My first and only DineLA deal this year. The menu is incredible, and everything they make is so simple yet so complex. Every bite is a flavor-burst, every dish an accomplishment, no details overlooked.
I love Fishing with Dynamite. The crazy thing is, I never thought I would. I wasn't a fan of David Lefevre at fist as his flagship MB Post has rubbed me the wrong way more than a few times, but it's FwD where he truly shines.
The simple things are simple, but starters like the Raw Bar Platter showcase the quality of the food. The oysters are more butter than brine, and they're sweet enough to entice even the skeptics. The scallops are as tender as a cut of wagyu, and the jumbo shrimp are exceptional and out-of-the-ocean fresh.
The second course requires a little more than shucking an oyster. You better have a steady hand to balance the crab-bread ratio in the Maryland Blue Crab Cake. A few extra crumbs can tip the scales as these slivers of my favorite crustacean are easily overpowered. Not enough crumbs, and you just get a pile of fall-apart crab. This one is perfect. And it's almost all crab, no filler, no bullshit. The house pickles have a lighter acid touch that cuts through the fried breading around and creamy mustard remoulade beneath.
It's called Fishing with Dynamite because the flavors are explosive. The Softshell Crab is lightly fried, and every bite bursts with seafood soup. The inside is a symphony of seaworthy-savor, like a soup dumpling inside the edible shell of a crab. There is a bed of what appears to be a signature summer coleslaw, a creative combo with sharp salsa verde and a gentle lime gastrique. The jicama adds the most gratifying crunch amongst the sweet kernals of corn and, and the candied peanuts make it pop.
The Grilled Albacore is a steak of sea. A weighty barrel of seared tuna, a rare beauty indeed. The sauce is seductively simple. Olive oil draws you in, lemon juice enhances the fish, and the chopped basil lends a breath of fresh fragrance.
Easily the best part of the meal, the Manila Clam Steamers are a show-stopping lagoon of concentrated clams in a shellfish broth that is reminiscent of bouillabaisse but better. This broth takes it to a whole new level that I've never seen anyone reach, and we easily rip through the entire perfect baguette provided to sop up every drop of soup.
I need a cold shower after those clams. The Key Lime Parfait is a gentler cool-down, a smaller portion of their work-of-art key lime pie, complete with a killer crust and stiff peaks of picture-perfect Kaffir lime meringue.
At the right price and in the right place, Manhattan Beach can be enchanting. Fishing with Dynamite is exactly that place. Intimate, small-scale seafood that literally tastes like passion. They say you never forget your first love...I literally didn't love anything in Manhattan Beach until Fishing with Dynamite.
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