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Image source: Ozy.com

At least one international writer has decided she has found the best place to get a fish dinner in Panama City, a claim that is open to debate.

Writing for Ozy, Allison Yates declares that Peach Fuzz International, a small restaurant in the Curundú neighborhood, is the place “to truly savor the best-fried fish in Panama City.” There’s no air-conditioning or cocktail menu, but the fish is better than in many of the restaurants in nearby Casco Viejo, Panama City’s old district, where there is a wide variety of beautiful seafood restaurants.

Peach Fuzz International specializes in Pescado frito—fried fish– including a “secret sauce” of 17 spices and three liquids designed over decades by the owner, who she refers to only as Danny. The sauce is so good “you will pour the excess liquid directly into your mouth, catching the drops as they ricochet off your chin and land on your clothes,” Yates writes.

While the pescado frito is the main draw, the menu at the “partly open air” restaurant has been expanded to include “patacones rellenos (stuffed fried plantains with seafood), clams drenched in special sauce or garlic shrimp and lobster,” she writes.

For the record, many, many people would dispute her conclusion that this is the best fish restaurant in Panama City. There is plenty of competition. Panama City is full of wonderful seafood restaurants, many guided by internationally-recognized chefs. The city has a well-deserved reputation for fine dining—everybody has their favorites.

But Yates does capture a bit of the culture and street life of Panama. The city is a mix of all types of neighborhoods, old and new, with rich culture and great restaurants. The street food is, in fact, excellent and too many visitors don’t venture out and explore.

At least Yates was willing to try some authentic Panama cuisine, even if the restaurant may not get five stars from Zagat.  

Yates’ full article–where she explains the name of the restaurant–can be found here.