Hooked

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. I bought a whole Branzino here. When I got it, its eyes were clear and not yet sunken or clouded. The fish was very fresh and had no smell. I cooked it in parchment on the BBQ with lemon, onions, and herbes de Provence. It was magical! It was a light and flavourful white fish. My sweet kitty cat was especially thankful for the skin. My not big on fish husband was thrilled too.
I also bought curry fish sausages here. I’m not sure what I was thinking. They were pretty gross and I came across some bones. I’ll pass on those next time.

Sampled smoked salmon at Hooked on a food tour today and the quality and taste of the fish blew my mind.

You need to trust your fishmonger. I totally trust Hooked.

I love everything about the place! From the staff that gives you the right advise to the fresh fish, veggies and other products. This is now my official shop for all fish’s. If you try it once you will never be able to buy from the supermarket again

that’s it, i won’t get fish anywhere else. i don’t know much about seafood but their quality versus the big stores (eg. lawblaws) doesn’t compare. i love the regularly imported salmon from BC.
the staff are very knowledgeable. they explain the source of each product, give you different cooking options and they don’t try to upsell you on more expensive stuff.
i’ve shopped here several times and i won’t be buying fish anywhere else.

I’m not big on fish, and certainly not big on most types of shellfish. But when a special occasion calls for some good fish to be on the dinner table, I always seem to end up going to Hooked to procure seafood.
To hell with industrialized canned, frozen and supermarket fish. At Hooked, they pride themselves in offering only fresh seafood that has been ethically sourced from sustainable stock. The level of detail is unlike most other places and makes for a unique experience. For example, you’ll notice they note exactly where their products are from – «Halibut from Haida Gwaii, BC,» as opposed to your usual supermarket variety «Product of Canada.» Wonderful for those who really like to know where their food comes from. (Imagine if fashion stores took the same approach…)
Hooked also prides itself on staffing its stores (they have a Kensington location as well) with chefs and folks with deep culinary experience. The folks here are patient, but always oozing with knowledge and advice to share. Tell them what you are planning to make or do and they’ll suggest a fish from whatever is on offer and advice on how to make your meal. They don’t make you feel intimidated at all. They’ll probably even tell you a bedtime story about where their products come from.
They’ll often suggest and cut an appropriate amount for how many you’ll be serving. Don’t know how appropriate the amount really is, because we end up eating more than we should. Because that’s how good their fish are.
And their shrimp also. Those who think their dirt-​cheap factory-​farmed fed-​with-​crap shipped-​frozen-​en-​masse Thai shrimp is good stuff don’t even know what they are missing. Because, once you taste some big-​ass wild-​caught shrimp like that sold by Hooked, your tastebuds will be telling those tasteless supermarket shrimp to piss off. Because that’s how good their shrimp are.
I know they offer culinary classes and events here, as well as herbs, spices and sauces to go with your seafood. But most notably, you’ll be reeled in by the degree of service you’ll never get at most other seafood counters. Their stock will cost you an extra arm, but cheap food isn’t cheap, and neither is good food. Quality is emphasized here much over low low prices.
Come in and you’ll get Hooked.
{TTC: fish any Queen streetcar to Logan or Empire Aves.}

The store is cute, the products look nice too, but the people working there give you advice when you don’t want it.
I’ve been there three times. The first time, as I was in line waiting to pay, Kristin switched my order with the customer in front of me without even asking for my permission, or thinking about allergies, etc., etc. She said, how many are you for dinner?, I said two, and she decided that that was too much food for us.
The customer ahead of me told her that she wanted to pay for what she ordered and she switched our orders back again.
I did not like that, but I decided not to say anything at that moment. Then paid, and left the store.
The second time, a nice guy helped me (I believe that he was Kristin’s husband). He gave me what I wanted and the amount I wanted. So, I was very happy about that.
The third time, I had a really bad experience. A guy helped me. I told him what I was making for dinner and I felt that he was trying to convince me to buy what he wanted me to buy, and the amount he wanted me to buy. I ended up buying what he said and then, went to Loblaws and bought the rest of it.
Please listen to what your customers want before you loose another one. I am never going back to your store.

This place is seafood heaven.
There is a fantastic selection and wide price range of fish and shellfish, all sustainably caught, fresh and delicious.
You can get anything from cheap mussels and squid to a prized fillet of sablefish.
The all-​year-​round, previously frozen sushi grade mackerel is a personal favourite.
If you don’t know what you want, the staff will help you choose.
If you want something prepared (shucked, filleted, deboned, portioned, etc), the staff will help with that too.
They are real fish mongers, the opposite of what you encounter behind the counter at Loblaws.
In addition to fish, the store also stocks a carefully curated selection of inspired sauces, seasonings, fresh breads, local veggies and other fish-​appropriate accompaniments.
Worth every penny.

I don’t have the slightest clue how to cook.
I don’t even know where to begin. If there’s a mistake to be made, I’ll make it.
It’s not that I don’t have the potential ability, nor is it that I am too stupid to learn, it’s that I’ve never been taught. The older I get, the more cautious my shopping habits have been because I don’t want to be caught in a trap where I completely fuck up what’s supposed to be a legitimately delicious meal.
Because of this, I’ve avoided fish stores like the plague.
Aside from the occasional BBQ’d salmon (which I invariably burn to a crisp), I lack the requisite confidence to shop for delicious fishies. I want to, but I don’t.
Every time I go to grocery store fish counters I’m intimidated and feel completely at a loss. I do not know the typologies. I do not know the lexicon. I really have absolutely no clue.
Someone once mentioned to me that Hooked is the place to go when you don’t know. It’s amongst the best advice I’ve gotten in Toronto.
You walk in. The outstanding staff ask you what you’re looking for. They know every single thing about every single dead animal in the store. They take the time to provide options and explain the preparation technique in ‘for-​dummies’ detail. All with a smile.
The selection is outstanding and the fishes are delicious. But the staff are what really set this place apart. They make you feel well taken care of and provide you with the knowledge to defeat your fear of the mythical sea gods.
A true gem in the city. Worth every penny.

I hate seafood. The smell, the taste, the look of it but Hooked gets the high-​five star treatment because their service is so awesome and according to my husband and daughter, their fish is amazing. I’ll take their word for it (even though one of them doesn’t talk).
I came in here looking for sustainable, good quality fish for my daughter. She eats like a queen while we eat like paupers. My knowledge of fish is zilch as in, I didn’t even know what filleting meant. I thought it was just a piece of fish that you could get in a sandwich at Mcdonald’s. They don’t look at you like «what are you? Some kind of idiot?» when you ask vague questions like «Can you please recommend a white fish?». Instead, they’re very courteous and helpful.
They recommended this N. S Sea Bream. My husband did the honours of chopping it up for our baby and stole a little piece for himself. He said it was the best fish he’s ever eaten. The next time I was in there, I told the lady behind the counter this and she told me that unfortunately, their supplier is switching to salmon so that won’t be available after the spring and there’s nothing that tastes like it. I think I’ll be stocking up my freezer with this kind of fish.
I love this place and I don’t even like seafood. It almost, just almost, makes me want to try eating fish.

fish products look nice but never got to try them since the owner was too busy posing with some customer he knew by name to notice my wife and I were next in line… TWICE…there are plenty of down to earth fishmongers in st. lawrence too bad the one thats right in my hood is an idiot :(

Best fresh seafood you can buy and all sustainable — can’t beat it! They’re really knowledgeable and always have a great selection. They also have amazing dips, spreads and marinades. This place never disappoints!

A remarkably good fish store with a wide selection of well presented fish. However, I think the jewel in this store’s crown is actually the selection of locally grown vegetables. All manner of common and unusual garnishes, herbs and tubers. You know when you can tell that a group of vegetables were grown by the same person because they have a certain care, appearance and taste in common? They have something really special here.

Definitely check out Hooked’s amazing small group (read 8 ppl max) cooking classes.
My wife and I just came back from a «smoked and grilled seafood» class. Owner Kristin and master smoker Fred offered up an amazing, fresh and informative smörgåsbord of goodies from their shop: perfectly grilled octopus, pickerel, fatty steelhead salmon, shrimp, wild leek and butter smothered spotted BC shrimp (still alive before they hit the grill), luscious halibut and branzino marinated in house-​made chimichuri… not to mention house-​cured salmon, and cold smoked BC salmon, sable fish and trout.
Kristin and Fred walked the class through how their fish were sustainably sourced, what types of fish worked with what techniques, how to make a marinade, curing, smoking and grilling — with some hands on participation… and finally, lots of eating! They were super friendly and really really knowledgeable, and really willing to share their knowledge even after the event. (Turns out all the fine folks who work the counter at Hooked are really accomplished chefs with previous lives in Toronto’s best restos.)
Do check it out! It was fantastic!

This shop is super cute, and what a novel idea!
I like that they tell you exactly where the fish is from. That’s kind of neat, and you don’t get that kind of service at a lot of places.
I think the prices are ok, they’re pretty competitive, fish isn’t that cheap to begin with.
The staff are super friendly and provide you with suggested portion sizes and ways to prepare. This is definitely worth the visit. Even if you’re not a seafood lover… Maybe you’ll be converted :)

Such a cute shop! Not cheap, mind you, but good! I bought sea asparagus there. I had never even heard of sea asparagus before, but I went with it and had it with some of their smoked salmon and their garlic tartar sauce, and it was incredible.
Everything they sell looks amazing.
Totally worth checking out if you’re strolling along Queen E. in Leslieville.

You should go here. You should stop letting others cook your fish. You should talk to these guys. You should learn a thing or two.
BC mussels, they got that. Steamed up lobsters, yeah that’s there. They got piquillo peppers sealed up in a can. They’ve got a lot of stuff I think you should buy.
They’ve got fresh sturgeon, which looks grey but tastes great. «It’s like veal», one guy said. I agree, but this wasn’t as cute. Why you eating cute things, anyway? Eat ugly, delicious sturgeon instead. It’s pricey but omega 3s. Right? You can’t just get them from eggs.
I like these guys. I’ve only been twice but I like them, suddenly. They sell ramps too, other seasonal things. Some of them are ex-​cooks. They stopped so you could start: cooking. So get over there and buy their stuff. It’s extremely perishable.

Great, passionate, and knowledgeable people working the shop. A good selection of fresh fish, scallops, oysters and the like (depending on availability). Loved the coast-​to-​coast «guided tour» I got during a lull in traffic of the various seafood they had on offer.
Product is brought in on a regular basis and it seems the sell-​through is pretty quick right now, so things aren’t sitting in the case very long.
Ask questions! They are happy to answer where each fish comes from. The only farmed fish in the case when I was there was trout from a farm near Collingwood that raises the food they feed the trout (don’t quote me on that — I was eavesdropping at the time).
I took home a pickerel fillet (from the southern basin of lake Huron) and some diver-​caught scallops (Gulf of Mexico). The scallops were especially sweet and delicious.
A really welcome addition to Leslieville.