It was just minutes before Monday night’s industry preview party Shared seafood in the Los Angeles Arts District was set to begin, when owner and pioneer of dry fish Liwei Liao gave some VIPs a quick tour of the 4,000-square-foot space.
“We thought it would be 3 times,” Liao told the Observer when asked about the amount of fish he can now offer to his restaurant and retail customers.
Tripling its capacity would be a great achievement, but it turns out that Liao had underestimated it.
“It’s going to be 4x, 5x,” Liao said during Monday’s tournament. “We were at 4,000 to 5,000 pounds a week. This is pushing 15,000 to 20,000 pounds.”
Guests like Chef Verse Oscar Torres AND Butler Media co Christopher Chen thought that staggering figure as Liao continued to bow like a man who knows he’s changed the game.
“See the tuna room over there?” asked Liao. “Nobody in the world is able to hang 350 pounds in any space right now unless they have a pitchfork. We can do it. How many spots do you see a 400-pound fish hanging? We’ll get to 500 pounds.”
Then Liao entered the fish room and circled a fish that was twice the size of his right hand, Josh Kolooked at him with the amusement of someone who knew he would soon have to destroy a lot of that tone.
The new one Shared seafood at 600 E. 1st St. will open around early April with Liao’s Uoichiba bar, a coffee bar and dry aging rooms that have 14-foot ceilings. The focal point at Joint Seafood will be a retail market selling carefully sourced fish such as Ōra King salmon, Tuna Balfegó and Seremon smoked black cod, all of which were used to make hand rolls at Monday’s pre-party.
In the near future, Liao will have an omakase bar on a 16-foot stage at the new Joint Seafood.
“It will be an omakase stage that will feature collaborations with other chefs around the world using our fish,” Liao said.
As always, Liao, which sells fish to restaurants run by prominent chefs, including Wolfgang Puck, Dominique Crenn, Enrique Olvera AND Jose Andresis here to remind everyone that “fresh is boring”. He wants the world to know that dry-aging fish clarifies flavors, improves texture and removes impurities.
Liao’s original Joint Seafood in Sherman Oaks, which opened in 2018, is busier than ever. He basically ran out of capacity there. So it’s time to make a much bigger bet.
“In 2018, we decided to change the way fish is sold around the world,” Liao told the crowd Monday night just before he and his wife. Iris Chenwelcomed everyone with a Dassai barrel breaking ceremony. “This is the next step in making this dream come true.”
It’s clear that the Los Angeles restaurant industry believes in Liao’s dream. At the party on Monday night, DamianS ‘ Chuy Cervantes made dry barramundi tacos while 626 Hospitality GroupS ‘ Amber Tan AND Waldo Yan laces their salted yuzu sorbet with caviar. Yang’s kitchenS ‘ Christian Yang showcased its new Joimo kombucha brand.
Anayak Thai’s Justin Pichetrungsi entered the event with the co-founder of Majordomo Media Noelle Corneliowhile that of Kato Jon Yao checked out Damian’s outdoor taco setup. Bosses and operators from In JitlaItalic LA, Old New, The Jade Rabbit, Cue Avi, flour, of Cobb, Vega House AND The red bird circulated as a content creator Nigel Ng AND Celine Linarte chatted at the wristband (presented by inKind, which has helped fund Joint Seafood’s expansion). Founder of NextShark Benny Luo and founder of Hedley + Bennett Ellen Marie Bennett surveyed the scene as Saffy’s general manager Nick Sasto had a moment with music industry power couple Orly and Ziggy Marley.
Torres considered Joint Seafood’s new capacity and what it would mean for Verse and many other restaurants. Then, perhaps in an effort to get preferred allocations at Verse, Torres heaped high praise on Liao.
“He’s the greatest fishmonger of our generation,” Torres said. “Luckily, he’s not a doorman.”
This is the matter of Liao. He wants to change the way the world’s top restaurants think about fish, but he also happily sells to private chefs and home cooks. He consults for supermarket chains and wants to open bars across the country. A 400-pound ton is just the beginning of Joint Seafood’s new chapter.
