Super-popular Crystal Fish Sushi in New Monterey: ownership change not what you think.

One day I walked into Crystal Fish (649-3474) in New Monterey with two things.

A Tupperware.

And a $20 bill.

My challenge to sushi savant/owner-operator Tamotsu Suzuki, was this:

Please fill this modest vessel with a special as fresh as the seashore where I plan on sharing it.

Chef promptly overachieved, packing in two half-sized special rolls, one an eel-sea urchin-salmon egg number (though I later learned eel isn't sustainable), the other an even-better soft-shell-crab-and-spicy-tuna combo with albacore belly on top.

I had him fill the rest of it with seaweed salad and munched through a bowl of edamame while he crafted the package.

The all-inclusive price tag: less than $20. The thoughtful execution: priceless.


So he knows how to do good stuff at the right price.

I just didn't think that would apply to the restaurant itself, so I was surprised to hear there was a notice of change of ownership in his Lighthouse Avenue window.

Which is troubling news because The Fish isn't just my favorite, it's a community favorite.

Here’s what we wrote when it won a recent readers’ vote for Best Sushi in Monterey County, one of several as they've become a perennial winner.

“Ponder, if you will, the takoyaki roll: a warm, ricey tentacle of octopus, avo and crab topped with baked bonito, otafuku sauce and tempura crunchies. It’s different from your standard American sushi fare, which leans so heavily on shrimp, salmon and tuna. Crystal Fish does those standards beautifully, in popular maki rolls like the Firecracker, Volcano and Big Ryan.”

Inhabiting the rest of the extensive sushi menu are unusual selections (like the mussel shooter with quail egg) and classically rendered udon soups, salads, nigiri and sashimi. The connoisseur’s touch extends to the sake, too.

And a sake toast is in order, because when I called Suzuki he was still there, on the sushi bar, crafting incredible rolls.

Eager to get back to a busy dinner prep, he quickly assured me the change in ownership is to shift things to an LLC that will allow him to conduct business more securely and efficiently. 

So no news is good news. Really good news.

And I'm ready for a sushi lunch.