Seafood
From the entrance, I could hear the loud chorus of enthusiastic voices shouting in unison: “Fresh fiiiiiiish!,” followed by the echoing sound of a conch shell trumpet. As I approached, I could see their “leader,” wearing bright orange rubber overalls, getting ready to toss a huge salmon toward the men behind the counter. “One, two, three!,” and the salmon was up in the air then caught by one of the eager fishmongers, to the delight of the cheering crowd. It isn’t quite Pike Place Market, but the seafood department at the new Whole Foods is the closest thing we have to Seattle’s famed temple of all things seafood.The selection of fresh fish and shellfish on the counter is impressive, with more than 150 selections, and many of the freshly flown fish are hand-cut to order. Then there’s the live tank with perky Dungeness crabs and humongous snow crabs that kept me transfixed until the next shout of “fresh fish” snapped me out of it. At the far end of the counter, an impressive selection of breaded and ready-to-fry seafood, in all kinds of flavors and styles, awaits to be prepared on the spot or to be taken home for future frying.
Next to the fresh seafood counter is the prepared seafood station and the second of Whole Foods’ five in-house restaurants, Fifth Street Seafood, where I managed to snag two seats at the counter. We started with the appetizer special of seared Ahi Tuna ($7.99), crusted with sesame seeds and house-dried ginger, served over a bed of MSG-free, pickled Komo seaweed and shoyu for dipping. We paired that with a nice glass of Australian Sauvignon Blanc ($4.50), one of their wine selections. The tiny kitchen has two chefs preparing four daily features of fresh fish and shellfish, cooked to order in a variety of ways, ranging from $9.99 to $14.99. One can choose to have them broiled or seared, flavored with a variety of house-made butters or dry rubs. They come with a small mixed green salad, savory saffron rice, and a crusty roll. We chose the seared sea scallops, which chef Sean Mindrum recommended we try with the tequila butter. They were so sweet and succulent, the butter subtle yet flavorful.
Around the counter, one can purchase ready-made seafood dishes such as paella, ceviche, and shrimp cocktails, as well as seafood sausages and marinated, seasoned, and oven-ready items. I couldn’t resist trying the Black Cod ($9.95/lb.) delicately marinated in Kasu – a byproduct of the fermentation of sake – so I took it home and broiled it for dinner. It was unbelievably delicious. I also tried some of their many house-smoked specialties: the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Atlantic Salmon ($16.99/lb.), the slightly piquant habanero-green-chile-smoked salmon, and the bacon-wrapped sea scallops, all of which were expertly smoked and tasty. There is also a seafood soup bar that features six daily house-made soups, and a salad bar ($9.95/lb.) offering cold seafood items like marinated octopus salad, homemade salmon spread, and tiny pickled fresh anchovies.
Emboldened by the wonderful food, the festive atmosphere, and perhaps the wine, I yelled for the guys to throw a halibut. “You want a halibut? We’ll throw a halibut,” was the response. I joined enthusiastically in the countdown and happily cheered when the fishmonger skillfully caught the medium-sized, awkwardly shaped fish. These guys have way too much fun at work. Maybe next time they’ll let me throw the fish.
This article appears in March 25 • 2005.
