Splendid alfonsino (Kinmedai)

金目鯛

Kinmedai is the Japanese name for these red fish with large eyes. 'Kinme' means 'golden eye' in Japanese, and 'dai' is the Japanese word for 'sea bream'.  Kinmedai are deep water fish, typically residing between 400 and 600 meters below the surface. This is what gives them their distinctively large eyes that sometimes appear to have a golden color.

Kinmedai is a white-fleshed fish with a fairly high fat content and balanced flavor. The meat is not overly fishy, but is rich with umami flavor. Thus, kinmedai is highly versatile, and is prepared in a wide variety of ways.