Not All Fish Sandwiches Are Created Equal

I don't like to admit that I could like a restaurant located in a mall, but Gulfstream is an exception. For one, it's affiliated with Houston's, which serves my favorite burger in LA so far. The menu is similar to Houston's, and food just as good. I'm not a big fan of the dark interior and old school decor, but who cares when the food is this solid? It is pricey, so it isn't somewhere I would go regularly. If you're in the Westfield mall, at the movies or near Century City, it's worth stopping by.

The crab cake salad was exceptional. It came with a mix of greens including frisee and watercress, silky avocado and refreshing grapefruit. The light, creamy dressing was right on, complementing the crab cake well without feeling like it was tartar sauce disguised as dressing. The crab cakes were perfectly crispy on the outside and was creamy and moist on the inside. I could actually taste crab that wasn't at all fishy and appreciated the generous chunks of crab since it's hard to real, chunky crab (especially in a cake patty). On a hot summer day, it was the perfect starter.



I resisted the temptation to get a burger. If Houston's burger is so good, I could only assume Gulfstream's would be just as good. But I got the fish sandwich instead and it was excellent. It was as good as the fish sandwich I've had at Houston's. It's what a filet-o-fish sandwich (I can't believe I'm quoting an item from the much disdained fast food chain that will remain unnamed) would taste like if an ironchef made it. The fish, while fried, was airy, fluffy, not too salty and definitely not fishy. The works included shredded cabbage, dill pickles and red onions. But what brought it all together was the fantastic pink sauce (tasted of mayo, some kick, maybe capers and parsley?) that bound everything into a soft, warm bun that was perfectly toasted.

Who knew I could be so wowed by a humble fish filet sandwich? The restaurant's site boasts that all the fish it serves were caught in the last 24 hours. Not sure if that's humanely possible given the fish probably comes from all over the world, but nevertheless I'm sold. The side of wild rice, corn and almond was interesting, but nothing spectacular.

There's one in Newport Beach that I haven't tried.

Gulfstream
10250 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 553-3636