JEFF KORBELIK/Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, March 1, 2005 6:00 pm
Brandon Harpster was out and about when the sign for Midwest Seafood caught his eye.
Curious, the Yankee Hill Country Club executive chef pulled into the strip mall on North 27th Street to check it out.
What he found was a treasure trove: lobsters from Maine, salmon from Seattle and jumbo shrimp from Louisiana.
And all of it was fresh.
"I specialize in seafood," said Harpster, who also teaches at Southeast Community College. "I often get compliments on the quality of fish and how good it is. I would like to take some credit for it, but it starts with getting good fish."
Today, Yankee Hill Country Club as well as several other Lincoln restaurants and private clubs rely on Midwest Seafood for their catches of the day.
"It certainly has become a nice resource for restaurants in Lincoln," said Travis Green, executive chef of Dish in downtown Lincoln.
It's also become a nice one for home cooks as well, especially during Lent when interest in seafood is high.
Andrew Vuong has sold fresh fish wholesale in Lincoln for the last three years. He opened the retail market at 505 N. 27th St. in June 2003. It's the only place, other than a handful of grocery stores, to get fresh seafood in Lincoln.
During Lent, interest in seafood is high.
"I've learned the Midwest is hungry for fish," said Vuong, a Vietnamese native who came to Lincoln in 1990 and runs his operation with his brother, Tony.
"I'm trying to fill a niche, to help those who like seafood," he said.
At Midwest Seafood, patrons routinely can find lobster, clams, tilapia, tuna, salmon, catfish, scallops and shrimp.
The clams sit in an aquarium, just waiting to be steamed, the scallops are usually the size of golf balls, and the salmon is a rosy pink, wild and not farm-raised.
"I'm very impressed he doesn't mess with farm salmon," Harpster said.
The market features other fare, such as trout, Chilean sea bass, swordfish and Mahi Mahi as it becomes available. Vuong will stock halibut when it's in season later this spring.
"He definitely brings in a nice product," Green said. "We often rely on him for our daily specials."
Prices vary, ranging from $7.99 a pound for jumbo shrimp to $14.99 for the Chilean sea bass. The salmon costs $9.79 a pound, but expect the price to go down when the fish is in season.
Vuong receives shipments into either Lincoln or Omaha daily. Most of his inventory comes from an uncle in Louisiana, who owns and operates a boat and dock just outside of New Orleans.
His uncle is a big reason Vuong, 29, is in the business.
As a child in Vietnam, Vuong used to catch fish either by digging water-filled holes along the bank (the fish literally would jump into them) or snaring them in a trap and then sell them in the village.
As a young adult, he spent a lot of time with his uncle in Louisiana, who showed him how to catch fish and ship it. He also schooled Vuong on how to tell the difference between good and bad seafood.
It comes down to look, smell and taste.
Vuong said color is important. A sea bass should be white as milk, and salmon bursting with pink. A dingy color is a sign of a fish going bad.
As is smell. Fresh seafood, other than the pungent monk fish, should not have an odor, Vuong said. If it does, it's starting to turn.
He realizes people, especially those in a landlocked state, are careful when it comes to buying and/or cooking fish.
He doesn't blame them. That's why he is more than willing to school his customers, the same way his uncle did with him about his products.
"It's tough," he said of operating a seafood market in a beef-crazed state. "I have a lot of loyal customers."
Like Harpster and Green.
"(Vuong) really cares about the product he serves," Harpster said. "He really, really does."
Midwest Seafood is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and is closed Monday. For more information, call 435-1200.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.