While most restaurants are barely trying to weather the pandemic, some restaurant owners are brave enough to open. One such restaurant is A&J’s Seafood Shack, an Asian Fusion Seafood restaurant located in Long Beach. They soft-opened on April 10, 2020.
A&J’s Seafood Shack is Cambodian owned and located in Cambodia Town in Long Beach. Cambodia Town is a mile-long stretch of Anaheim Street going east from Atlantic Ave. This area of Long Beach became a destination where many Cambodian refugees opened businesses towards establishing cultural legacies.
The blessing in disguise for A&J’s Seafood Shack is that they selected a small footprint to establish their business. The building is large enough to only accommodate a kitchen. Lacking a dining room, their operating expenses are not as great as a dine-in restaurant.
Spring rolls (Nime Chow) make for a nice beginning because they are meatless and not fried. They include small containers of chopped peanuts, chile paste, and a version of Vietnamese nuoc man cham, a popular dipping sauce. The dipping sauce excellently pairs with the spring rolls.
Because my wife is partial to beef, I selected their Grilled Lemongrass Beef Sticks (Sach Ko Jakak). The beef was thinly sliced, tender, moist, and nicely seasoned with lemongrass. The beef sticks are served with steamed rice or as a sandwich filled with slivered pickled papayas, cucumbers, jalapenos, green onions, and sriracha mayo.
If you have ever been to Hawaii, you may have experienced Garlic Shrimp. The use of butter and fresh garlic create an out of the world taste sensation and I am surprised not to see this dish on more LA menus. Fortunately, their version is absolutely delicious.
Pad see ew fans, will like their Stir-Fried Noodles or Mee Ka Thung. It is made using the same thick rice noodles and stir-fried with chicken, Chinese sausage, Chinese broccoli, shrimp, and sliced carrots in an oyster sauce based gravy.
While I was looking forward to experiencing their House Special Lobster, I could not find anyone that would share the experience with me. I enjoy many versions of Asian-style lobster because of the amazing umami flavor experience. When I can find a seafood partner in crime, I will definitely try out the lobster house special.
A&J Seafood Shack, 3201 Anaheim St, Long Beach, CA, 90804; 562.386.2000
ajseafoodshack.com