Redondo Beach: Uni is an Aqcuired Taste

Michael and Connie paid me a visit a few weekends ago, and decided to take them to Redondo Beach Pier for some spicy fish soup at Pacific Fish Center. Even though I did just go there recently with Young and Lydia, figured... why not, it's a beautiful day!

Redondo Beach Pier

W Torrance Blvd

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

www.redondopier.com

View from our table at Pacific Fish Center.

I had to get the live shrimp again. Just as good as I remembered!

With the live shrimp, you also get the fried shrimp heads!

Ahhhh so good. Shrimp flavor to the max.

Spicy fish soup once again! A large this time :P

Yes :] Fish (prob cod), mushroom, green onion, tofu, cabbage, daikon etc. Good stuff.

After we killed the soup, walked around a bit and headed down one level of the pier and headed to Quality Seafood for some fresh fresh fresh uni!

Since 1953!

It's an old school spot that sells all sorts of fresh seafood. They even have an oyster bar right at the front and you can choose from over 20+ oysters to have it shucked in front of you. Ranges from $1.65~$2.50. A LOT of people go for that.

Fresh yellowtail!! Would totally get it if I knew how to cut and fillet fish... hmmm... hamachi sashimi and kama.

What Connie and Michael were aiming for! Fresh sea urchin for some uni.

Sorry buddy. You gon die.

Fishmonger opening up the sea urchin for us...

... and you get this!! Uni! As fresh as it can get! Flavored with a little sea water. It was actually still moving around while it was sitting on the plate hahaha.

I have never seen uni with that shade of yellow. It's had such a vibrant yellow color.

Look at all the little egg sac haha. To be honest, I still have not acquired the taste for uni yet... it's still a bit too much for me.

Yea, Connie and Michael killed it. I only had a little spoonful, and now I can say I did it haha.

Afterwards, decided to grab dessert!

Michael's chocolate covered black cherry ice cream cone.

Just your typical Dreyer's ice cream, but man, the black cherry is good already, but on a warm day, it was even better.

Connie and I decided to share a funnel cake topped with french vanilla & mint chip. Funnel cake was disappointing :[

Good food, good friends, beautiful weather: it was a good day!

Seafood Madness Part 2: Spicy Fish Soup by the Sea

Generally, after pigging out at AYCE spots, I turn a complete 180 and eat something that's totally different for the next few days. However this past Sunday, Lydia & Young decided to drop by the South Bay for some seafood out in Redondo Beach, and of course, I tagged along with them since I already promised I would. We ended up heading to Pacific Fish Center out at the Redondo Beach Fisherman's Wharf.

Pacific Fish Center, aka 한국횟집, is this super popular place among Koreans and those who know about it for some fresh fresh seafood and for maeuntang, which is a spicy fish soup. I've heard about this place before but never knew what it was known for, and even when I got there, I still had no idea what this place was really all about. I just let Lydia & Young did all the ordering since it's a Korean spot :P

Pacific Fish Center & Restaurant 한국횟집

131 Fishermans Wharf

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

It really was the perfect day to go to the beach. Sunny, warm, with a slight cool breeze.

한국횟집, which roughly translates to "Korea raw fish" (correct me if I'm wrong :P).

The steam station where they steam up all sorts of seafood.

Live abalone. It's amazing how you used to be able to catch these off the coast of Palos Verdes.

Getting ready for the feast!

Chojang and soy sauce + wasabi for dipping!

Live shrimp. Yes, it is raw and it is ridiculously fresh. It had such a great bite to it!

I love the translucent look to it!

Wasabi for everything!

Gotta get a bit of the daikon to go with the shrimp.

Yes, yes I know it is a Korean restaurant but really, Asashi is better than Hite :P

SASHIMI PLATTER! Holy crap that thing was glorious. When it came all of our eyes went O_O

Octopus, that is stir fried a little bit. Perfect with chojang.

Sashimi.

Whitefish. Sorta chewy but it was fresh.

Salmon. I love the salmon sashimi, especially when you can see the fatty white part of the salmon! The best part of that plate.

I don't know what this is, probably hamachi? Whatever it is, 2nd favorite! There's also oyster in the back.. which I forgot to take a picture of.

Tuna.

Mackerel. Not like yesterday's ono mackerel but still good haha.

Cuttlefish, aka squid.

Now... this part of the sashimi platter are some of the things I don't usually touch: sea cucumber, surf clam, and ark shell (I may be wrong on this one). The surf clam was lightly boiled so that was ok, but then ark shell and the sea cucumber was a little weird to me haha. Sea cucumber is really soft when you first bite into it, then you hit this chewy part. Ark shell was just really soft. I just dipped everything in the chojang hahah.

Pickled garlic & carrot. Good to eat them once in awhile to sorta cleanse or just change your palate.

Fried shrimp heads from the raw live shrimp we ate earlier!

Crunchy and full of flavor!

Maeuntang set, the famous spicy fish soup! Got a small to share.

Maeuntang!! The soup broth was one of the best I've had. We were full already but the spiciness opened up our appetite.

The perfect soup for a hangover. Lots of fish bones for stock. Wish there was more fish haha.

Ggakdugi.

Pacific Fish got some REALLY good kimchi. It's like crack.

Considering how much fish I ate the night before, I still really enjoyed the food at Pacific Fish, especially the spicy fish soup. The whole meal ended up being around $140, which is expensive but what you get is dining on the wharf with the breeze blowing in, which to me is a price I wouldn't mind paying for once in awhile. Actually I already want to go back... so... spicy fish soup and soju anyone?