It ends tomorrow, but 99 Ranch (at least the Van Nuys store) is having a 50% off sale on small Atlantic lobsters and Dungeness crab. Both are only $7/lb. They have really upped their live seafood game with new tanks sporting such items as sea snails, several types of fish, spot prawns as well as the usual shellfish.
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Leaning a bit off-topic but Iāve been shocked at the price of Dungeness. Seems like itās twice the cost of a year or two ago.
Iāve been shocked as well pricewise but, from what I have read, Dungeness is now prized in China, so suddenly our harvests are going there as well, which affects our prices. So $5 a pound becomes 8 -10. : (
Little Tokyo Market has had Dungeness on sale for the past few weeks - $7.99 a pound, live. Not dirt cheap but their tanks are clean, the crabs are frisky so I am glad for that.
Thanks for that background. I had wondered. We donāt get āfreshā crabs in Reno but when we go to Seattle (regularly) theyāre in the nabe of $15+/#.
I look at the cost of the crab fisherman . No guarantee the catch is going to be good. The cost of fuel , and the upkeep on the boat . Sorry, I will not purchase any seafood from China . Iāll support the local fishermen.
Oh, I totally agree with you, em. I doubt that any fisher-person has ever gotten rich. I also became super picky some few years ago. We used to house exchange with a family in Sonoma, CA. Sonoma Market get their crabs in live and cooked them. Spoiled us. Dang, if our friends didnāt sell their home and move back to New England.
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Next time you are in Seattle, donāt look at the Pike Place fish market - check the local big asian markets. The crabs will probably be be from Canada but, less than $15 a pound.
Example, this place in Kent (which is know is far,I am just using this as an example) has dungeness for $8.99 a pound in September - when prices are usually pretty, high.
And, just tracked down the name for this place. Iād been to their main shop in Seattle, nice to see they have other locations. They too have live tanks for fish and shellfish. Seattle Asian Market & Grocery Store | Uwajimaya
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Do you know if they manila clams there? Couldnāt find them at my local (Santa Monica) Bristol Farms.
They do. Whole Foods usually has them as well.
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We were just in the QFC in North Seattle and they had crabs for $8/#. Too tired/jetlagged to question them. Weāre picky and want them either live or cooked on site.
The two markets I listed have them live.
Now if you were in LA, I could take you to my market where they steam them for you at request and wow, are they fantastic.
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The suppressed price of lobster and Dungeness crab has to do with our trade war with China. As a result, cost of American seafood in China is about 25% higher and thus China is buying less leading to a large surplus of lobsters and crabs that are now flooding the US market.
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Uwajimaya is a must-do for us! After dim sum at Jade Garden we usually go there, sometimes just to stroll the aisles 
I had no idea they had other locations. Weāre in North Seattle but frequent make it down to Ikea. Thanks.
We avoid Pike Place Market like the plague, especially in summer when the cruise ships are in.
A friend said she got 2 live main lobsters for 9.99lb each at 99 Ranch and they were really good.
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I buy the lobsters from 99 Ranch almost weekly when they are on sale and are pretty good. They are practically always soft-shell, in case anyone buys them wonders why there is so much āspaceā and water in the shells.
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