Aguachile: From Sinaloa to Maui, With Cats on the Terrace

If not for our friends, we probably would never have explored Maui the way we do now. They invited us to visit the island a few years ago, and since then we return every year — always to their home, always welcomed like family. Because of them, Maui became not just a place on the map but a part of our life. They are true restaurant-goers, the kind who track down the best places to eat. We are the opposite: I rarely go to restaurants, preferring to cook at home. If not for them, we might never have discovered Maui’s high-end dining scene at all.

This time, they led us to Gather [on Maui, for food and drink] — a name that fits perfectly. The first visit was for cocktails. We came in the evening to try the Savory Citrus Martini, and it was outstanding. Everyone at the table but me ordered food, and when the dishes arrived, I immediately regretted my decision. The plates looked so appetizing that I knew I had to come back.

Gather on Maui, terrace view

The second time, I did not miss my chance. The restaurant was less crowded, and the hostess led us to what must be the best table on the terrace, with stunning ocean views. We ordered food and drinks, settling into a lazy afternoon of dreamy sunlight and ocean breeze when suddenly two little kittens appeared. They entertained us while we waited.

The kittens came close, sniffed our hands, but stayed just out of reach — wild little creatures. One of them, a girl with pearly fur, was especially enchanting. The waiters noticed our attempts to befriend them and explained: the kittens had been found and were allowed to stay, cared for by the staff and occasionally spoiled by the guests. They behaved with surprising dignity — no begging, no jumping, just waiting patiently at a distance until a tiny piece of seafood might be offered. Civilized kittens, indeed.

Kittens gather at Gather to enjoy their food too!

That’s my memory of Gather: the cocktail, the food, the terrace, the cats. And one particular dish that captured me — aguachile.

What Is Aguachile?

Aguachile (literally “chile water”) is a seafood dish from Mexico’s Pacific coast, especially Sinaloa. It began as a fishermen’s food: shrimp tossed in a fiery mixture of lime juice, chiltepín chiles, and salt, served immediately with cucumber and onion. Unlike ceviche, which marinates fish or shrimp for longer, aguachile is made and eaten almost instantly. It is sharp, fresh, and fiery — the seafood kissed, not cooked, by acid.

In culinary school, I learned to make aguachile in its authentic form. To be honest, it didn’t impress me. Perhaps it was too far from the flavors I grew up with — Slavic cuisine doesn’t prepare you for raw shrimp bathed in chile and lime. Mexican food wasn’t part of my cultural upbringing, and I didn’t feel brave enough to adapt it to my own taste. So aguachile remained a concept in my head, not a dish on my table.

Until Maui.

Ahi Tuna Aguachile at Gather on Maui

At Gather, aguachile appeared not as a rustic fisherman’s plate but as a carefully composed dish. It looked a bit like poke — cubes of yellowfin tuna, garnished with fruit, roe, and sauces. Familiar, yet new. That day, it was the most memorable plate on our table.

Two Ways to Taste Aguachile

1. The Traditional Sinaloan Aguachile

Ingredients (serves 2–3):

• ½ lb (225 g) fresh raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied

• ½ cup fresh lime juice

• 2–3 chiltepín chiles (or 2 serranos), crushed

• ½ cucumber, thinly sliced

• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 ripe avocado, sliced

• Sea salt, to taste

• Tostadas or saltine crackers, for serving

Method:

1. Butterfly the shrimp and keep cold.

2. Crush the chiles with lime juice and salt into a pungent marinade.

3. Lay shrimp on a cold plate, pour chile-lime liquid over. Wait 5–10 minutes until just opaque.

4. Scatter cucumber, onion, and avocado on top. Serve immediately with tostadas.

This is the real aguachile: rustic, sharp, quick.

2. Gather’s Ahi Tuna Aguachile, Recreated at Home

The menu description read: Yellowfin Tuna, Guava Gems, Cucumber Pico de Gallo, Tobiko, Chili Oil, Coconut Cream, Pickled Mango. On the plate, it was as beautiful as it sounds.

If I were to recreate it at home, I would make it this way:

Ingredients (serves 2):

• ½ lb (225 g) sushi-grade yellowfin tuna, cubed

• ½ cucumber, finely diced

• 2 Tbsp tobiko

• 2 Tbsp fresh guava cubes (instead of jam drops)

• 2 Tbsp pickled mango, diced

• 1 Tbsp chili oil

• 2 Tbsp coconut cream (unsweetened, thick)

• Sea salt

• Microgreens for garnish

Assembly:

1. Dice tuna, season lightly with lime juice and salt.

2. Spread cucumber pico de gallo as a base.

3. Arrange tuna cubes on top.

4. Dot guava and pickled mango around the plate.

5. Spoon tobiko in small bursts of color.

6. Drizzle chili oil and coconut cream for contrast.

7. Garnish with microgreens.

The result is more than a dish: it is a bridge. From Sinaloa’s fishermen to Maui’s terrace with ocean breeze and kittens.

And look the their Seafood Salad (and the Savory Citrus Martini right behind it)! Bravo to the Gather team!

Seafood Salad and Savory Citrus Martini at Gather on Maui