Live Seafood in Toronto

[smallworld]

When I lived in Toronto (over a decade ago) I used to buy live seafood from a little Chinese-run shop in (or on the outskirts of) Kensington Market. They had various lobsters, crabs, shrimp, clams and the like. Very very cheap. It might have been a wholesaler, but they were always happy to sell to me.

I'll be back in Toronto for a month this summer and I really wish I could remember the name of the place so I could look it up.

Does anyone know if the shop is still there? If not, where do you buy your live seafood?

Thanks!

[Librarian_chef]

I buy my live seafood from T&T in the Promenade mall. Great lobsters and crabs, a decent assortment of fish, eels, mussels, clams, oysters, etc... They will fillet and clean them too.

I sometimes go down to St. Lawrence too for fish and oysters.

Mark

[malcolmjolley]

There are still a number of Chinese shops around Dundas and Spadina that have aquariums in the back, where you can select your meal while it's still swimming. I can never remember their names, but the one I go to is bigger sized one on the east side of Spadina just north of Dundas.

Richmond Hill and Markham are also supposed to be hot beads of this sort of thing. A friend of mine always goes up there for lobster (which has been fantastic). I want to say "Big Land Farms", but I'm sure that's not it. I'll see what I can dredge up from the Gremolata network...

[Nyleve Baar]

I think the place you used to go to is closed - if it's the one I'm thinking of. Lobster Island used to be on Augusta just about half a block up from Dundas. It had great tanks of crustaceans - good prices. It's gone, gone, gone. Sorry.

[Gul_Dekar]

Bill's Lobsters in old Chinatown at Broadview & Gerrard is pretty good. Good prices too. They sell these monster-sized lobsters (biggest one at the shop was 11lbs) and other lobsters of different sizes, dungeness crabs, french turbot, shrimp, geoducks, oysters and clams. All live. Also one of the only chinese fish sellers I know that sell wild salmon, 'dry' scallops and sushi grade tuna.

[Madge]

Second vote for Bill's. I get all my fish there and have never been disappointed. If Judy is there she will give you tips on how to cook what you have bought. I had crab from there on the weekend and it was superb. Their mussels are also very reliable.

[jayt90]

Second vote for Bill's. I get all my fish there and have never been disappointed. If Judy is there she will give you tips on how to cook what you have bought. I had crab from there on the weekend and it was superb. Their mussels are also very reliable.

←

Mussels are essentially a commodity now, especially the farmed product from P.E.I.

Is there something special about Bill's? Like possibly a reliable, fresh wild mussel?

[smallworld]

Thanks for all the replies!

Sounds like Lobster Island was the place I was talking about. I'm sad to hear it's gone.

I think I'll poke around Chinatown and see what I can find, and if that doesn't work head up to Bill's.

I'll be bringing my husband with me from Japan, and he's really looking forward to trying Atlantic lobster. Hopefully bought live and prepared at home, something he's never done with any kind of seafood.

I do appreciate all the tips.

[Madge]

No there is nothing "special" about Bill's mussels, they are just always reliably fresh. I have had some unpleasant experiences with those bought elsewhere. Also his store is about a 5 minute walk for me.

Last year I was in and bought some lobster from the Bay of Fundy. A week later I was in the Saint John City Market (near where the lobsters are caught) and they were $3/lb more expensive than Bill's.

[Jake]

Second vote for Bill's. I get all my fish there and have never been disappointed. If Judy is there she will give you tips on how to cook what you have bought. I had crab from there on the weekend and it was superb. Their mussels are also very reliable.

←

Mussels are essentially a commodity now, especially the farmed product from P.E.I.

Is there something special about Bill's? Like possibly a reliable, fresh wild mussel?

←

Jay, I've tried Bill's and thought it was fairly good, some stuff better than others. If you don't already shop there may I suggest City Fish on Dufferin, south of Lawrence? Thier product is superb and they supply a number of professionals in the city. Based on your previous posts I think you'd enjoy them, as would anyone else.

[jayt90]

Jay, I've tried Bill's and thought it was fairly good, some stuff better than others.  If you don't already shop there may I suggest City Fish on Dufferin, south of Lawrence?  Thier product is superb and they supply a number of professionals in the city.  Based on your previous posts I think you'd enjoy them, as would anyone else.

←

Thanks, Jake; it is easier for me to get to seafood places like City Fish, Diana's, or T&T (now that I know about it, L.C.,) or Toro's, or Glen Watford etc., than to contemplate downtown traffic, and parking in Chinatown or East Chinatown.

[Jake]

Jay, I've tried Bill's and thought it was fairly good, some stuff better than others.  If you don't already shop there may I suggest City Fish on Dufferin, south of Lawrence?  Thier product is superb and they supply a number of professionals in the city.  Based on your previous posts I think you'd enjoy them, as would anyone else.

←

Thanks, Jake; it is easier for me to get to seafood places like City Fish, Diana's, or T&T (now that I know about it, L.C.,) or Toro's, or Glen Watford etc., than to contemplate downtown traffic, and parking in Chinatown or East Chinatown.

←

Definitely try it then. I picked up a beautiful 3.5 lb red snapper and some langoustines on Friday that were perfect. This has become one of my usual go to places now, although it is NOT convenient for me. Staff are great too.

[Worldly]

I'm onside for Bill's lobster. They often have live shrimp, various shellfish, fish (no, I'm afraid I don't know which ones, but if you call they will tell you what they have in - (416) 778-0943).

The best thing about Bill's is reliability and counsel. I've never had a bad product from them, and they sell a variety of sushi grade fish as well (but get them the day of or after a shipment to make sure you get what you want).