressed earthy chocolate tones and modern art, the space has been wholly reconstructed from its previous incarnation. A center-stage-erected 360-degree marble bar stands atop a solid hardwood floor. On some nights, the neat white tablecloth-clad tables are pushed aside to make room for (free) salsa lessons and dancing.

Wines are mostly from Chile, which is hands-down the best bang for your buck you can find, but the fresh fruit caipirinhas, like the ginger-mango mojito, have a strange look (floating mashed fruit) and a watery taste.

As befits a Latin menu, this one offers seafood variations galore - from the small plate starters to the entrees. All of the ceviches sound tempting, whether a bay scallop with charred tomatillo salsa, Peruvian-style tuna with sweet potato, or the crab - a juicy mound moistened by a hint of tamarind and habanero sauce on an oversize plate flanked by salty, curled homemade tortilla chips.

Tapas vary in execution and success. Where a duck and sweet potato sope is absolutely gorgeous - pieces of warm duck piled in a pyramid atop a deliciously crunchy sope drizzled with peach salsa and tiny crumbles of queso fresco - a simpler staple like the goat cheese and tomato lacks enthusiasm with a large chunk of cheese set amid diced, seemingly canned tomatoes.

On the other hand, a simple, crisp red and green cabbage salad interspersed with cubes of apple fares much better, glossed with a reticent sweet and sour dressing that relays a sweet and casual message.

Entrees range from roasted salmon with sweet plantains and citrus saffron butter, to a barbecue-glazed lamb shank, to shrimp and black bean red chili enchiladas. Sweet but average best describes a main course of plantain-crusted tilapia.

But a perfectly cooked sliced pork tenderloin, supported by a thick, sweet potato mash, comes alive via a generous splash of potent red mole.

Desserts include churros with Mexican chocolate dipping sauce and chocolate tres leches cake.

Although at this stage the menu needs some fine-tuning, Guava's heart is in the right place, as is its service.