Comments on: Where do I buy the best sushi-grade fish in Los Angeles?

Question: Where do I buy the best sushi-grade fish in Los Angeles?

sirion — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 10:13:28 -0800

Where do I get the best sushi-quality fish in Los Angeles (In large chunks)?

Me and my brother would like to throw a sushi party at some point, where we get big ol blocks of salmon and tuna and such and make sushi. We would like to avoid tapeworm and/or death. We are looking for two different sorts of stores:

My brother: Where does one get the absolute best, freshest, sushi-grade fish in Los Angeles, at any price? I imagine this may be two different places, depending on whether we're filleting the fish or not.

Me: Where does one get really good fish and shellfish for good prices in LA? What's the best place for shrimp? I've heard that frozen shrimp can be really good if purchased from the right places..where are such places?

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 11:22:19 -0800

I'm sorry I can't be any more specific, but try to find an Asian supermarket with a sushi counter. You might find that, like the one near me, they will sell not only prepared sushi and sashimi but also uncut blocks/fillets of sashimi-quality fish. It will be more expensive than the fillets at your average seafood counter, but much cheaper than professionally sliced sashimi.

By: kathryn

kathryn — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:51:19 -0800

Marukai supermarkets -- they charge a membership fee but the sashimi-grade fish is always fresh. I've gotten albacore, salmon, many types of tuna including toro, red snapper, yellowtail...there's a huge variety.

By: luriete

luriete — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:02:41 -0800

Costco gets decent salmon which I and my wife have been eating (on day of purchase, suitably chilled) as sashimi for many years without the slightest tinge of ache or parasite.

By: shoos

shoos — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:48:24 -0800

The Mitsuwa chain also has pretty good seafood at a reasonable cost. Just get there before noon for the best selection. As for the very highest quality, the fish market near downtown every morning (except Sunday) would be where it's at, although I don't know how hard it would be for you to get in without a business license.

By: shoos

shoos — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:49:38 -0800

Also, the Nijiya chain.

By: squidlarkin

squidlarkin — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 14:10:13 -0800

Previous responses are much more specific, but I just wanted to point out that "sashimi grade" is the specific string most useful for googling.

By: seymour.skinner

seymour.skinner — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 16:02:19 -0800

Santa Monica Seafood

By: johngumbo

johngumbo — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 16:58:19 -0800

Ranch Market (at least the one at Sepulveda and Victory up in Van Nuys) has an unbelievable fish selection at VERY cheap prices. You can get huge chunks of just about anything you want, and whole fish. They have live crabs (at least three types), live lobsters, and all kinds of live shellfish. They also have tons of frozen shellfish. Also a large sushi selection (both as chunks and prepared), not so cheap.

By: drewbage1847

drewbage1847 — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 17:01:05 -0800

Fish King in Glendale is the other place to go and get yourself top grade fish. I've bought many many pounds of sushii grade tuna from them.

722 N Glendale Ave
Glendale, CA 91206-2198
(818) 244-2161

By: omidius

omidius — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 18:17:57 -0800

With gas prices this ridiculous: The web is your friend.
http://catalinaop.com/sushifish.htm