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