IN THE MOOD
Mild, delicate catfish is wonderful served all sorts of ways: fried, grilled, blackened, poached or steamed.
Harold & Belle’s: This place takes finger-sized strips of catfish, dips them in seasoned cornmeal batter and fries them golden brown. They are served with clam chowder, potato salad, corn on the cob or dinner salad. You can also have your catfish in a po’ boy sandwich with a side order of potato salad. Both are served all day long. (Fried catfish dinner, $21; po’ boy sandwich, $12.) Harold & Belle’s, 2920 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 735-9023.
Saladang: This lovely Thai spot serves deep-fried catfish filets with a spicy sweet-sour wine sauce and fried basil leaves. It also deep-fries a whole catfish (which can serve four) and accompanies it with two sauces: ginger-soy and sweet-sour chile. (Catfish with spicy wine sauce, $8.95; whole fried catfish with two sauces, $14.95.) Saladang, 363 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, (626) 793-8123.
Seafood Paradise: This popular Chinese restaurant deep-fries a whole catfish and covers it with a tangy sauce of chiles, vinegar and lots of garlic. The fish comes with rice and serves four comfortably. (Whole catfish with garlic sauce, $14.95.) Seafood Paradise, 8602 Westminster Blvd., Westminster, (714) 893-6066.
Coley’s: On Fridays, you find catfish on the all-you-can-eat buffet here. The filets are coated with cornmeal batter and sauteed in butter till they’re perfectly golden. Along with catfish come plantains, red beans, rice, corn bread and vegetables. (Buffet, $10.50.) Coley’s, 300 E. Florence Ave., Inglewood, (310) 672-7474.
Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch: You can get your hearty serving of cornmeal-dusted catfish fried, baked or sauteed. It comes with moist, old-fashioned corn bread stuffing or rice and two vegetables: choices include red beans, black-eyed peas and okra with corn. (Catfish, $13.95.) Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch, Villa Marina Marketplace, 4325 Glencoe Ave., Marina del Rey, (310) 578-1005.
Joss: This elegant Chinese restaurant serves catfish at lunch. The filets are steamed, covered with a light, delicate black bean sauce sprinkled with green onions cut paper-thin and served with fluffy white rice. (Catfish in black bean sauce, $11.50.) Joss, 9255 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 276-1886.
Jessica Strand