The King is Dead
Through no fault of its own the chief asset of Blue Fin Sushi Bar, the item that made us sing its praises, is no longer palatable to us.
All hail the mighty Blue Fin! Not the restaurant but the fish, what the Japanese call “the King of Sushi”. Fresh, top grade blue fin tuna is to sushi what chateaubriand is to steak, the finest, most flavorful cut, and when expertly prepared, utterly without peer.
The first time we went to Blue Fin we were bowled over by the sushi. What we didn’t properly appreciate at the time was that we had caught them at exactly the right moment. They had just received a shipment of top grade blue fin tuna and we were the beneficiaries. We were so impressed that we were fervent in our praise. Subsequent visits have brought us down to earth.
While we still consider Blue Fin Sushi Bar on par with other neighborhood sushi joints that charge more, like Bob San and Mirai Sushi, we are no longer so smitten. Take away the fortuitous arrival of a superior grade of fish and what you have is an above average sushi restaurant whose main virtue is its creativity, particularly when it comes to maki. There are more than thirty distinctive rolls, like the black dragon roll, a zippy delight consisting of baked scallop with spicy mayo inside, unagi, avocado and black tobiko; or the delta force roll, a crunchy, cheesy rush of harmonious flavors consisting of deep fried tempura maki, snowcrab meat, cream cheese, avocado, unagi, masago and wasabi mayo.
In addition, Blue Fin offers the complete playbook of sushi and sashimi as well as grilled scallops, Atlantic salmon, teriyaki chicken and tempura. Everything is skillfully prepared by seasoned chefs and the service is attentive without being intrusive.
The ambiance is a little dubious at first. If the lights are not low you might detect the absence of a costly interior designer behind the overall look of the place (something that competitors like Bob San and Blu Coral obviously spent a fortune on and which is reflected in their prices). Bright fabrics are tacked over foam covered wooden benches, making for improvised upholstery of the kind you might find in a hookah bar; and the front entryway is dingy and unfinished looking.
But beyond that in the dining room there are some nice touches in the décor. The lime green walls and candy apple red accents are not as loud as they might seem and are nicely balanced by the dark hardwoods floors. The decorative inset panels along one wall are elegantly authentic and the sushi bar is a graceful dark burnished wood.
All things considered, there is nothing about the food, ambiance or service to weigh against Blue Fin. It’s just that without a superior grade of namesake tuna on the menu, there is nothing sensational either. To complicate matters the whole question of whether one ought to be eating blue fin anyway is an issue. Blue fin are universally acknowledged to be overfished and the worldwide supply is fast dwindling. Good as it is to eat, to eat it is to hasten its depletion.
Ironically, the one thing that can make Blue Fin standout is the one thing we don't choose to partake in any longer, even if it is available, which makes Blue Fin a better than average sushi restaurant in a neighborhood blessed with many better than average sushi restaurants, which makes them pretty good, but nothing to rave about.
Blue Fin Sushi Bar
1952 W. North Ave.
773-394-7373 / Reservations Accepted
Hours: M-W 5p-10:30p; Th-F 5p-11:30p; Sa 1p-11:30p; Su 1p-10p / Lunch M-F 11:30a-2p
Features: Carryout, Delivery
Avg Price of Meal for Two Including Drinks and Tax $85
Website: www.bluefinsushibar.com
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