LA Fish Co

I love going to the market, especially markets that specialize and price fairly. Last year, we found one such market: the LA Fish Co in Little Tokyo. This is one of the wholesale markets in LA that supply the many sushi restaurants in the city. Unlike the others, however, this one is also open to the public. Though they encourage customers to buy whole fish, they are flexible enough to sell sides, or 1 lb portions of sushi-grade tuna loin, perfect for experimenting restaurateurs!

Because of its large Japanese restaurant client base, this particular market flies in a lot of Japanese specialties daily. And, because discerning chefs contribute to most of this market's business, most of the product is extremely fresh, fresher than anything you'll find in even the best supermarkets. Parrot fish and New Zealand snapper were two crystal-eyed options this last week.

In addition to their Japanese specialties, the LA Fish Co also sells seasonal fish. It was exciting to see whole, super-fresh white seabass, black cod, and halibut. I've never broken down halibut, but it looks a little daunting to me, perhaps because of those two eyes slightly off-kilter on the same side of the animal.



Perhaps most exciting of all were these spiny animals, called sculpin, or cabraco in Spanish. According to some makers of Spanish bouillabaisse, the head of the skulpin is necessary for the fish stock. As a serious fan of good bouillabaisse, I've determined to make one for my fish station. What it will go on is tbd. Can't wait to pick a couple of these monsters up this week.