Wooden Fish is famous for its excellent service and friendly staff who are always ready to help. Most guests note that the dishes have average prices. You will definitely appreciate the quiet atmosphere and great decor.

Wooden Fish gives each table a choice of four clay pots with homemade dipping sauces, which I found took the meal from very good to great. These garlic sauces included a brilliant orange hot sauce with an impressive, fiery chili flavor, an outstanding lemongrass puree, another flavorful garlic and chili puree, and an ingenious but simple condiment made from pickled garlic chunks that was like an ultra-flavorful, sweet and sour vinaigrette.

Vietnam is a culinary wonder of a nation, but I tend to forget that its difficult past included a significant period of French occupation. The latest evidence of this influence is evident in the cuisine that has taken French specialties (confit, baguette, gourmet liver pate, pot au feu, etc.) and reinterpreted them with a distinct local flavor. I can confidently say that I have never had perfectly cooked duck confit on seasoned rice before, let alone lemongrass puree and nuoccham (a fish sauce-based dipping condiment); the combination was a revelation.

The post Wooden Fish appeared first on Count The Erfish.

The restaurant also offers a gluten-free fryer for those with dietary restrictions. The fish counter can get busy so seating is limited, but there is outdoor seating available. The staff is friendly and efficient and the service is fast. The restaurant is located in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, so it’s easy to get to. Overall, The Fish Counter is a great place to enjoy delicious seafood in a cozy atmosphere.

Everything on the menu and on the adjacent fresh fish counter is seasonal, local and sustainable. In 2005, owners Mike McDermid (formerly of the Vancouver Aquarium) and chef Robert Clark (formerly of Restaurant C) founded the Ocean Wise program. McDermid and Clark compare their venture — a tiny, bustling restaurant and fresh fish shop — to a seafood farmer’s market. They can tell you exactly where, when, and by whom the fish was caught. In addition to fresh local fish, there are shellfish (crabs, shrimp, oysters, and scallops) and ready-to-eat meals that include everything from halibut cakes, fish pies, and salads to fish broths and soups. Seating is limited to a corner table and a few benches. If the weather is nice, you can take it to go or try it at a table in the small courtyard.

The post The Fish Counter appeared first on Count The Erfish.

1) travel food, ideal for grabbing and bringing as gifts (local smoked salmon, maple syrup, maple sugar, maple caramels, etc.)

2) Local Japanese-style seafood products (everything from large whole halibut to individual portions of black cod fillets to sashimi, etc.)

3) A mail order intended to deliver the above two items to Japan. They are set up to be delivered directly through a shipping partner in Japan. They even include instructions in Japanese on how to prepare each seafood product.

For what it’s worth, the shipping price to Japan is extremely high, so I wouldn’t consider product #3. But in fact, they will pack the items for you, ready to ship, with proper refrigeration, etc. so you can check them in as luggage when you travel to Japan – great!

To try their products, we chose two items:

• Cod fillets (at a very reasonable price of 88 cents/lb!). They were frozen in the sea, and after defrosting they tasted very fresh. Ridiculously inexpensive too!
• Smoked bincho tataki. We got a decent sized loin (enough for about 12 generous slices) for about $4.50. It was packaged in a clear vacuum wrap. They lightly smoke the sashimi and then lightly fry the outside. The combination of light smoke and frying created a very unique tataki when we sliced it at home (sorry for the poor knife skills!).

The post Seaborn Co appeared first on Count The Erfish.

A few years later, an opportunity presented itself. Phil and several captains of commercial fishing boats in the Inlet opened a seafood cooperative here, offering fresh seafood at prices affordable to everyone. The idea resonated with the community, and within a few years, Seven Seas Seafood moved from a rented space behind a local warehouse to its current location on Highway 17 Business in Murrells Inlet. Phil’s son Chris now runs the company, offering people the same fresh, gourmet seafood without the fancy prices.

In the 1970s, Phil Conklin was doing his patriotic duty in the U.S. Navy. While on vacation at the seaside in Charleston, he wandered to Murrells Inlet and fell in love with the place. It was here that he wanted to spend the rest of his life. After completing his military service, Phil worked aboard some of the finest charter fishing boats in Miami, Florida, spending his days on the water and sharing plates with the rich and famous, but he never forgot Murrells Inlet. A few years later, an opportunity presented itself. Phil and a few captains of commercial fishing boats in the Inlet opened a seafood cooperative here, offering fresh seafood at prices affordable to everyone. This idea resonated with the community, and within a few years, Seven Seas Seafood gave up the rented space behind the local warehouse.

If you want fresh seafood, Seven Seas Seafood Market is the place to go. You can buy shrimp, clams, lobster tail, and low rustic boil cocktail sauce and more. There are even whole fish you can buy.

The post Seven Seas seafood market appeared first on Count The Erfish.