Crab Hut: A Revisit

I was depressed. You see, because of some scheduling conflicts, I was going to miss the LSU Alumni Crawfish Boil this year. And after seeing the wonderful Crawfish photos on Passionate Eater, well, talk about a double whammy! Which is why, I talked Mr S into grabbing some crawfish, and other stuff at Crab Hut on a recent Sunday. Not that it took much encouragement, mind you. And even though I grab a lunch now and then at Crab Hut, it's mostly for the french fries(don't ask). Eating Bugs is not something to do solo. Unfortunately, we both forgot that the Sunday we chose was Mother's Day(shame on us), and the place was packed. But somehow, we managed a table amongst the large parties. The menu at Crab Hut has come a long way from my first visit. Now there are fresh oysters, various soups, and in a homage to their roots as a Vietnamese Owned business, the addition of Crab Hut Rolls, a version of Cha Giò Cua. As much as I perused the placard and menu, Mr S had other plans, and moved straight to ordering without even a glance at the menu.

We started with a dozen Fanny Bays from Canada:

For $15.99, these were better than I thought they'd be. I'm not a cocktail sauce-tabasco-whatever  on your oyster kind of eater. I like mine with just a touch of lemon, in this case lime, which added a different, almost sweeter flavor to the oyster. I'm never looking for the "biggest, meatiest" oysters. I prefer a nice "liquor", and relish a great after-taste. These were decent, much fresher, and better in flavor than what I expected for the price.

Fried Okra($4.00):

Nice and crunchy on the exterior, creamy on the interior. Served along with some Cajun Aioli.

The one thing, I "had to order". The Cajun Fries($4.00).

Before you write me off as totally insane; yes, I know that "these are only crinkle cut fries with Cajun seasoning". But there's something about  this slightly spicy, crunchy(they've always been fried perfectly) fry, first dipped into a bit of malt vinegar, than ketchup, that I really enjoy. We all have our guilty pleasures, don't we? Call me "Kirk, the Carb King" is you must.

Mr S ordered 3 pounds of Crawfish ($8.99/lb). What freaked me out was that he ordered them "Hot". Now, in my previous experiences with Crab Hut the "Medium was yesterdays Hot". So I expected to have my lips burned off.

But I was wrong, it wasn't the burning hot I expected. So either Crab Hut is now showing some restraint, or my tolerance has gone up light years! These were cooked perfectly, the tail meat firm, but not hard or mushy. Because Mr S is fond of the "Full House" seasoning, which is basically everything but the kitchen sink, I never got the full flavor of the Crawfish. Next time, I'm getting them my way, with Old Bay...before Crawfish season is over.

Mr S also ordered 2 pounds of Little Neck Clams (7.50/lb):

Ordered with Garlic Butter, medium heat.

These were soft and tender. In fact, I enjoyed them more than the Crawfish. Garlic Butter sauce mixed with the juices from the clams, with bread......

We made a mess, and felt proud of it. I can't believe we ate the whole thing......

Crab Hut is not a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Boil. Like the Boiling Crab in Garden Grove, Crab Hut has each of its Cheliped gripped onto 2 worlds. A Cajun Seafood joint, with a Vietnamese flair, a pretty nice marriage if you ask me.

Service has always been very friendly. Do not wear your Sunday's best unless you have the best dry cleaner in the world. Bibs, towelettes, and a roll of paper towels are always provided. Nowadays, I don't even try to park in the lot, probably one of the worst in the area, I go directly to the side street. As you can tell, prices are reasonable.

Crab Hut
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
858-565-1678

Open Daily from 12noon - 10pm

More on Crab Hut from yummyfoodsandiego.com can be found here.

Comments

[Taka]

Those oysters look delicious. My mouth is starting to water... It's really hard finding a good oyster these days (that a student can afford)... I was in SD the other day too... poo =(

[nhbilly]

Oh man that sounds so good. I might have to stop by rockin crawfish to get my fixen. I never though clams were so yummy in cajun mix until I had it at rc I'm addicted to it.

[Jeff C]

Kirk, Cajun ? Cool. Love these culture and cuisine. Mud bugs? Here in AZ they allow us to hunt these things to our hearts content. But I have to admit that I find the taste ... meh. I tried doing it chinese style with lots of green onion garlic and ginger and copious amounts of wine. It didn't work. So I'm thinking that the crab boil with the lemons and bay leaves will work better imbuing some flavor to rather tasteless bits of crustacea. Either that or the species of crawfish here are not the same as the ones down in Louisiana.
Maybe you might have some suggestions.

[Tammy]

Darn, I missed it! I played tennis with Mr. S that day and since it was Mother's Day, I "had" to go home.

[Kirk]

Hi Taka - These were worth the price. Not as good as the stuff we pay $26 a dozen for, but worth the price charged. BTW, you were in San Diego, and didn't drop me a line?

Hi Billy - I was surprised at how good the clams were as well.

Hi Jeff - You did suck dem heads, right? To me that's the best part. Try some Old Bay seasoning.

Hi Tammy - I think the highlite was seeing Mr S talking on his cell phone outside the restaurant with Full House all over his hands and face, and with his bib on. I shoulda taken a photo!

[kat]

I've never been to a Louisiana Crawfish Boil nor have I eaten one, but this does remind me of covering our dining room table with newspaper throwing down some crab and getting messy trying to get the meat out of it.

[Rachel]

wow what a feast! I can't believe two of you managed to get through it all. That sort of food is great for picking over with a good friend and a long chat and maybe some alcohol to wash it down with. Yum! I wish we had places like that over here. It is mostly just fish and chips and seafood basket type stuff here. The seafood markets in Sydney have not too bad a variety but mostly shrimp and some lobster and battered fish and stuff. all ends up tasting the same in beer batter. Fanny bays sound a bit rude :P

[mike]

Nice! Coincidentally, we're in Lafayette, LA at the moment and demolished pounds of crawfish ourselves just last night. Good stuff!

[Carol]

Looks awesome! When does crawfish season end, BTW?

[penny]

mmm...bugs! i've never had them like this-must get to Louisiana or something. Looks you guys had a great meal tho'! Does the plastic bag add any funny flavors to the clams?

[ed (from Yuma)]

"Crab Hut has each of its Cheliped gripped onto 2 worlds." - wow! - you wrote that. I'm amazed. What a turn of phrase. Not fair sending me to a dictionary!

[Jenn]

Mmm-yoso famous! Congrats on being SD's fave local foodie. I gasped when I saw the article on UT Street!

[dan]

mmm I was gonna go today after seeing this post. Gosh, everything looking good. thanks for the linking .

[Carol]

Congrats on being the fave local foodie, Kirk and the rest of mmm-yoso crew! (Thanks for the heads-up on the post, Jenn!) You guys are certainly mine!

[Omar]

Kirk,

Thanks for revisiting Crab Hut. My wife and I go there every few weeks, when we have the urge to get messy while chowing on shellfish. We join Cajun friends there sometimes; we all agree that, as you say, "Crab Hut is not a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Boil," but everyone enjoys the fare nonetheless.

I like Crab Hut's Cajun crawfish, medium. Any hotter, or with any more flavors added, and I can't taste the crawfish meat, which I crave. Four pounds seem to do the trick, along with sweet tea and a few of someone else's fries - Cajun spiced, of course.

I note that you prefer crawfish with Old Bay. I like the spice a lot, and use it in or on many things, but I've never thought Old Bay works well with strong-flavored crustaceans like crawfish, lobster or Pacific varieties of crab. If you like it with crawfish, I say "laissez le bon temps roulez!" For me, though, it's Zatarain's Crab Boil and crawfish... ahh... or Old Bay and blue crab... mmmm... or Old Bay and shrimp... ooohhh...

One final word about Crab Hut: every time we eat there, the kids put down a bowl of lime wedges and little cups of black pepper and salt. I like those things, and I'm adventurous enough to have tried them with various Crab Hut offerings, and I have yet to find one that works for me. Is the garnish a cultural thing, do you think, or simply the owner's idea of how shellfish ought to be served? To me, it just tastes tart, peppery and distracting.

Best regards,

[Omar]

Jeff C,

I checked with the Arizona Game and Fish Department website, and found that while the species of crawfish you find there is the same as Louisiana's, it's likely the difference in habitat that makes your mudbugs taste blander than those down (over?) South. I'd guess you have more sand and less clay and rotted vegatation to offer them, so they don't develop that earthy, not-quite-fishy taste. Sacramento River delta crawfish apparently get many of the same things to eat as do their country cousins, so they're similar in flavor.

[Kirk]

Hi Kat - We used to that back home too! Such a delicious mess.

Hi Rachel - Nothing like a few Fanny Bays, eh? ;o) If anything the food does not lack for flavor!

Ooooh Mike - I can't wait for that post!

Hi Carol - Usually ends in June, and thanks!

Hi Penny - I think the flavors are so strong that if the bags had any taste you really couldn't detect them.

Hi Ed - I remember that word because I could never pronounce it sorrectly in class(along with Chitin).

Hi Jenn - Wow, you're fast. I didn't know myself until this afternoon. Thanks so much!

Hi Dan - Why didn't you do today???

Hi Omar - Well first you need to show me where the Zataran's is on the flavoring menu at Crab Hut? If it was, I'd gladly select that. So Old Bay would be my way at Crab Hut. The lime-salt-pepper, and sometimes chilies, is a standard Vietnamese garnish.

[Judy]

speaking of perfectly fried fries, have you ever had french fries at a korean bar? min sok chon right down the way from crab hut fries up some of the most perfect fries! although it lacks the cajun seasoning and comes with just a simple bit of ketchup and a cabbage salad on the side, mmmmmmmm... sometimes simplicity is perfection ;)

[Kirk]

Hi Judy - For some reason Min Sok Chon causes severe amnesia....for, ummm, some unknown reason. ;o) I just can't remember leaving the place....

[Omar]

Hi Kirk,

re: Zatarain's Crab Boil, I wasn't recommending, I was revelling.

I do like the lime/pepper thing with boiled or roasted corn, in the Mexican style.

Hey, we had some good fish/shellfish at King's Fish House in Mission Valley last night. More about that to follow...
Cordially,