Tuna Sashimi Extraordinaire: Soon Yi Tuna Sushi／順億鮪魚專賣店 生魚片第一品牌
Tuna Sashimi Extraordinaire: Soon Yi Tuna Sushi
◎English translation: Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos courtesy of Soon Yi Tuna Sushi, Lin Rong-biao
Many Taiwanese people are passionate about fresh seafood, yet few know that Kaohsiung is one of the most important ports for pelagic fisheries in the world. Kaohsiung is consistently among the world's top three in volume of tuna, squid and saira catch. The city's Cianjhen Fishing Port along is responsible for over 80% of Taiwan's annual output. Tuna sashimi is especially popular with fish lovers. But how is the fish kept fresh during its long journey from ocean to table? We found the answer at Soon Yi Tuna Sushi. By using a super-freezing technique, Soon Yi is able to deliver sashimi-grade tuna to dining tables everywhere.
Soon Yi Tuna Sushi is not just a fish vendor that sells tuna, but rather a multi-layered enterprise, comprising a fishing fleet, a super-freezing facility, and a specialized logistics system that controls every step of the process to ensure the quality of the fish from the moment it is hauled from the water to when it arrives at the customer's dining table. Soon Yi is the only company in Taiwan that owns a super-freezing facility capable of putting catch immediately in a minus 60 degrees Celsius (-76 degrees Fahrenheit) environment, and processing over 1,000 tonnes of fish. The company's business development manager, Mr. Wang Yong-tai, said the company started its retail store because it has absolute confidence in the freezing process and the quality of its product. He wants consumers to embrace the idea that super-frozen tuna is every bit as good as fresh-caught tuna.
Mr. Wang explains the process in details: Once a tuna is hauled onto the deck, its gills and viscera are removed, and it is bled immediately. Only then is the fish placed in a rapid super-freezer. In the super-freeze environment, bacteria cannot grow, and the fish will not develop fishy smells caused by decomposition. Defrosting super-frozen fish is a delicate process. First, fish blocks (fish cut into desired sizes) Must be placed in a 3% salt water solution at about 30 to 35 degrees Celsius (86 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) and constantly wiped with blotting paper. After 30 seconds or so, the fish block is removed from the Water and wrapped With blotting paper to prevent it from oxidizing and drying up. It is then kept in a refrigerator at Minus 5 degrees Celsius (22 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10 to 12 hours to defreeze slowly. Well-defrosted tuna is much like well-aged steak; it has that enticing aroma, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and sweetness sought by sashimi lovers.
Soon Yi hit the market with its "straight from the ocean" campaign and thrived on the promise it delivered. At Soon Yi's retail store, customers can find top-notch sashimi tuna at wholesale prices. Three different types of tuna are available: the Southern Bluefin, the Yellowtail, and the Bigeye. In the dining area, people flood in to have a taste of the top-grade "otoro" (fat belly) for a mere third of the price asked elsewhere. Soon Yi is generous to the point of lavishness –even the miso soup here is made with sashimi-grade tuna. Some international restaurant-chain owners visited Soon Yi for a taste of what they offer and were duly impressed with the quality, so much so they have reached out to Soon Yi, wanting to buy its tuna for their restaurants in Taiwan. At the same time, the fish blocks have become very popular take-home gifts as they mean customers can enjoy as-good-as-fresh sashimi at home.
Because sashimi-grade tuna require meticulous defrosting and careful storage, Soon Yi has established its own home-delivery system to ensure the product reaches customers in perfect condition. 
Since its founding in 2008, Soon Yi Tuna Sushi has grown to a network of 16 retail stores in Taiwan, and one in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The company aims to have 35 retail stores in Taiwan by 2018, and be the country's No.1 tuna retailer.
順億鮪魚專賣店
生魚片第一品牌
◎文／侯雅婷
◎照片提供／順億鮪魚專賣店、林榮標
高雄前鎮漁港是台灣遠洋漁業重鎮，漁獲量佔全台總漁獲量八成以上，高雄遠洋漁業在全球佔有舉足輕重的地位，鮪魚、魷魚和秋刀魚漁獲量名列全球前三名。但如何把捕獲的新鮮漁獲持續保鮮，從漁場到餐桌歷經漫長的產業鏈，而高雄的順億鮪魚專賣店做到了，透過超低溫冷凍處理程序，提供消費者餐桌上的生魚片有著等同活魚般的新鮮品質。
順億鮪魚專賣店運用、整合其企業體系內的遠洋漁船船隊和1間超低溫冷凍廠，使其於魚撈、海運、倉儲、專賣店到餐桌的每個過程均準確掌控魚的新鮮品質。而順億超低溫冷凍廠在零下60度C的環境處理超過1千噸的漁獲，也是全台灣唯一一家擁有這樣廠房等級的超低溫冷凍廠。順億開發部經理王永泰表示，藉由順億鮪魚專賣店的成立，期推廣一個觀念：經過超低溫冷凍，凍魚的新鮮品質等同活魚。
王永泰進一步解釋，捕獲的魚會進行去鰓、內臟和放血的過程，處理過的魚會放進超低溫急速冷凍庫，超低溫環境能抑制細菌生長，魚不會腐敗亦不會有魚腥味或血腥味。而經過超低溫冷凍後的魚要解凍那又是另一番學問，首先需調製濃度為3%、溫度30～35度的溫鹽水，將魚磚(魚切成塊狀)置於溫鹽水之中，以吸水紙輕拭魚磚，約30秒後，取出魚磚以吸水紙包覆，避免生魚片表皮因接觸空氣而變乾燥，保存於零下5度的冰箱約10至12小時，這樣一個解凍的過程可視為魚的熟成，熟成後的生魚片嚐得到魚的香氣和甜度，其肉質和口感才是生魚片的最佳風味。
順億以提供漁場直送的頂級生魚片建立口碑，且以最優惠的中低價位提供給消費者，在順億可以品嚐到3種鮪魚，包括南方黑鮪、黃鰭和大目。店內生魚片嚐起來沒有魚腥味，帶有Ｑ度和香氣。
一片上好的「大腹」油花生魚片在順億售價僅為其他同業的3分之1，店內連煮湯都使用生魚片等級的魚貨，而許多在台開設的餐廳的外國客戶在店內品嚐過生魚片後，對高品質的生魚片豎起大拇指，並進一步洽談進貨順億的生魚片。而魚磚是熱賣的伴手禮，透過正確的解凍程序，在家亦可享用新鮮的生魚片。
順億鮪魚專賣店成立於2008年，迄今全台有16間直營店，還有1家直營店位於香港尖沙咀，預計至2018年，達成全台35家直營店的目標。正因為生魚片的解凍和保管程序繁複，為了維繫品質的聲譽，順億連物流運送都不假手他人，堅持提供最新鮮的生魚片，希望成為生魚片第一品牌。