Eating Out & Eating In: Lotus Cafe's seafood, H Mart's whole fish and more

An appetizer of Calamari with Salt & Pepper at Lotus Cafe, a popular Chinese BYO in Hackensack. Not spicy enough for you? Dip your squid into chili oil, below.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

We enjoyed a seafood appetizer and entree, and a side dish of greens sauteed in fresh garlic for dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Lotus Cafe in Hackensack.

And we took home plenty of leftovers last Saturday. 

My wife doesn't eat squid, so I had an appetizer of Calamari with Salt & Pepper ($9.45) all to myself. 

Tender squid sauteed with hot peppers and garlic is an unbeatable combination, and there was enough for two.

My wife ordered Wonton Soup ($2.25), but was disappointed with the small pork-filled wontons floating in broth and the absence of greens or sliced pork. 

Our entree was melt-in-the-mouth Filet of Sole with Scallions & Ginger ($17.95), and we also ordered Chinese Water Spinach sauteed with fresh garlic ($12.95).

Filet of Sole with Ginger & Scallions.

Chinese Water Spinach with Fresh Garlic.

No extra charge for brown rice.

Details

Lotus Cafe, 450 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack (in the Home Depot Shopping Center); 201-488-7070. Reservations recommended on weekends.

BYO, free delivery within 3 miles (minimum order $12), ask for special fixed-price dinner and banquet menu for 4 to 12 people (6 to 12 courses).

Website: Delicious Chinese food

Dishing more seafood

SUNDAY DINNER AT HOME: Pan-fried Whole Whiting with Mustard Greens and Sweet Plantains. Whole whiting has a single central bone, making it one of the easiest fish to eat.

PAN FRIED IN OLIVE OIL: Whole King Whiting were $3.49 a pound last Sunday at H Mart, 25 Lafayette Ave. in Englewood, where we had the fish cleaned and the heads removed. My wife seasoned them and pan fried them in olive oil, above and below.

ALASKAN POLLOCK BURGERS: A 3-pound package of wild Alaskan Pollock Burgers from Trident are on sale at the Costco Wholesale Business Center, 80 S. River St. in Hackensack, for $7.49 after an instant coupon (normally 12 burgers are $11.49). Here, I served a cooked burger with Mexican-style salsa and Greek Yogurt, both from Costco.

SMOKED WILD SALMON: Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon from Costco Wholesale in the Teterboro Landing Shopping Center ($16.99 a pound) accents two Costco organic eggs fried sunny side up, served over Costco organic quinoa with chickpeas and diced tomatoes prepared in an electric cooker.  

YELLOWFIN TUNA: My wife made a tangy salad from 2 cans of Genova-brand Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil, adding fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, onion, garlic, celery and dried basil (6 7-ounce cans were $11.99 at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro).