The Fish Market in Elburn has been hiding in the strip mall on the corner of route 47 and 38 for some time now. Although it has been selling fresh fish for months now, it only recently began serving meals, including sushi. Being an extreme sushi eater and lover, I was skeptical of this hidden gem at first, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Ernesto Candia a local resident who also owns Sadia’s Fresh Seafood Market in Barrington Illinois, and E & S Fish Company in St. Charles, is the owner of The Fish Market.

The market sells fish that is 2-3 days out of the ocean, and Candia picks up all of his fresh fish from a wholesaler near O’Hare airport at 6 a.m. every morning. He checks all fish himself to make sure it is of quality to be sold in one of his stores.

The setting of the market is very pleasant. When I first walked through the door I was warmly welcomed by the staff. Seating is very limited; the entire store only seats 12 customers at a time. I recommend calling ahead to make reservations for parties of two or more.

The menu is not large in quantity, but the quality of the food makes up for the lack of variety. Fresh fish, crab cakes, ceviche, and mango salsa can be purchased to be taken home to cook and lunches are served from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

I was excited to learn that the menu also includes items such as chicken and beef kebabs as well as teriyaki beef and chicken. All prices range from $3.99 to $14.99. The amount of food served is plentiful, making the prices well worth it.

My favorite out of the dishes I tried was the Route 38 Roll. This signature roll is stuffed with tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, crab, and cream cheese and is topped with crunchy sweet potato, spicy mayonnaise, and unagi sauce. It cost $11.99 for 10 pieces of sushi.

I also very much enjoyed the California Cheese Roll, a twist on the classic California Roll, it is filled with cucumber, avocado, crab meat and philadelphia cheese. As much as I love the classic California Roll, the cream cheese only enhanced the flavors. This roll cost $5.75 for five rolls.

While dining a member of the staff brought out a free sample of their teriyaki chicken. It was phenomenal, the grilled taste mixed with the teriyaki sauce created flavors my taste buds had never experienced before.

I recommend this laid back restaurant to food lovers. Although the hours are minimal and the scenery is far from romantic, the food is tasteful and the staff is incredibly attentive.