Foodie View: Hina Goes Fishing In San Diego (On Land Of Course!)

Ahh, the great weather of San Diego, the zoo and parks and many dog-friendly areas! This place is great - that is, until I want to get some seafood. Now, I started trying out some of the "Best Of San Diego" restaurants, and I was consistently disappointed. Not just with the boring and limited menus, but with the substandard dishes and lousy service. Salmon isn't the only fish in the sea, people!

So, I went fishing at some other restaurants, and I have come up with a few winners. King's Fish House is a big champion with several locations to choose from, and they're reasonably priced. Lots of dishes in the $12 - $20 range. I'm impressed with the quality of their food. FRESH! They print out their menus twice a day to reflect what they've got in stock. I highly recommend the Cold Seafood Combo. (For those of you counting calories, this is a low cal, low fat, high protein tummy pleaser!) Insider tip: If you like things a little spicy, ask your server for some of the Atomic Horseradish they keep in the back. It's great on the oysters, and I even put it in the Spicy Seafood Chowder. I've gotten great service every time I go. My only lament is the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake. Nice and chocolatey, but way over-sweet. (Of course, if you have a cup of coffee with it, everything works itself out.) King's is also family friendly, which is now fairly important to me. My boy got an activity booklet (not just a one page paper place mat), some crayons, and his own cup with a lid and straw. The kid's menu is good for kids, and Mr. Baby seemed to enjoy feeding himself his fish and chips.

My next find is Osetra, The Fishhouse in the Gaslamp Quarter. They're a little on the pricey side of my pocket, which is why it took me some time to make my way there. The cheapest entree on the menu is $28. First, they've got an oyster bar, and that's always a plus in my eyes. I had the Baked Oysters with masago cream sauce. They were rich and creamy and tender ... yummm ... Oh, and don't pass off the salad in the middle as just a garnish. Eat it all! Aside from being healthy veggies, it's very tasty with a fruity dressing. I would also recommend the Stuffed Shrimp. Three jumbo shrimp loaded with lobster, crab, and scallops. I couldn't finish it, but I made a valiant effort! The wine list here is very extensive (pages and pages and pages), and it's fun to sit at the bar and watch people scaling the three story wine tower. The Chocolate Passion dessert is one of the best. it's very moist and has hazelnut cream, and the ganache isn't insanely thick and dense. It's a rich, yet light chocolate cake. I'm going back for more.

I have also been searching for ages for a Great Sushi Restaurant in San Diego. Now before I get hit with lists of sushi places in San Diego, keep in mind that I'm looking for Great Sushi. Mediocre sushi need not apply. I'm not looking for a nightclub that serves spicy tuna rolls. I don't want a place where the rolls are smeared with cream cheese and avocado, dipped in tempura batter, fried in fat, and drenched in super sweet eel sauce. If the fish menu is limited to salmon, tuna, and eel, or if I can't SEE the chefs preparing my food, then it is NOT Great Sushi. I want a place with a variety of seafood. I want to sit down at the bar and ask my chef what's fresh today. I want to eat some Great Sushi!

..... And I did. At Taka Sushi, also in the Gaslamp Quarter. My husband took me here for our anniversary. We sat at the sushi bar and ordered omakase for two. Our chef very politely asked if there was anything we didn't eat, then proceeded to craft a spectacular dinner! I highly (oh so highly!) recommend the ankimo (monk fish liver), and the uni (sea urchin roe). We started off with ankimo, and it was sooooo rich and velvety. A good omen for the rest of the meal. If you've ever eaten old uni, you know how quickly your gag reflex works. Conversely, if you've eaten really good, really fresh uni, you know how the mental image alone makes you salivate like Pavlov's dog. This uni was very fresh and very buttery. All the fish we tried (including aji (Spanish mackerel), kanpachi (amberjack), toro (fatty tuna - way yummy!) and several others) were very fresh and tasty. I personally believe, for health as well as taste, that freshness should be at the top of your list when eating sushi and sashimi. I was happily surprised by the price. We left totally stuffed after consuming tons of food and a bottle of sake. Our bill was about $150. Taka Sushi is truly a Great Sushi restaurant.

I'm still fishing for more great seafood. Anyone have any bites for me?