L.A. SEAFOOD DOES FISH RIGHT.Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic Modesty is not in the vocabulary of L.A. Seafood, a new, quasi self-service ocean-fare cafe in Reseda. ``World's Finest World's Finest may refer to:
Then, at the top of the inside page, it goes a step further: ``World's Finest Food,'' it tells us. Well, I'll agree that it might be the best seafood eatery in Reseda, and it certainly qualifies as one of the leading seafood bargain places around these parts. But claiming global supremacy seems a little much. Conceit conceit, in literature, fanciful or unusual image in which apparently dissimilar things are shown to have a relationship. The Elizabethan poets were fond of Petrarchan conceits, which were conventional comparisons, imitated from the love songs of Petrarch, in which aside, it does have its good points. The building, for instance, once the home of Hugo's Mexican restaurant, has been freshly painted and nicely spruced up inside and out. It shows off what it cooks in easy-viewing display cases at its counter and even offers several comfortable booths in its single interior dining area. Generally, it appears to be as clean as a whistle; there's not a whiff of fishiness fish·y adj. fish·i·er, fish·i·est 1. Resembling or suggestive of fish, as in taste or odor. 2. Cold or expressionless: a fishy stare. 3. to greet entering patrons. You order at the counter, and the food is brought to your table. The seafood can be had charbroiled or deep-fried and all charbroiled items are available three ways. Cajun-style fish or shellfish shellfish, popular name for certain edible mollusks (see Mollusca), e.g., oysters, clams, and scallops, and for certain edible crustaceans, e.g., crabs, lobsters, and shrimps. All are aquatic invertebrates with shells; they are not fish. comes with rice and Cajun saucing. One alternative is with teriyaki ter·i·ya·ki n. A Japanese dish of grilled or broiled slices of marinated meat or shellfish. [Japanese : teri, glaze + yaki, to broil.] Noun 1. sauce. The third option is a garlic and butter sauce plus fries and cole slaw slaw n. Chiefly Southern U.S. Coleslaw. Noun 1. slaw - basically shredded cabbage coleslaw salad - food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of in place of rice. Amazingly, the majority of the dishes are under $8 each. And though all ware is disposable, there's a certain attractive quality to the heaping plates, especially those that display whole fish or butterflied tiger shrimp. From the charbroiled side, I've enjoyed a firm, moist calamari steak ($7.25) and a deliciously ugly whole catfish ($7.50) from the least expensive segment. Splurgers can go for the ``giant'' shrimp, ``giant'' scallops or ``giant'' combination of both, each plate only $11.95. And there's obviously someone in the kitchen who knows how to handle seafood, showing much-needed restraint, thus avoiding dryness and overcooking. And even deep-fried sand dabs ($5.50) indicated a non-oily surface, suggesting that the vegetable oil used was fairly fresh and very hot, and there was a decent drainage process. Deep-fried fish can be extremely tasty if cooked very quickly in fresh oil at high heat and drained immediately. If soups are an indication of the total quality of a kitchen, as some diners believe, then L.A. Seafood scores a home run, actually three home runs. Its clam, lobster and mixed seafood chowders make grand impressions. And even the small versions of these soups (priced at $1.50 each) equal a portion size you would pay $4 or $5 for in many restaurants. And all three are richly flavored and served hot in plastic containers (large size, $2.75). But be aware that L.A. Seafood's kitchen is geared for quick service and has a tendency to come up with an entire order at one time. So, if you're ordering food by courses, you may have to make them separate orders or let it be emphatically known that you don't want your entree plates until you've finished the first course. Those first-course items could be a seafood cocktail ($4.25) with shrimp and octopus in a medium-size cup with a Mexican-style salsalike sauce. Again, the portion is generous, presenting no dearth of seafood in the cup. Also, ceviche ce·vi·che or se·vi·che n. Raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice with olive oil and spices and served as an appetizer. [American Spanish, from Spanish cebiche, fish stew, from and chips ($2.50) brings forth an astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, amount of nicely executed fish ceviche piled on two crisped crisped adj. Botany Crispate. tortillas. Fish fanciers won't get bored here. In addition to those denizens already mentioned, the kitchen regularly serves salmon, halibut halibut: see flatfish. halibut Any of various flatfishes, especially the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts (genus Hippoglossus, family Pleuronectidae), both of which have eyes and colour on the right side. , swordfish swordfish, large food and game fish, Xiphias gladius, of the warmer Atlantic and Pacific waters, related to the sailfish. It is named for its sharp, broad, elongated upper jaw, which it uses to flail and pierce its prey of smaller fish, rising beneath a school , mahi-mahi, sea bass, yellowtail, orange roughy The orange roughy, red roughy, or deep sea perch, Hoplostethus atlanticus, is a relatively large deep-sea fish belonging to the slimehead family (Trachichthyidae). This fish is categorized as vulnerable to exploitation by the Marine Conservation Society. , tuna, shark, whole boned trout, seafood kebabs and tilapia tilapia (təlä`pēə) or St. Peter's fish, a spiny-finned freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae, native chiefly to Africa and the Middle East. . And none are ticketed above $7.50. At $16.99, a charbroiled lobster tail is the highest-priced meal here. The fries and rice provide respectable accompaniments, as does the cole slaw. Call it darn good food at a bargain price. THE FACTS The restaurant: L.A. Seafood. Where: 18530 Sherman Way, Reseda. When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Recommended items: Seafood cocktails, ceviche, chowders (lobster, clam, mixed seafood), whole catfish, giant combo of shrimp and scallops, sand dabs. How much: Starters from $2.25 to $4.25, entrees from $5 to $17, desserts $2.35 each. Cash only, no credit cards. No tipping. Wine list: No alcohol. Reservations: Not taken. First come, first served. For information or takeout, call (818) 345-8505. Our rating: Three and one half stars for food; Four stars for value. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Clockwise from top: Giant shrimp, salmon and tempura-style seafood kebabs are three of the dishes available at the new L.A. Seafood. Gene Blevins/Daily News |
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