Crenshaw Fish Market

"Good things come in small packages", a wise man once said (okay, I don't know who said it, but it's been said). Food wise, this saying applies well to my experience at the Crenshaw fish market on Saturday. 

As I crossed Jefferson (while walking along Crenshaw), a worn brick exterior, that more closely resembled a liquor store than a fish shop, appeared before me: only the placard that beamed the store's title in bright red letters confirmed for me that this was the place I had spotted under a "lunch" search on Yelp. Walking in shortly after the time the market opened, at 11 am, I found little visible evidence of lunch in the display case: the employee who worked behind the counter appeared to be in the process of setting things up. Nevertheless, the faint smell of raw fish and shrimp indicated that this was indeed a place for Louisiana-style fried seafood. After quickly perusing the paper menu (attached to the display case), I placed my order for the number 9 (Five pieces of fish, french fries, a side (coleslaw, in my case) and a dinner roll).

Within a couple minutes, I saw the employee take pieces of seafood from a container and appear to place them in some sort of breading mixture. A few minutes later, the deep fryer cackled. The fish smell grew stronger, intermingled with the blossoming waft of spices.

After the employee had repeated the process, I heard him call "your order" and point towards me. A plastic bag, containing a styrofoam container and a small paper bag with condiments and coleslaw, beckoned. 

After bringing the containiner back to my table, I opened it up and took my first bite. The fish was tender (obviously high-quality) and the breading crisp and flaky (an indication that the fillet was fried well). Unfortunately, the sharpness of the pepper overwhelmed the zesty spiciness (from chili) on the first two pieces, making for an unpleasant bitterness. However, the remaining pieces displayed a good balance of the two flavors that delivered a double punch of spiciness and savoriness. The Crinkle-cut fries, sprinkled with a light amount of chili seasoning and a moderate dose of salt, were consistently delectable. 

The coleslaw and the dinner roll were both mediocre. The former was a tad too sweet while the latter had a doughy consistency.  

I left satiated and delighted to have tried something new. However, I can't say I was blown away, particularly in regards to the fish. I will have to visit more Louisiana-style fish restaurants to discern whether this reflects my taste for Louisiana-style fish or the quality of the establishment.  

Luckily, my feast ringed in at only $7.49. That's a pretty good deal (for LA), regardless of how the food tastes.