Fanta-Sea Grill

Silly name. Bad location. Little ambiance. Awesome seafood.

We overlooked this small restaurant located next to Rite Aid in South Pasadena for a long time. Why hazard a meal from a strip mall without a good reason?

Thankfully, one Sunday I got bored waiting for Cheri to decide on one of the gazillion varieties of shampoo in Rite Aid (though I wasn't thankful at the time). So I went outside to breathe some "fresh" SoCal air, and ended up reading the rave reviews posted in the window. I was surprised by the strong praise, but now we had a good reason to be brave!

I talked my semi-reluctant compadre into sharing dinner there with me just last night. She ordered the grilled tuna steak, thick and perfectly grilled (rare!), served with both a ponzu sauce and a mild-wasabi sauce. I chose the steamed and lightly grilled salmon with dill and ginger sauces.

Both entrees were served with rice and steamed veggies artfully arranged on a neat paper plate. Now, I don't have anything against disposable dinnerware -- some of the best food in the world comes in styrofoam, paper or cardboard -- but who knew such delicious non-deep-fried seafood can be eaten with plastic utensils?

It's obvious from the preparation methods that this joint is striving for healthy food. The sauces, except for the ponzu, were yogurt-based and still served on the side. But it was all fresh and delicious. Veggies were just right, the white/brown rice blend was tasty, and both the tuna and salmon were superb.

We'll definitely be back. Highly recommended.

Baobao's Fanta-Sea Grill
912 Fair Oaks Ave
South Pasadena, CA 91030
626-799-5588

From the menu: Eat Fresher, Live Healthier Low Sodium, Low Calories FUSION STYLE No Butter, MSG, or Shortening Used In Cooking

Wahoo Fish Taco

Fresh seafood never was an option for me growing up (Ohio!) but I did eventually learn there is more to fish than those fried/frozen/reheated triangles I had so often. Some pals told me I definitely needed to try fish tacos when I moved to Pasadena, but the idea just seemed wrong, even though logical considering all that Mexican coastline.

This is my favorite place for fish tacos. The type of fish varies, but is always fresh, and served with just the right amount of cabbage on decent corn tortillas. Add a splash of lime...heaven! Choose regular or spicy grilled fish and order a plate with excellent rice and beans, you'll be happy. They also have a beer-of-the-month special, which is an awesome deal depending on the month.

Nothing else is as good as the fish taco platter, but other choices include burritos, enchiladas and tacos with your choice of beef, chicken, fish or mushrooms. You can also find some salads and teriyaki bowls, but I recommend the tortilla soup and the tacquitos if, like Cheri, you aren't a big fan of fish tacos.

Visit the Wahoo website here.