We love hearing from you, dear LAist readers, particularly when you ask for food recommendations. (You can always email me at gchabran@scpr.org) Recently, I heard from audience member Willie Huo, who was looking for seafood in the San Gabriel Valley.
He asked: Undoubtedly, Willie is lamenting the closure of the last McCormick & Schmick in the L.A. area.
The upscale seafood chain restaurant, known for its shareable plates of oysters, calamari, and clam chowder, recently shut its doors in Pasadena. Our hearts go out to him and other seafood lovers (but don’t worry; there’s still one in Anaheim near Disneyland if you need to satisfy a craving). But I couldn’t help but think of other seafood options in the area that I'd been meaning to try out.
So, to satisfy Willie, and my own curiosity, I went on my own fishing trip. Let it be known that I love a good market that doubles as a solid lunch option. Throughout my travels for Cheap Fast Eats, I’ve been to quite a few.
I love that I get a full panoramic view of a culture, which fills me with a sense of wonder and delight. This was my first time visiting San Gabriel's Yama Sushi Marketplace . Given the selection available at first glance, I immediately started kicking myself for not getting there sooner.
When I entered the small storefront through the back where the tiny parking lot was located, I was drawn to the bustling fish counter, surrounded by Japanese grocery staples of snacks, beer, and sake, and plenty of pantry item.