Five Oceans Fish Market expands menu

Since opening in September, Five Oceans Fish Market in Carmel Valley has been steadily growing its presence in the community and expanding its menu.

One of the market’s goals has been to enhance the menu and ultimately expand the business throughout the region.

“We expanded it slightly,” said co-founder Brian Kelley, who relocated to California from the East Coast about 30 years ago and always wanted to start a fish market. “We have new items like ahi poke toast. We have a smoked salmon pastrami sandwich that we added to the menu that had some early success.”

Since opening in the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch next to Trader Joe’s right off Highway 56, the market has offered a menu that includes sandwiches, salads, lobster rolls and poke bowls. It also sells fresh fish such as ahi and bluefin tuna, swordfish, Faroe Island and New Zealand King Salmon, monkfish, branzino, local and Alaskan halibut, and Icelandic haddock.

“We have a cheddar tuna burger and we have a black and blue tuna burger, which has blackened spices with blue cheese dressing,” Kelley said.

Another one of Five Oceans Fish Market’s goals is to provide an array of seasonal options for local shoppers.

It takes pride in providing responsibly sourced, fresh fish from around the world to customers throughout North County and beyond. The market has longstanding and trusted relationships with some of the top commercial fishermen and local family-owned fishing operations. The fish comes from the world’s five ocean basins: Atlantic, Pacific, Southern, Indian and the Arctic.

“We continue to buy fish from all over,” Kelley said. “We’re bringing it in from the East Coast, from Hawaii. We still try to work with local fishing boats when possible, bringing in fresh cod and tuna when you can catch it, swordfish when it’s available as well. That’s the beauty of our business is that Brad, my operating partner, he has a fairly wide rolodex. His background was buying and selling fish. He has a strong and deep supply channel he can access.”

“One of the key takeaways has been the growing side of our lunch and early afternoon dinner,” Kelley said. “We’ve been happy to see that part of the menu sort of expand. As we expand it, the customers are responding, so that’s good.”

“We are thrilled to support the region’s fishing industry and make the freshest and most sustainable seafood options available to our local customers,” co-founder Steven Auerbach said in a news statement.

Five Oceans Fish Market is located at 5950 Village Center Way, Suite 101, in Carmel Valley. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Signing up for the market’s weekly newsletter automatically makes you a member of its loyalty program, where members receive a weekly e-newsletter with information on “top of the trip” fish selections, current specials, and more.

The market also accepts special requests for unique orders with advance notice from members.

For more information, visit fiveoceansfishmarket.com or call 858-261-1796.

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