Seafood City

If 99 Ranch Market is the center all things Chinese in Clairemont Mesa; then Seafood City is the center for all things Filipino in National City. I think I've been to alot of Markets recently!

After breakfast at Zarlitos this past Friday, the Missus had requested that I drop by Seafood City, and pick up some "Native Delight"????

Prima Toast is her latest obsession, I guess Haw Flakes are out! But she didn't want just the brand she's been buying, she wanted a "variety". And we all know, we don't mess around with the cravings of the Missus! But all I could find was 1 other brand, so I picked that up!

I thought about picking up some Sky Flakes:

But I already had some, and they last forever if you don't open them.

Doesn't the "Family Pack" Longanisa look good!

Or maybe the boneless Daing (Milkfish):

Fried up, dipped into garlic and vinegar; this is one of the Missus's favorites. Don't forget the rice!

Actually, Seafood City has probably the busiest seafood department in San Diego. What you can do is select your fish from the counter, or the almost endless isle of fish, BTW doesn't this guy look like he's doing "something" in the fish isle?

Bring it to the counter, take a number, and they'll announce the number over the loudspeaker when your fish is ready. And this place is cranking! When I entered I heard number 82, when I left about 30 minutes later, they were already on number 136! On a Friday morning no less. But the really entertaining thing is just hanging out listening to the fish guy on the microphone.

I guess it must be a pretty boring job, calling out numbers and lining up the endless red/pink bags on the counter. So the "announcer" has to keep it lively. So you'll hear stuff like, "pretty girl, num-ber 92, pretty girl come see meeeeee", "Lo-laaa, Lo-laaa, number 105, you have dinner", "handsome, Mister handsome, number 123", or my favorite of the day; "number 85, number 85, come get it, your fish is going to swim awaaay soon"! Always cracks me up!

Seafood City does a pretty good job merchandising; you see on the way to the cashier, you always pass the Ice Cream:

Talk about needing self control! I got out with 3 packages Pamana Prima Toast, and 1 package Barrio Fiesta Prima Toast, about 7 bucks total....

If there's one thing I'd wish for Seafood City, it would be that the Cashiers would have the levity of the guy I deem the "Seafood Announcer". I've never ever seen one smile. Most of the time, they stare off stonily into the distance. In fact, if there was a "stare down" between the 99 Ranch Market cashiers, and the Seafood City cashiers; Seafood City would win going away.....

Seafood City
1420 E Plaza Blvd
National City, CA 91950

Comments

[Rachel]

Hi Kirk,
That was another outstanding trip. You need to tell me more about longanisa as I don't know much about Filipino food. Actually I'd love if you could share anything else at all about Filipino food. Hee hee and I agree that guy indeed looked like he was doing something. Wonder what was in that freezer??

[Jack]

Yes, that fish guy is a crack up! Because of you and your filipino food references, I have been making a point to drive down to National City once a week to grab lunch, get some dessert (bibingka) or go grocery shopping at Seafood city. Last week I went down and bought a number of filipino brooms. They are the perfect tool for cleaning up dog hair on hardwood floors. This week it might be to try Zarlito's for breakfast...hmmmm maybe I'll do it this morning.

[Angie]

Kirk--

Love that name: Native Delights.

How come I never have this much fun when I go grocery shopping? I want to go with you sometime, you know all the fun places...

Nice photos. I wonder if there was someone behind you saying, "what's that guy with the camera doing in the fish aisle?" :-)

[elmomonster]

Me likey that Magnolia Brand Ice Cream! Halo-halo flavor! Yummy yummy!

I wonder what the bangus looks like fried up. I've been itching to make "bangsilog"...is that would it'd be called?

[Kirk]

Hi Rachel - Longanisa is a raw sweet pork Filipino Sausage, with a pretty good fat content, very tasty if cooked right with a slight char. Cooking regular longanisa can be a challenge the first time - many burn them, but I've seen "skinless" longanisa that won't burn so easily. It is delici-yoso!!!

Elmo has a nice post on longanisa:
http://elmomonster.blogspot.com/2005/07/on-cooking-longanisa.html

Hi Jack - He is funny, isn't he! What's also funny is that he is basically ignored, people just go on doing their business, I guess they've been here so many times that the novelty is gone. So how's this; Zarlito's for breakfast, Tita's for lunch, Conching for a mid-afternoon snack, and Villa Manila for dinner, and a crash diet for the next 3 months sound? Of course naps are intermingled with all these meals. BTW, we went to Ben's last night and had a pretty good meal, I'll post in the near future.

Hi Angie - One of the things that I've had to learn with this food blogging thing, is to slow down and enjoy the atmosphere, just breathe it in - though maybe not so deeply in certain places! So if I intend to post I'll try and go when I think it won't be so crowded! About that camera thing - I just had my first semi-negative restaurant camera experience, which will be coming up!

Hi Elmo - Never had Daing Bangus? I've either had it at restaurants or at a friends, never cooked it myself - it's just usually fried - but be aware, it is recommended that you cook it outside if possible, the aroma is strong and can linger for several weeks....BTW, it's called Da-silog, or Dangsilog. I would actually go for Dai-silog! LOL!

[Kristy]

Hmm...Sky Flakes? What are those?

[Jack]

Now that sounds like a great day! I am heading over to Zarlito's right after this. I can't wait to read the post about Ben's. I've only been there once but willing to give it another shot.

[Kirk]

Hi Kristy - Sky Flakes are soda crackers, left unopened they can last a long time.

Hey Jack - I hope you enjoy it! I think a day like that would be in the 5-digit calorie range....

[milgwimper]

Kirk,

Good review! I would love a grocery store like that here. It is hard finding Filipino retaurants here, but they are starting to pop up, slowly. Ahhh grocery shopping. LOL :D

[Annie]

funny! love the stare down comment!! yeah i could never understand why these cashiers look so grumpy all the time!! must be the volumes of customers filing through...

[Kirk]

Hi Mills - It was just fun listening to the Seafood Guy!

Hi Annie - I'm guessing they don't get much satisfaction from their work... ;o)

[Douglas Grimm]

I am an Alaska Fisherman and wondering if you would be interested fresh Alaska Wild Salmon - very high quality at a low price. If so contact:

907-635-1213

[Kirk]

Hi Douglas - I'm so sorry, I'm not affiliated with of the markets that I post on.

[DC]

Hey Kirk, have you seen any Puto Bumbong cooker (the whole contraption) being sold somewhere in your meanderings? Please e-mail me about it. And by the way, I did have fun with your narratives. I'll be your subscriber from now on...

[Kirk]

Hi DC - I've sent you an email....no luck in tracking down a puto bumbong steamer, but will keep looking.

[Delfin]

Yes I have a puto bumbong maker and I have been making it letting folks try it.I had to go back to PI and learn different recipes. I had to grind the purple rice versus grinding sweet white rice and coloring it. I had recipes wich puts a little salt in the mix. I had to buy Moscovado sugar known as Paldo in cavite. Here in some Pinoy restaurants they take Mochico and wrapped it in foil and staem it and called it puto bumbong, I call it pure lazyness. The taste is so far from the original. I was taught that puto bumbong has a slight soury taste due to the grind rice procees of leaching out the water from the sack. Some enzyme action there for 24 hours. So I tried it and put the grounded purple rice in a rice sack and put it between 2 boards and put some weights and left it fro 24 hours. then let it dry out then crumbled it. When i cooked it in one of my customized stainless steel that I had the nachinist cut for me and I had to use silver solder to put it together. Yep sure enough it tasted a bit soury just like what I used to have in PI. So now I have to ask my customers, how do you liked your puto bumbong made soury or bland. One thing I know, I introduced it to the Vietnameese and boy do they love that stuff. What I do is used our famous Star margarine just like in PI. I asked one of the chefs at one of the restauirant in LA how they prepare their puto Bumbong. He said that he uses PAM to lubricate his custom made wood made by a wood worker and he buys these squirt type margarine and squirts it after he removes it from the wood. me I had to chop my bamboo trees and started drying it out and cut them to pieces. Yep I rather stick to the traditional way. And boy the Pinoys here really loves it.

[Kirk]

Hi Delfin - Thanks for the info...but I think that DC wants to obtain a Puto Bumbong steamer...can you provide that information?

[Jo]

oooo, Kirk! I missed this one! Sure looks similar to the Galleria in the Seafood dept. I am CAREFULLY nursing my tin box of Sky Flakes... ;o)

[Kirk]

Hi Jo - At least you don't have to worry about them going bad if they are stored well. They'll keep forever....

[michelle]

Does anyone out there know if there is or will they build a seafood city market out here in Temecula??? Us filipinos who live out here would really like it if they did build one here. They have this mom & pops store out here thats like a hole in a wall. And their prices are way too expensive. If anyone out there know any of the future outcomes please let me know. thank you.