Madai is the fish Japan saves for its best moments, the red sea bream set out at weddings, New Year tables, and the counters of the country's finest sushi bars. Ours is raised in the clean, current-swept waters off Kumamoto, the same region that supplies our hamachi, and arrives fresh, never frozen. The flesh is pale rose over ivory, firm and springy, with a quiet sweetness that has made madai the standard by which Japanese chefs judge every white fish.
Served raw, madai is refined where hamachi is rich: a clean, elegant bite with a gentle snap and a finish that tastes faintly of the sea. Slice it thin for sashimi or carpaccio, drape it over rice as nigiri, or kiss the skin side with heat so it crisps while the flesh stays pearly. This is the fish to serve when you want the table to slow down and pay attention.
Best for: sashimi, nigiri, and carpaccio, or sear the skin matsukawa-style. Farm-raised in Kumamoto, Japan.
We choose every fish by eye and by hand. If it does not meet our standard, it never makes the box.
How it reaches you
1
Cut to order — by hand in Honolulu the day it ships.
2
Packed cold — sealed with gel ice in an insulated box built to hold temperature.
3
Two-day delivery — flown cold, tracking sent when it leaves.
A note on weight: Every cut is portioned by hand, so the exact weight varies slightly from the size you choose. You may receive a little over or a little under, and your order is billed at the listed price for that size. That is the nature of a fresh, hand-cut product.
