Seafood on the Pier part II

Pacific Fish Center and Restaurant

131 Fishermans Wharf

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

(310) 374-8420

Cruel death, part II.

It was raining, it was cold, it was windy and I was wearing a skirt.  My uncle, big eater and consummate racist that he is, recommended this place.  It fulfilled our criteria: large amounts of seafood served tabletop, and his: it's Korean.  

First came our live shrimp, a complete mistake as my dad, who insisted on having them, thought they were live when they were cooked.  Not live when the were skinned and brought to the table.  We initially tried to cancel the order and were a little put off when the woman said the order was already in, but it made sense when, still writhing, our shrimp arrived a moment later.  Again, I thought they would die quickly, as you, or I, or a chicken would die pretty quickly after being skinned, or "depantsed," and severed torso from legs.  But not shrimp.  Shrimp are perfectly happy to lay on a plastic platter, all facing the same direction, and have their bodies cut off with plastic utensils.  They did not attempt to bite the hands that gripped their sides and pulled their tails; instead, they fought each other.  Seriously.  Two turned on each other and started chomping until Julia picked one up and moved it down the row towards its more docile compatriots.  It was a little inspiring.

And not entirely worth it.  Though the shrimp tails were tender, fresh and sweet, they really just tasted like mild shrimp and weren't worth the, you know, eternal damnation.  On the other hand, the shrimp heads were worthy, carted off still wriggling, and returned ten minutes later deep fried.  This was inspiration.  The remaining legs and tentacles were as crispy as potato chips, tender, slightly fishy and a little salty.  They looked capable of cutting our mouths, but instead buckled easily in our unrelenting mouths.  The meat inside was barely fishy and so sweet and delectable that I licked little bits of shrimp guts from the inside of the shell.  My sister ate the eyes and face, I left mine on the paper plate.  Unbelievable.

The cooked shrimp went unfinished, a significant event in my family.  They were tough, overcooked, and though they had a nice aroma, didn't taste great.

The dungeness crabs were well cooked, full of the clean orange goo that I love, though the protein in the carriage was really thick and tough.  The meat was tender and fresh, and though it was delicious, it wasn't worth the premium over making our own at home.  At $16/lb, as opposed to about $6/lb at the grocers, I'll stay home.  

The finale was Mae Won Tong, a spicy seafood soup with daikon radish, tofu, fish collar, zucchini and shrimp.  We had to order it mild because my father can't handle heat anymore and it came disappointingly beige after watching pot after pot of bright red soup pass.  Despite lacking the main flavor, the stock was rich, flavorful and clean.  The fish and shrimp were unspectacular, but the broth alone made for a great finish.  Well, except for the little bit of kimchi and rice I had, you know, just to settle my stomach.