Jessica Sportsman: Blue Fin Sushi

Another sushi house in the Richmond? Yes!

I couldn't help but be drawn to the new sushi bar/restaurant after peeking inside the lovely, blue-lit Blue Fin Sushi. The half-price appetizer menu (from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily) made up my mind.

The decor is interesting and a treat for the eye. Inlaid blue floor lights in glass blocks and salt-water aquariums greet you on your way to the upscale sushi bar. The room is open and has a definite industrial and "marine" feel.

My friend and I tried several of the appetizers, all of which were well worth the money, but I would only order one next time and move straight to the great sushi and well-presented entrees.

For appetizers, we had Crab Rangoon, a small amount of a cream cheese/crab mixture tucked inside a deep fried won ton. The gyoza (pot stickers) was the best of the appetizers we had - crunchy on the outside and steamed to perfection on the inside. The tempura was tasty but marginal in terms of its recipe, which can stand to be revised.

We ordered two House Special Rolls. The Prime Time Maki ($8.50) contained strips of salmon, eel, and avocado rolled in rice and wrapped in crisp, thin sheets of pink soybean paper (mame nori). We could taste each ingredient and their textures in this culinary delight. The roll was cut at an angle and each piece topped with a small mound of tobiko (flying fish roe), giving it an explosive sea-salty taste. The dish was served on an elaborately decorated serving plate.

While waiting for the second House Special roll, we nibbled on the pickled ginger (gari) to cleanse our palate. Gari is also known to aid digestion.

Texture and flavorful contrasts were abundant in the warm and lightly fried Spicy Crunchy Maki Roll ($9.50), made with hamachi, salmon, Tai shrimp, rice and onion. The presentation was once again gorgeous but with too much green wasabi, Japanese horseradish, spread on the rim of the plate.

Other items on the menu include cooked fish, including the Spicy Crunchy Maki, a good choice.

To finish up our fabulous dinner, we decided to have Shiro Maguro ($3.95) and Hamachi ($4.25) nigiri sushi, with very generous pieces of meaty albacore tuna  and buttery yellowtail tuna over vinegary rice balls. The fish was fresh and tender.

The prices at Blue Fin are right and the atmosphere is great.

"Arigato gozaimashita!" Thank you to the sushi chefs at Blue Fin Sushi!

Blue Fin Sushi
1814 Clement St. (between 19th and 20th avenues)
Open seven days a week from 5 p.m.to 11 p.m.
(415) 387-2441