Juneau, Alaska's state capital was a huge gold mining town in fact the entire town was built on tailings-the gravel and sand left over after the gold is extracted from the ground. Though no more mining takes place in Juneau, we struck gold when we discovered The Twisted Fish. While there are a few dining options in Juneau we found none better than the Twisted Fish and ate 2 lunches and a dinner there and each time it was just outstanding.
They have menu options to satisfy any palette from fish to burgers to pizza and more (click here to see their menu) . Being the fish lovers that we are we were in heaven sampling the freshest fish we've ever tasted. It literally gets off loaded from the boats right off the dock behind the restaurant. There is just nothing like super fresh fish and it tasted way beyond anything I've ever had back home-even the wild ,fresh and unfrozen stuff from the gourmet fish market that you have to pay a small fortune for.
Over 3 visits we had ample opportunity to sample a decent portion of the menu so here's what we loved. For appetizers, the salmon croquettes were fantastic and the coconut salmon strips where knock your sock off delicious-ugh I am getting hungry just thinking about it.
For dinner we tried the simply grilled salmon. The amazing flavor of the salmon came through, meaty and delicious and perfectly seasoned. Lilia had the cedar plank salmon which arrived in dramatic fashion on a sort of butcher block of wood which was equally good. The boys sampled the halibut tacos which were awesome. But bar none, the best thing (and what appears to be one of the most popular since almost every table had at least one order) was the halibut fish and chips. The light and simple tempura batter was the perfect compliment to the moist white meaty fish. Not even the slightest hint of fishiness. No heavy greasy beer batter here, just crispy perfection. The accompanying fries also got a unanimous thumbs up as well. We also tried the "fins", A pair of mini, fried jalapeno halibut burgers topped with grilled onions and chipotle tartar on house-made buns. Simply delicious!
simply grilled salmon plate
cedar plank salmon
It's really great when you know the staff in the kitchen knows what they're doing and have a passion for the food their cooking. Sure the cruise ships come in and out, and with the limited number of eateries in proximity there is no shortage of customers. And that's what makes this place so exceptional. They don't have to try as hard as they do, but they clearly are passionate about showcasing the freshest and most delicious fish in the world, and it's evidently apparent after the first bite.
The service was a little hit and miss only because they were so busy. The menu might seem a bit pricey but it will be worth every penny for the high quality and delicious food that is sure to arrive at your table. Make sure you call and make a reservation as this place gets packed for dinner.
