In Mid-City, at the intersection of Rimpau and Washington, sits Rick’s Fish Market, one of the last standing OG “You Buy, We Fry” establishments in the city. The yellow paint on the small single-story building has long faded, but the taste of flaky fried fish and the warm, dependable service that’s made Rick’s place a neighborhood institution hasn’t dulled one bit.
Rick’s has been a cornerstone of the community for over 35 years. Black, Latino, Asian, everyone in Mid-City went to Rick’s. Originally opened by a man actually named Rick, it has continued to thrive under the stewardship of the new Rick (real name, Kuktae Chon, who adopted the moniker “Rick” when he took over the business) and his wife, Sun Lee, for the last 25 years. Throughout the decades, the couple has remained devoted to a simple promise: You buy, we fry.
“The previous owner decided to sell the business after a worker was killed during a burglary,” Kuktae told me. “But the sign was still there, and ya know, I just kept the sign and the name. But it’s not my name. Nobody calls me Rick outside this place.”
The person who was killed was Koang‑Ho Song. He was shot that January in 1992—an early crack in the city’s fragile calm. This was months before the Rodney King police beating that would set parts of the city ablaze. Just months later, the tensions sparked by tragic losses like his and Latasha Harlins’ would ignite the streets. Not long after, the original owner sold the shop. But now, the fryer will soon be turned off for good. At the end of this September, or “as soon as we run out of fish,” as Chon tells L.A. TACO, Rick’s Fish Market will close its doors for good.