Savory Discovery - Bear Flag Fish Company

I've been missing Hawaii lately. I used to go almost once a year because I have family there, but that stopped as I got older. The last time I went was in 2008. Anyway, missing Hawaii made me crave some fresh seafood. My go to spot for fresh poke is North Shore Poke Company in Huntington Beach and a friend recommended I try Bear Flag Fish Company in Newport Beach since I love poke. The restaurant is near the Newport Balboa Peninsula, in the same parking lot as Rudy's Pub & Grill. It's a small restaurant with some seating inside and a small patio. There was a small line when I went there, and I heard that's pretty normal, so be prepared for a little wait. Here's a shot of the outside and inside in case you're interested.

APPETIZERS:

1. Clam Chowder - Don't want to overhype it, but this is the best Clam Chowder I've had in Southern California! Big pieces of clams and fish and not too salty, perfect!!
2. Ahi & Salmon Poke - Huge chunks of fish. You can't see it well in the picture, but the bottom half is salmon and the top half is ahi. I've never had salmon poke, and so glad I finally have. Super fresh and flavorful
3. Shrimp Cocktail - This was probably the only thing that wasn't impressive. Shrimps were big, but nothing special. I wanted to try the Crab Cocktail, but they ran out, so I'm guessing it's good.

MAIN COURSE

• Seared Garlic Butter Ahi Tuna Plate - The ahi was seared perfectly and had a hint of garlic. I could have used a little more garlic and butter though. The brown rice and veggies were a perfect pairing to the fish and made me feel like I was eating healthy.
• Albacore Burrito - Never had such a fresh tasting burrito! There was rice, avocado, black beans and fresh salsa as well and all complimented each other perfectly. The only thing I felt it lacked was a sauce, but they have tons of sauces there to add yourself. I went for this sweet chili sauce which gave it a little kick but had some sweetness to balance it out.
• Halibut Burrito - Exactly like the Albacore but with Halibut. The halibut was a little mushy and I think would've tasted better if it was grilled with a stronger fire, to give it a little char and crunch, other than that detail, I still enjoyed it!

Everything was so delicious. It's hard to find fresh seafood that's cooked right, and the place definitely delivers! The location is great too because you can cruise around on your bike, or spend the day at the beach or Balboa Peninsula to work up an appetite. I highly recommend trying this place if you love seafood like I do. Oh and in case you're wondering, I shared all this food with two other people. There's no way I could have finished it all. I always try to go to new restaurants with at least 3-4 people so I can sample a variety of items on the menu.