I might have stumbled on to a great sashimi resource..

http://www.catalinaop.com/

Placing my first order tonight, will tell you guys how it turns out,
btw guys you cant store frozen sashimi for a while right? How do you doi it?
Im clueless

I believe that a Super Cool freezer is used, I priced them and they are expensive.
I will be interested in your experience with Catalina, I have known about them for years but have never used them.-Dick

Expensive ? How? A lb of yellowfin for 13, where is anything cheaper

I've be ordering from Catalina for about 8 years. Great quality and prices, even with shipping, compared to my local sources. I freeze what I don't use right away in FoodSaver vacuum bags.

firefirev2 wrote:Expensive ? How? A lb of yellowfin for 13, where is anything cheaper

I believe Dick was suggesting that the specialty freezers are expensive.

You are correct!-Dick

firefirev2 wrote:Expensive ? How? A lb of yellowfin for 13, where is anything cheaper

Costco... and YES we eat it raw or seared ALL THE TIME...

I've also been on Catalina's e-mail list for quite a long time, but I've found less expensive and just as fresh offerings in some of the Japanese and Korean markets in town as well as Costco... there I've said it again...

I know you said it twice, but I must repeat... Sashimi from Costco?

Once in a blue moon I'll sear and slice a piece of tuna from Costco. And serve with a sauce. It's OK (it varies) but far from sashimi-worthy IMO.

phredbull wrote:I know you said it twice, but I must repeat... Sashimi from Costco?

The yellowfin's great; Just like all fish, you'll have to make sure it's "fresh." Currently the yellowfin being sold in Chicago Costco is from the Philippines.

In Hawaii, the yellowfin sold at Costco is often from the Marshall Islands... they often sell it in steak form like here as well as pre-sliced along with kajiki maguro (marlin) to be eaten as sashimi.

Costco's in Japan - you'll think you've died and gone to heaven... you can just make out the Kirkland label.





Fish is fish - it's all in the way it's handled once it "gets on a boat" and then on your plate.

If you want to ship to Chicago (or in my case Deerfield) it costs an extra $23 dollars. I wanted to order salmon sashimi ($13/lb, minimum 2 pounds) and the whole thing would wind up costing $49 for 2 pounds...that seems expensive to me. It's great for the San Diego area though.

if you buy it in chicago it will cost atleast 30 - 35 for one pound so your still saving..besides you can order a whole host of other frozen items and shipping barely increases if your looking for cost savings, which is what i did,
Btw if anyone in the northen burbs area is looking for fresh bluefin tuna belly loins for catalina im willing to part with one pound for around 30 dollars, i will bear full shipping costs.

H-mart used to sell sashimi-grade Norwegian farm-raised Atlantic for $9.99/lb. They still sell sashimi-grade salmon - although I'm not certain of the origins since they moved their whole salmon & fluke cutting station.

I am looking into placing an order with Cataline for some uni among other things. Just wondering if anyone wants to piggyback on my order to save shipping costs? I will be having it delivered to my office (AON Center). Let me know! Thanks!

Mitsuwa in Arlington Heights has good quality fish for sushi at good prices (nowhere near as high as some of the fishmongers in the city).

I just received my first order from CatalinaOp. I ordered a number of things although most were frozen. I figured there was little since in ordering a bunch of fresh fish/seafood if I've got a 2lb piece of fresh sushi grade yellowfin.

The yellowfin looked really nice! Super fresh...it looked good, smelled good, felt good and tasted quite nice. Thanks to the original poster

dan

Catalina's "members specials" (sign up for their mailing list) for March 2009:

Fresh Dry diver Bay Scallops 70-100/lb Special ($ 5.50/lb)
California Premium Uni 80g Tray Special ($8)
Fresh Dry diver Jumbo Scallops U-8 Special/($16.50/lb)
Frozen Jumbo Stone Crab Claws Special ($ 8/lb)
Frozen Barbequed and Marinated Farmed Fresh Water Eel (Unagi) ~8-9 oz Special ($5.75)
Fresh Farmed Sashimi Grade Fatty Bluefin Tuna Top Loins (Maguro) ($19 /lb)
Fresh Sashimi Grade Fatty Bluefin Tuna Belly Loins (Chutoro,Toro) Special ($29/lb)
Live Farmed Red Abalone in shell special ($25/lb)

Compare to the Fish Guy's offerings:

http://www.fishguy.com/

And on Tuesday's many fish are offered at $10/lb and the remainder are 10% off.

Here's a sampling:

Golden Trout $10.95 lb

Bluefin Tuna (Sushi Grade) $18.95 lb

Skate ($11.95 lb)Wild Hamachi (dressed) $14.95 lb

Spotted Grouper $15.95Calamari Steak $10.90 lb

Big-Eye Tuna $18.95 lbAtlantic Hake $14.95 lb

Yellowfin Tuna $18.95

Kingfish $13.95 lb

Boston Mackerel (whole) $6.95 lb

Parrotfish $14.95 lb

Estacuda $16.95 lb

Cape Spanish Mackerel $15.75 lb
Tautog (blue berry bass) $16.95 lb
White Bass $14.95 LB

GoldenTrophy Trout $12.95 lb
Organic Trout $10.95
Sea Bream $14.95 (6.95 lb. whole)
Line Caught Cod $13.95 lb (large 10+ for 6.95 lb)
Loup de Mer (wolf fish) $13.95 lb
Trevally Jack Fillet $13.95lb

Fluke $15.95 lb (7.95 whole)
Northern California Halibut $15.95 LB

Haddock $14.95 lb
Striped Bass $14.95 lb (7.95 whole)
Catalina Island Swordfish $15.95 lb
Fresh King Salmon $18.95 lb
Monkfish Cheeks $14.95 lb.
Monkfish (angler/goosefish) $13.95 LB skinless tails $9.95LB
Merluzzo (hake)$13.95 LB
Whole Sea Bass 1.25 pound avg 10.95 LB
Fresh squid cleaned tubes only $9.95 lb

Natural Scottish Salmon 12lb avg $16.95 / LB