Growing up on a small farm just outside Byron Bay, Australia, taught Aidan Owens the importance of knowing where your food comes from.
Alongside his mother, Owens raised chickens and ducks and grew vegetables that they sold at farmers markets.
Owens has brought his expertise to Herb & Wood in San Diego, where he works as the culinary director. He’s also the executive chef at Herb & Sea in Encinitas, California. His menus exclusively feature ingredients sourced by local farms and independent fishermen.
The 27-year-old chef clearly knows how to find great seafood. So we asked Owens to share his tips for spotting red flags at a seafood restaurant.
The menu isn’t seasonal
Kimberly Motos
“There are little tells that let you know you’re in the right place for seafood,” Owens told Business Insider. “You feel it before you taste it. The menu reads like a tide chart — changing, seasonal, maybe a little unfamiliar.”
Look for restaurants that don’t just have salmon and Chilean sea bass. Owens said it’s a good sign when you find a place serving ridgeback shrimp, spot prawns, or mackerel. But if the seafood isn’t in season, be wary.
“If a place is serving bluefin tuna year-round, that’s a big red flag,” Owens said. “Bluefin is prized, but it’s also threatened. If it’s not in season and still showing up on the menu, chances are they’re not sourcing it responsibly.”
Your servers aren’t informed
Arlene Ibarra
Owens recommends always asking where the fish came from when you’re at a seafood restaurant.
“Not to quiz anyone, but because the good spots want to tell you,” he said. “They’ll talk about the fisherman and the fish. The server’s excitement is a sign that the restaurant cares.”
Owens hosts weekly farm tours and takes his team to the local farmers market every Sunday to teach them about sourcing and ingredients.
The raw bar reveals all
Arlene Ibarra
If you really want to know how good a seafood restaurant is, Owens believes you should start at the raw bar.
“A good crudo tells you everything you need to know — about the fish, the chef, the place,” he said. “No tricks, no butter sauce to hide behind it.”
And Owens recommends using the “raw test” before you dig in.
“Order it, look at it, smell it,” he said. “If it smells like the ocean, and not the back of the fridge, you’re in good hands.”
