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Passionfish reignited my passion for great seafood. After so many mediocre experiences with Bay Area establishments who fashion themselves after seafood restaurants, it was a great pleasure to find Passionfish in Pacific Grove.
The service: Splendid. Very knowledgeable staff and very helpful and friendly.
The wine list: Awesome. Their policy of not pricing wines over their cost is simply awesome.
The food: Heavenly. The burrata was amazing to start with, and I love their health and sustainable fish guide. I can't even remember what I had but it was darn good. My wife thought she had died and gone to heaven. Seriously. And that was before dessert. I didn't even get a rise out of her as much as the risotto did.
The ambiance: Light-hearted and not too serious, very cozy but not cheesy.
The prices: Extremely reasonable.
All in all, Passionfish is simply one of the best dining experiences I've ever had in my life. And I've had quite a few of them.
People thought this was:
This is a great place to enjoy dinner in this otherwise sleepy retirement area. The menu is creative and full of options for all kinds of eaters. The scallops in particular were absolutely divine. The flavors were quite well balanced and not over-salted. The service from wait staff was top notch.
My only gripe is that the busser cleared both the appetizer and the main course plates while half of our 4top was still eating. My husband still had his fork in his mouth then they whisked away his plate!
Other than the fast plates this was a very impressive night and we hope to be back again soon.
This was my first time at Passionfish and I gotta say i wasn't in love with it beyond the menu.
I started with the Steamed Mussels in Spicy Tomato/Cilantro Broth and while the broth was very good, the mussels were of poor quality. Small, sickly little things that could not be saved by the broth. I expect better quality in a town with such great seafood. Though I keep Anthony Bourdain's advice to never order mussels in a restaurant prominently in my memory bank, I still have a hard time resisting and thought I might get better ones at a restaurant with such a big build up for quality.
Second course was baked gorgonzola with golden chutney and curried greens. Dare I say terrible? Yes, I do. The feature item of the dish, baked gorgonzola was tiny and there was a huge pile of greens which made it seem even smaller. The dish was not cohesive and was poorly portioned. Not enough gorgonzola or chutney to last the duration of the endless pile of greens and they really didn't go well together anyway.
The entree of poached Monterey Bay Spot prawns with linguini/cauliflower/bacon custard, and lemon brown butter was definitely the best dish. The prawns tasted like little lobsters and the brown butter was fantastic, but served with shells intact and with the heads on was only essential to making me feel like I was getting more food than I really was. The tails were tiny and for the price, I expect to get a little more prawn meat in my prawn entree. The tart was pretty good, but didn't live up to my expectations.
We didn't stay for desert.
The service was good, but not great.
Wines by the glass were of limited selection and not great choices.
Going here for the second time around with family for dinner, it's a far cry for Pacific Grove. It's a bit of a far cry and overconfident for this sleepy town as it strives to be a Chez Panisse incarnate. The food is divine on print but when it arrives on your table, it could be a hit or miss.
We had the raw oysters on a half shell with a carrot ginger granita for starters. I ordered the braised pork shoulder and the mac and cheese and frankly, I couldn't eat it after a few bites. It was bland. It looked great on the plating aspect but it wasn't as delicious as I hoped for. However, I did try the Barramundi and that was really good.
However our server was awesome, she was inviting, warm and friendly. She was playing with my nephew and making him laugh.
We ordered a bottle of Reisling, my dad's favorite. Tried to make the best of dinner then our server noticed I barely touched my plate and was happy to take it off the bill (awesome).
I guess I'll give this restaurant another try.
People thought this was:
I went here for my birthday a year ago and the seafood's pretty fresh. Excellent service and wine… Read more »
I enjoyed it so much I'm already planning to go back! We loved the menu selection and had a hard time choosing because we wanted to try them all. We started with the Monterey Squid Salad and the Crab Cakes and for our entrees had the Sturgeon and Mahi which were delightful. Can't wait to go back to try the others
I just had to give it five stars because four and a half stars is really how it should be but the last half star for great service.
I came here on a reservation for dinner during an odd weather time in Carmel/Monterey simply because it was strangely and excruciatingly warm. Inside Passionfish, the weather was temperate and very conducive to wining and dining. We had steamed mussels in basil tomato sauce and sweet shrimp nigiri to start with scallops and crusted halibut for our entrees. The wine suggested was excellent and went with our food as well as the appetizer and to finish off after dinner.
The service was fantastic, except for the minor issue of some ice water spilling, which was profusedly apologized for and quickly resolved. This place has a huge seafood/fish selection and every dish comes out smelling amazing. Highly recommended, great place for a romantic date as well!
People thought this was:
Definitely need to go here if you are anywhere near Monterey.
Scratch that.... if you are anywhere near California... GO HERE.
Drive down to Big Sur, enjoy the absolutely amazing views and sunset, then drive back up to Pacific Grove and have dinner at Passionfish.
I was here with five other people. We ordered four different types of fish and one person got the duck. Everybody thought their food was amazing and some of the best they had ever had. The duck was some of the best I have ever had and was on the same level as Gary Danko's duck.
Another thing to do: GET ALL THE DESSERTS ON THE MENU!!!!
My husband and I ate here for our 8th anniversary dinner last week. The wait staff quickly wrote "Happy Anniversary" on the paper over the tablecloth at our table right before he came to seat us.
It's a simple, yet classy, restaurant as far as decor goes. The service was great.
Despite my husband's frequent talk for a week of ordering scallops (his fave seafood), he suddenly blurted out flat iron steak when he gave his order. I'd already set my taste buds on the duck confit. So we were landlubbers at a seafood restaurant! That might explain why I'd give just 3 stars for the food. (It's pretty much impossible to top duck prepared by cooks in New England.)
My husband started with a large salad and I have their squash soup (almost 10 stars right there!) with the ground red peppers/chile paste in the center. He loved his steak soaked in melted caper-butter. The duck was good, but a little overdone for me. I traded my spiced mashed potatoes for his milder taters.
We'd already enjoy wine and cheese at the Inn we were staying in so we passed on wine and dessert here. Our tab came to $60 or so (pre-tip).
If we go back next time in the area, I'll definitely go for the seafood.
My wife and I ended up giving this place a shot as we had found all the great reviews as listed on this site. We were impressed with the service as the wait staff was very friendly although the food was something that should be cherished. We truly had a fantastic evening and would recommend this to anyone visiting the area.
The BF and I went to Passionfish while we were down in Pacific Grove celebrating our anniversary and it was simply amazing. Hands down one of the best meals I have ever had in my life!
The wine list was fantastic (400+ choices!) and our server was very helpful and made a great recommendation that made our taste buds and our wallets happy. Passionfish sells their wine pretty darn close to retail price which I think is just amazing. Why can't all restaurants do this?
For an appetizer we got scallops that came with a risotto cake which was simply to die for! I almost canceled my entree order and asked for 2 more orders of that appetizer. It was so good! For the entrees my boyfriend got the halibut which had a really light but delicious buerre blanc-like sauce that contained summer squash. I got the sturgeon which came with a thai-inspired sauce that was a little bit spicy and very flavorful. For dessert we had a lavendar creme brulee which was good but not extraordinary.
All in all we were blown away by the quality of the food and the complexity of the flavors. The fact that the restaurant takes sustainability very seriously makes me love it even more! Very reasonable prices, impeccable service and fabulous food - I'm tempted to make the trip from SF down to Pacific Grove just to eat here again!
After we dropped off our kids back home in the SF Bay Area, the wife and I came back down to the Monterey Bay Area for some time for ourselves. Lots of choices for dining in the area, but we always find ourselves at Passionfish. It was a weekday night, and we had no problems making reservations for our preferred time.
Like the last time, we ordered the steamed mussels in a spicy tomato broth. The mussels had that sweetness when it's fresh, and the tomato broth was hearty, and soul warming.
We also shared a salad with baked gorgonzola, chutney, candied pecans, and curried butter lettuce. The baked gorgonzola was in a filo pocket. When broken and mixed in with the greens and the chutney, the resulting salad was refreshing salad with a sweet, spicy, tanginess balanced by the gorgonzola.
My wife's favorite dish are the seared scallops with tomato-truffle butter, and thyme risotto custard (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Again, the scallops were seared just right, with the center tender and not chewy. Nice fresh peas on the side complemented this dish.
In addition to the sustainable seafood, Passionfish is also known for their slow-roasted meats. Meat offerings vary. Some days it's slow roasted pork belly, other times it may be short ribs. The offering that night was a slow roasted pork shank. This came with a side of asiago penne pasta, and sauteed kale (http://www.yelp.com/bi... sorry, for the poor pic quality). The pork shank portion was very generous and deboned. It was very tender and flaked with a fork. It was OK, but my only complaint is that it lacked some salt. It tasted a bit flat, and some salt would brought out the flavor of the pork shank.
We did save room for dessert. The wife and I shared the mud pie (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The mud pie was made with expresso ice cream and mint ice cream on top of a chocolate cookie crust all formed in a 4 inch diameter cylinder. All of this was topped with a chocolate sauce and candied walnuts. A very big dessert, and so refreshing!
Everything was good this evening. The ambiance was pleasant and relaxed, and the service was friendly and attentive. For the most part, the food was good, but I was a little disappointed with the pork shank.
Nonetheless, we were still pleased with our dinner that evening, and look forward to coming back to see what's new on their changing menu.
People thought this was:
Love this place! Whenever we're in the area, we'll make a stop here. Located on a corner in quiet… Read more »
BEST crab cake i've had in my life! i devoured it in seconds. highly recommended. too bad there was only one on the plate, though! the service was impeccable, and there's an extensive wine list, though i know nothing about wine & didn't order any.
also, their bread was fresh and the butter had a hint of sweetness to it that was just irresistible!
I choose this place because of the amount of reviews on Yelp. I was in Monterey this weekend over Concours so I knew they would be busy.
I'm a very picky fish eater and I liked that 2 of my favorite fish options (Tilapia and Halibut) were on the menu. I went with 2 other people and we all really enjoyed the meal. We got there 15 minutes after our reservation time yet they still managed to seat us in just a couple minutes, they get a star just for that! I agree with some other reviews, they have managed to squeeze a lot of tables in a relatively small space but I didn't feel over crowded and the place was very busy.
Wine List: very large and the first time I didn't recognize a single winery. Actually, none of us could so we had to get some help from the waitress. She picked a French Pinot for us that was yummy.
Appetizers: I did have anything but my friends had the beet salad and the mussels and loved both. I enjoyed the warm bread they brought to the table.
Entrees: I had a tough decision between the Tilapia with Thyme mashed potatoes and the Halibut with Summer vegetables. However, mashed potatoes are usually my decision maker so I went with the Tilapia. I thought it was excellent and so did one of my friends since she ordered the same thing. There were a few sugar snap peas that were there more for presentation but they were yummy and I wished there had been more than 4 of them. It really was just a fish & potato meal. The other friend had the steak with the potato cake. He said it was cooked perfectly.
Dessert: We all shared the Mud pie, Panna cotta, and the creme brulee. The Mud Pie was HUGE, it was round, about the size of a giant sugar cookie and about 4 inches tall...at least. It has coffee ice cream and a mint chip ice cream covered in chocolate. It was more of a tower than a pie. We couldn't finish it it was so big. The Pan Cotta was TINY (3 bits worth) with Mandarin oranges. I didn't get a bit since it was so small but was told it was good. The Creme Brulee was very yummy but not as big as it first appears. It's in a medium size oval bowl but the bowl is very very shallow.
Service: I thought our waitress was very attentive and the food came out quickly.
We all decided we would definitely come back the next time were were in Monterey. I only gave it 4 stars for some very small reasons:
1. Surprised that for a seafood restaurant they only had a few seafood options. Not a huge deal for me since they have the fish I like though.
2. Wished the Tilapia had more veggies with it.
3. Having the giant mud pie dessert and then the tiny panna cotta seemed odd. Aren't desserts supposed to be fairly similar in size?
People thought this was:
The first time I went here the food was great! The second time I felt they had gone down in quality. So while being pricey, still worth trying.
I have tried the butternut squash (yum!), white cheddar bacon soup,
short ribs (pork was fatty) with a potato thing on the side, sweet potato fries, goat cheese salad (pretty good), the tilapia (good), a pear tart and a choco truffle dessert. I really liked the iced tea they served.
This place was outstanding. We stayed in Carmel overnight in March. This place had great reviews and is known for it's organic produce and fresh seafood. The restaurant is located in downtown Pacific Grove which has loads of charm with many restored Victorian homes. The restaurant, however, was fairly contemporary, simple, almost basic.
We ordered a Monterey Squid Salad with Mango, Long Beans in a Cilantro Orange dressing. It was outstanding. The squid was small (typical of the area) but very fresh, the cilantro orange dressing was refreshing and tasty. I also ordered some oysters on the half shell. They were some of the freshest oysters I've had in a while. The carrot ginger vinaigrette was good, but i still prefer the old fashioned cocktail sauce and fresh horse radish.
I ordered the Sable Fish (aka Black Cod, Butter Fish) with a ginger wasabi slaw. The fish was so tender and moist. and had a buttery texture. That fish was probably the freshest fish I've had in Northern/Central California (other than in Chinese restaurants where they are swimming in tanks). The ginger wasabi slaw was so good that I wish they offered it as a side dish.
We finished off with a lemon Panna Cotta with citrus sauce which was also superb.
This was easily one of the best restaurant I've been to in California. Their seafood is exceptionally fresh and the sauces are flavorful yet subtle so they do not overpower the fresh seafood.
I will definitely be back to dine here again.
People thought this was:
We were once again in the area so decided to re-visit Passionfish since our first experience was so wonderful. This time we ordered the following:
Steamed Mussels - great tasting broth (great for dipping bread)
Seared Scallops - one very large scallop cooked to perfection still being a bit raw and very moist inside (just as great as the first time we had it)
Halibut - Very tasty creamy sauce but the fish was a bit overcooked this time
Duck Confit - Two full legs with a very yummy honey reduction glaze
Mint Chip/Coffee ice cream mud pie - This is a must each time you dine here!
Overall, the quality, quantity and price are to rave about...$100 for a bottle of wine, two apps, two entrees and one dessert! And one extra thing to rave about this time...our server was wonderful! When I told her the duck confit was served room temp she immediately brought it back inside to have it remade and was constantly attentive to make sure we were enjoying our meal!
People thought this was:
This place was definitely beyond my expectations. Zagat's review proved to be right this time.… Read more »
Despite the tough times with the economy, some restaurants just seem to be resilient to recession. Passionfish is definitely one of those and when I saw the packed crowds at the restaurant, I am guessing there must be a good reason.Sure enough, once we tasted the food and enjoyed the lovely service, I could see why.
Our large party shared orders of the oyster shooter and crab cakes which were both very good. It is very hard to find good crab cakes with the right amount of breading to crab ratio. However, what we had that night was 100% pure dungeness crab!! It was very very lightly coated with breading and came with a very nice and light lime relish.
For main entrees, I tasted the smoked trout, the peppercorn mahi, the seared scallops and the today special spot prawns. Everything was so fresh and the different sauces accompanied each entree very nicely. Good food, good service, good company... what more can you ask for?
We will definitely be going back to try out other dishes...
My girlfriend and I ate at Passionfish back in May 2009 and had a great experience. The food was fresh, presented very nicely and the service was excellent. The notable dishes I remember were the crab cakes and scallops.
On a side note, we were seated at a table with some fantastic crayon artwork saying "Happy Anniversary" which was obviously meant for another party. Fortunately we're good sports and it didn't make things awkward (although I can imagine that might for some people). If not soley for the food, I might have to go back there again on an anniversary just for kicks.
On a side note, one of the ladies sitting next to us complained about the scallops by only saying "I've had better" when asked how her meal was. I'm all about giving feedback but that was really no help at all. Go eat somewhere else grumpy lady!
Bottom line: great, delicious food at a reasonable price
People thought this was:
Thank you, Yelp! My boyfriend and I were on a little weekend trip to Pacific Grove from San Francisco and I wanted to find a good seafood restaurant near our hotel. Passionfish was #1, and boy was it. The wait was 30 minutes without a reservation, so the hostess said we could order a glass or bottle of wine before we sat down. (Great wine selection!) What a way to start off an evening of great dining!
The wait ended up only being about 10 minutes. Our server was delightful, explained everything very well and was very attentive. As was the bus boy. Our water glasses were filled often.
Food: Delicious! I started with a salad and had the rainbow trout with grilled vegetables. Absolutely amazing. My boyfriend started with the crab cake with lime dressing and had the raviolo. We ended with a great dessert, and although I am lactose intolerant, I did enjoy the peach cobbler.
I can't wait for another weekend away so we can eat at Passionfish! They also are very "Green" in their business practices. All of their fish is sustainably farmed and they even gave us a foldup brochure on which fish to choose when thinking "sustainable"! Love it.
It's amazing how tranquil Pacific Grove was when Monterey/Cannery Row was packed w/ throngs of tourists onlya mile or so away during the 4th of July weekend. We went to Passionfish purely based on the Yelp reviews. Despite a Saturday evening on a holiday weekend, the restaurant was busy but tables were available.
Our experience was mixed but we surely could see why this place is so highly rated. We started fine with ordering the crab cakes and fried oysters for appetizer. The crab cakes were made of mostly crab meat, with very little if any breading, served on top of a lime relish that resembles Vietnamese egg roll dipping sauce. The fried oyster was my favorite, with a crispy light batter and the oyster tasted as if it was taken right out of the water.
Our mixed experience was in our entree selection. We should have stuck to seafood - at a place named Passionfish - duh. However, we went with the duck and the braised pork shank. Both were rather ok. The meat in both cases where not anywhere as tender as I expected and I would say it was more on the chewy side. I will say the portions were extremely generous. Having spotted a Lappert's Ice Cream across the street, we skipped dessert and went to enjoy our favorite ice cream.
People thought this was:
Food was wonderful, tasty, balanced. Scallops were fantastic, and soup was good as well. Service was attentive and polite. Will definitely go again.
People thought this was:
The best meal I've had in the Monterey area. This is the restaurant I'd recommend to anyone looking for a nice meal.
I highly recommend their:
Dungeness crab salad
Monterey squid salad
Gulf of Maine scallops
(These were actually what our waiter recommended to us.)
JONASAPPROVED!
People thought this was:
I love Passionfish. I just ran into owners Ted and Cindy at the Ferry Building in SF. Reminds me I need to get down to Pacific Grove and go to Passionfish. Pronto.
This is my FAVORITE restaurant. I've actually contemplated moving south of the city just so that I can eat here more frequently. OK, not really, but I've made a weekend vay-cay just for the sake of having their many delectable dishes.
If you love seafood, hence PassionFISH, this is a must see. It's just a short drive away from all of the tourist traps on Cannery Row. And although it's not on the coastline like all of the restaurants on the row, don't let that detour you from some of the best seafood you've ever tasted. I hate to build it up for you, but you will not be disappointed.
The simplicity of the crab and avocado salad allows you to taste the sweetness of the crab complimented by the buttery avocado. Their scallops are equally good as are the many other dishes that I've sampled.
I recommend sharing the mint chocolate ice cream tour of goodness for dessert.
One of the cool things about Passionfish is that they focus on sustainability. They serve fish/ seafood that are not on the endangered species list and buy local produce.
Passionfish makes for a great date night. If you're driving through the Monterrey area, make a stop in Pacific Grove, you'll be glad you did.
This place definitely goes on my list of best restaurants ever. We came here after spending a day in Monterey for MotoGP races. the place was busy, but we were able to get seated immediately.
Inside, the restaurant is very cleanly decorated. Nice black and white photos along the wall and lots of windows.
The waitress we had was not the best as she left us waiting several times to be served, but it was certainly not enough to ruin the truly fantastic food.
Appetizers: Mussels in tomato broth and Butternut squash soup.
The mussels were so fresh and the tomato broth and very slight, but significant departure from your normal mussel tomato broths. I think they added some other herbs, but the flavor was full without overbearing the ocean taste of the very fresh mussels. The soup was out of this world good!! Rich, nutty, many complex flavors going on there that definitely rocked all previous versions of this soup that i've had!!
Main: Scallops with tomato truffle butter sauce & Sturgeon with Curry Vinaigrette. The scallops were the best I've had. I think you are going to hear the word 'best" from me several times in this review, but really, the scallops were so well seasoned and seared and the sauce was divine! Risotto was a little cheesy for my taste, but still a nice complement to the clean, fresh flavors of the scallops. The sturgeon was a flakey white fish and the curry vinaigrette had just the right amount of spice to add and interesting edge to the dish.
Dessert: I am not a huge dessert person, but this might be my favorite after dinner dessert that I've had in a long time! We ordered the Lemon panna cotta to finish off the night. The creamy white custard was spotted with delicate lemon and zest throughout. The flavor was so bright, and fresh and the perfect end to a very flavorful meal. I'm now obsessed with this dessert and must learn how to make it myself!
What a find! Thank you yelpers for the great recommendation on such fantastic food!
People thought this was:
The food was so Amazing will a great wine list. I love seafood plus I had a
very nice date. It's very romantic yet low key wish I like. This was my first
time at Passionfish and it will not be my last. The people working at PF
are great!! Price Range was $15- $30 but for as good as the food was it's
very low I feel I should had paid more. I was at Passionfish last week 2/15
and the food is still great!! I'll be back soon.
People thought this was:
We had a great meal with a couple of appetizers followed by a variety of main dishes, all of which were very good, and a couple of which were transcendent (including my duck confit and Katie's smoked trout).
I was tempted to give the place 4 stars because of an incident involving our 1-hr wait. We were advised to leave our phone number and take a walk, and they'd call 15 minutes prior to our table being ready. After an hour, no call, so we called them. The response: "We were going to call YOU? No. Oh, no. Uh uh. We don't EVER do that." And then it started turning into a lecture: "We can't be calling everyone who's on the waiting list....."
I was ready to opt out for pizza after that, but cooler heads prevailed.
People thought this was:
I came here after spending a long day at Big Sur. It was on the way back home to the Bay Area.
The food and wine here was awesome. Everything you expect from a fine dining restaurant. We ordered the steak, sturgeon, duck, and crab cake on our table. Everyone loved their meal but my personal favorite was the sturgeon dish. It was refreshing and spicy and the fish was cooked just right. The bread and butter was also a really nice addition. The bread was fresh and the whipped butter had a taste of honey or sweet to it.
We didn't make a reservation for a Sunday night dinner, thus had to wait for about 15-20 mins. It was worth the wait. However, if you want to plan ahead, I recommend making a reservation.
The service was also really good. This place is very environmental focus. Only organic colas are on the menu and the seafood are picked from the non-endanger species food list.
The desert was ok. I would wrap it up with desert from somewhere else.
People thought this was:
Travelled from the UK to Carmel and was completely wowed by the fantastic Passionfish. The sustainable fish ethic is to be applauded and it is another great reason to go to Pacific Grove. Oysters, prawns and crabs were all as good as you get. Parking is simple as well and the restaurant has a real buzz. On the night I went it appeared that everyone from the golfing buddies to the girls night out crowd were all catered for as well as couples and celebratory groups. A real stand out restaurant
I have a bad attitude about the southern Monterey Bay. A bunch of soulless tourist traps if you ask me. So I was not prepared to actually enjoy my experience at Passionfish.
The atmosphere and service are typical of an upscale restaurant. Nothing special, but nice all around. Bordering on soulless, but the food...that's got plenty of heart to make up for it.
The food ranged from good to excellent. And I think most of us felt that what we ordered was the best thing on the table--a good sign that each dish was exactly what it needed to be. I cannot recommend the trout highly enough, the duck was perfectly cooked, and I even enjoyed my husband's scallops (not a big fan of scallops in general). The squid salad appetizer was enjoyed by every at the table and I loved the oysters on the half shell with an apricot ginger sauce.
In general I've been trying to avoid seafood both for the environmental and health issues. I felt better enjoying my meal knowing that Passionfish had taken care of caring about the environmental impact for me.
People thought this was:
Nice ambience. Sustainable seafood advocate.
Very nice gorgonzola/pecan curry salad.
Healthy halibut with squash slices ($23).
Tasty dungeness crab salad.
Caveat: sometimes the menu descriptions do not correspond with expectations; ask food server if you have the slightest doubts.
Very nice wines by the glass at reasonable prices between $6-9 e.g., New Zealand sauvignon blanc ($6).
Nice wine list and great tea selection.
Deadly, must-try mint/expresso mudpid.
Efficient food server; excellent and very attentive service by the food service assistant.
I would actually rate this place 3.5 stars, but it's average score is 4.5...so it gets a 3 star!!
so this place is not all that amazing. definitely not "a place i would visit before i die." maybe i just ordered the wrong things. pretty empty on memorial day at 630pm, but it started getting crowded around 730pm.
1. scallops with butter truffle sauce + flan risotto - $24
the scallops were pretty good and the sauce was amazing. especially if you like truffles. freakin high end mushrooms. only came with 5 pieces of scallops and bowl-shaped risotto. not filling at all. and the risotto was very bland. i shouldve asked for more sauce.
2. duck with some sauce-that-was-not-worth-remembering - $20
this was recommended by the waiter over the halibut. never tried the halibut, but i am now recommending the halibut over the duck. this dish was more filling, but taste was extremely mediocre. served with two thighs and some pancake looking thing. duck was way too dry. even my butter-truffle sauce could not save it. that's what we get for ordering duck at a seafood restaurant. damn you waiter!
3. chocolate cake with some 5 spice syrup - $6
rich chocolate cake. a little crunchy on the sides and creamy in the middle. pretty good with the syrup. served with whip cream on the side. i would order it again if it were served with vanilla ice cream with mint.
anyway, definitely will never order the duck here again. i recommend getting seafood only but make sure u know how much you're getting!
and if you want good tender duck, go to celadon in Napa valley.
People thought this was:
Passionfish is still serving great meals at good prices on the Monterey Peninsula, to packed houses!
We came here again after a 1.5 year hiatus, and it didn't disappoint.
We started with Fried Oyster Salad, which was delicately balanced, with a lot of arugula and Mom loved it. My Sister had arancini croquettes, which were fried nicely and tastefully filled, with a great pesto sauce to compliment it. I had a wonderful Beet salad daily special, which was refreshing with young pink and golden beets drizzled in a herbed aioli sauce, and centered with delicate, thin onion strips with a nice toasty flavor.
For main courses, we shared the Duck Confit, Sturgeon, and Mahi Mahi. All were excellently done, nicely balanced and plated with tasty enhancements that added instead of masked their own flavors.
After much consideration, and querying our server Crystal, who was very helpul and knowledgeable about Passionfish's very large but resonable wine offerings, We picked a 2005 Bourgogne Faiveley Pinot Noir, which was an excellent choice. They have a large selection of domestic Pinots, but these tend to be too high in alcohol content. The Faiveley is perhaps the best known PN from France, and 2005 was one of the best vintages in many years for French reds. Passionfish marks up their wine prices very little, typically about 20%, rather than many places 50 - 150%. This sultry wine was only $30 and really enhanced all of our dishes.
We finished by sharing a Panna Cotta custard served with fresh orange and grapefruits, and a fresh, homemade strawberry ice cream tanged with rosemary bits and served with diced fresh pineapples. 3 coffees ended the meal, which was under $150.
A new generation is learning to enjoy Passionfish, as this is Prom season. 5 couples from Salinas High left in their Navigator Stretch, and in came 5 couples from Pacific Grove high in their Stretch Hummer!
People thought this was:
Passionfish is a great restaurant on Pacific Grove's Lighthouse Avenue. It has excellent service,… Read more »
Price: For this high-end type of fresh seafood entrees, it was very reasonable.
Food: We kept wondering what is everybody else ordering. The mussels steams in the spicy broth looked dreamy. For appetizers, we ordered the seared scallop with crab cake which which melted in my lips. The cake was a bit too oily itself though. We ordered the crab salad which much to our surprise had a huge amount of crab meat and was great. Our entrees were decent but I think it's because we didn't order the right one. The sturgeon didn't stand out. The duck confit was solid but nothing special however the sweet tangy sauce went very well with the fresh bread we received.
The wine list was superb...yea, I'm moving past the BevMo $5 cent list. The New Zealand white wine was just perfect.
Service: The waiter was very attentive at all times. Her suggestion for the sturgeon wasn't to me the best but each to their own.
Atmosphere: Well, being the only mid 20s Asian people...surrounded by people discussing about their multiple estates... Well, there was a car show so it was loud on the day we went. However the decor is very nice overall.
Comparison: Le Chapeau is the only one that can touch this...yes, it's comparing oranges to apples but in terms of overall food, service, atmosphere...great Yelp recommendations.
People thought this was:
* Pacific Grove's Piece De Resistance: PassionFish *
I came here on a first date about three months ago. What a superb feast we dined on. I had the duck (2 breasts) with fennel and polenta. He had the 4 jumbo scallops on a bed of risotto. We savoured every delectable mouthful. Food presentation was appealing, exotic flavours danced on our tongues and the wine!
The wine, an extensive retail-priced wine list. You have to love that. If I recall, we ended up with a really nice Italian Pinot Grigio. You don't necessarily have to have a big red with duck. I break the wine rules, people.
The server was both lovely and attentive to all our needs, nothing was too much trouble for him.
Bottom Line: This is how first class dining should be, worth every penny.
People thought this was:
You MUST go here before you die (and take me with you), love it, love it, love it!
Impeccable service, amazingly prepared food (an Asian fusion theme in their side dishes and sauces but done with a light touch) with a zen-like atmosphere and ambiance. The wine list is amazing and reasonably priced. We arrived about 15 minutes before our reservation time and were seated immediately.
Our waitress greeted us right away, asked if we'd been there before (we had), described the additions to the menu (aka specials) and made sure we had some nice hot bread and butter to start off with. After deciding what to eat - Alaskan Halibut - we were floundering (no pun intended!) about what wine to have. Our waitress steered us towards one her favorites, a Nigl "Gruner Veltliner" (fruity with lots of spice) for $30 and it was perfect with our meal.
While not "a view" restaurant, it's a few blocks uphill from Lovers Point Park. I appreciate that Passionfish sets an example with a strict policy of sustainable purchasing by making a conscience decision to remove all non-sustainable seafood from its menu. This commitment also includes the use of organic, pesticide-free produce and low-impact or biodegradable restaurant supplies . . . so California, I know, but somebody's got to!!!
If you LOVE fish and fine wine, care about the environment and want a truly memorable meal, Passionfish is your kind of place, just remember to take me with you - I'll buy the wine!
People thought this was:
We went here just a few months ago. had a blackened something or other fish... And of course another delicious creme brulee..... I'm craving this place again already. It's about time for a trip.
We spent my birthday in Monterey/ Carmel this past spring and this was my birthday dinner choice- On… Read more »
I will leave the sustainability and environmentally friendly elements to others...the Walters are fully committed in these areas no doubt.
This is a Wow food experience IMHO
Appetizers- 4 large shucked oysters in cucumber relish and 4 large shucked oysters in carrot/ginger vinaigrette.
Smoked trout with basil aioli and mixed veggies
Duck confit (2 leg thighs). potato pancake with braised fennel
Fresh baked bread and honey butter
Creme Brule and strawberry ginger sorbet for dessert.
Service was unique in dividing the explaining the menu, taking order and using servers to bring the food; very efficient.
A near perfect dining experience
We rented a house for 2009 Mothers' Day weekend and spent some time in Monterey and Carmel. If you're local (SF Bay Area), I think you can knock out a lot of the Central Coast highlights in 1-2 days - Monterey Bay Aquarium, 17-mile Drive, Downtown Carmel. I think that Passionfish is a great place to go for dinner. You'll have awesome quality seafood without excessive buyer's remorse. We had an early dinner and were passed out within a few hours. For a party of 7, we spent about $50 / person including dessert and some wine.
* Appetizer Highlights: fried oysters, seared scallops and a crab cake (these suckers were gigantic!). Chickpea soup was strangely different, but good.
* Entree Highlights: striped bass, smoked rainbow trout, atlantic salmon. The striped bass was my favorite. I liked the rainbow trout, but for some reason the smell of it reminded me of hot dogs.
Portions were decent, and the service was excellent. The venue is okay (reminds me of an old house) but it's comfortable in there. The only down side was that we arrived a bit early for our res and got stuck in a room with an engagement party (= noise). Guess we got to focus on the eating instead of the conversation.
If you are a fan of oysters, this place is a MUST VISIT! My mother and sister-in-law both ordered oyster starters (in a cucumber relish and carrot-ginger vinaigrette). Dear god, they were delicious. The entire table was impressed with the freshness and unique preparation, as none of us had seen oysters served in a broth like this. My other sister-in-law ordered fried oysters served over a bed of arugula, which appeared just as delectable. Hubby and I split the crab cake and moroccan chickpea soup, and savored every bite.
For our entrees, I ordered the smoked rainbow trout. The trout was flakey and fresh, and served with a slab of basil aioli. YUM! My husband ordered the striped bass, which was accompanied by a side of jasmine rice soubise and fried sweet potatoes. I couldn't stop stealing strips of sweet potatoes from his entree.
The entire family walked away satisfied and full. It was a perfect ending to a long day.
People thought this was:
Pacific Grove, CA
Category: Seafood
Pebble Beach, CA
Category: Asian Fusion
Pacific Grove, CA
Category: French
Pacific Grove, CA
Category: French
Carmel, CA
Category: French
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