The Overrated Fish You Should Never Buy (And 2 To Buy Instead)

A solid fish is a great anchor to any seafood lover's meal, but fish can be pricey, and it's important to strike a balance between versatile flavor and value. At YAO NYC, executive chef Kenny Leung is a master of modern Cantonese dining, including a raft of succulent seafood options. When it comes to fish, chef Leung passes on the branzino, and goes for whiting or flounder.

At YAO, "we feel branzino is overrated," Leung exclusively told Daily Meal. "Its natural flavor is too subtle." Branzino, also known as European sea bass, is a common filet to serve at restaurants, but it also suffers from wild overfishing on a global scale. Branzino is therefore typically farmed to protect and restore the species, although animal welfare and food safety at some facilities can vary.

On the other hand, Leung's go-to whitefish options all have good flavor and strong flakiness, with the added benefit of plentiful wild populations in sustainably-managed waters.

Chef Kenny Leung told Daily Meal that whiting, or hake, is underrated as a fish option. "Whiting" is a generic name that refers to different whitefish in different countries, but in the United States it is silver hake. "We love it for the texture and the natural flavor," Leung said of whiting. But he also likes it because it's "available locally in New York and it's very cheap."

Hake is a type of deepwater cod, which can vary in flavor and texture depending on the specific type, but are all generally flakier and softer than cod, including silver hake or whiting. Red hake is sometimes also referred to as whiting, due to its similar flavor profile and use of the same sustainably managed wild fisheries.

Whiting isn't the only fish Leung recommends for an easy, delicious meal. "Flounder is good and budget-friendly," he says, and like whiting, it is also flaky with a well-balanced, neutral flavor. It's the perfect fish to win over a seafood skeptic — pan-fry it with a breading of crushed potato chips and watch them see the light.