Finally, S.F. sushi that doesn't blow
Written: Sep 19 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Original specials made with the best quality fish
Cons: The decor; the attitude
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| Mr.Eyore's Full Review: Blowfish Sushi to Die For |
One of the most surprising things about San Francisco is its inexplicable sushi deficiency. This is a foodie town that prides itself on its seafood, but even those sushi bars regarded as the best in the city are only as good as a mediocre Los Angeles sushi bar. Ibizu, which is THE San Francisco institution is, frankly, about as good as the neighborhood all-you-can-eat places in Santa Monica. Sure, the hamachi is clean and fresh, but so what; good hamachi is baseline acceptable, and Ibizu's tuna leaves something to be desired in terms of consistency. Godzilla Sushi has some pretty special albacore (who knows why one restaurant would specialize in quality albacore), but the rest of their sushi is pretty weak. Like Ibizu, it is certainly not worth the wait.
Needless to say, I was pleased when I discovered Blowfish, Sushi to Die For on a dark street in the Mission about 3 years ago. The quality of the fish and the inventiveness of the rolls took me back to my favorite bars back in L.A. (Café Sushi, Hakata, Tenmasa, Sushi House on Pico and the famous Sushi on Sunset).
Blowfish takes both its best and worst qualities from my hometown. It's a hipster spot, which I really don't care for. The decor is 1986 hi-tech: black-gloss, small barstools, non-utilitarian tables. It's kicked up a bit with the anime playing on the televisions and anime cells on the walls, but even this punches home the "that was so ten minutes ago" vibe. It hasn't been long enough that we should feel nostalgic for this look.
Also consummately L.A. is the fact that the waitresses (and every time I've been there, it's waitresses only, no men) seem to have been hired more for their ability to look good in a tight dress and push high-end saki than any legitimate service skills.
I'm torn about the saki issue. Blowfish definitely has a respect for the rice wine and seems to have taken it as its personal mission to educate us regarding saki's many varieties in much the same way that Tommy's in the Richmond takes its Tequila seriously. Blowfish has an incredible selection of both filtered and unfiltered sakis, those meant to be drunk hot and cold. I have no problem with that. My problem is with the heavy hand with which the high end stuff is pushed. I've tried your $18 unfiltered cold saki, and I gotta tell ya, it doesn't blow me away. Sometimes I just want a $6 bottle of hot saki and a $4 large Sapporo with my fish. So quit rolling your eyes at me when I just order the house saki. Nobody at Tommy's rolls their eye's when I order a house margarita.
With that, I retire my bad-L.A. observations. Now come the good-L.A. observations.
The sushi chefs at Blowfish understand the two most important factors in creating a successful American sushi bar: buy the best possible fish you can get your hands on and have some fun creating things that appeal to a sophisticated American palate.
In terms of fish quality I look for six things:
ˇ Ruby red ahi that I don't need to use my teeth to pull apart
ˇ Crab, not Krab
ˇ Eel that's soft and not too fishy, cooked just enough to give it a little crisp on the edge
ˇ Hamachi that tastes like they killed the fish to order
ˇ Shrimp that's not overcooked
ˇ Smelt egg that separates out like beluga, not $4.00 Safeway caviar (and put a raw quail egg on that please.)
Blowfish satisfies each of these tests. But that only means that it merits discussion. The true test is whether or not the chefs can be innovative. I've seen plenty of original rolls in San Francisco, but more often than not, little thought is given to the final product. Too many sushi chefs in the city stick a bunch of fish and other ingredients together for no other apparent reason than to stick the restaurant's name on the roll. Blowfish suffers from no such indulgences. It's rolls tend toward the simple but original. My favorite, a combination of albacore and ahi flash seared in some sort of wrapper then held together in a delicate jacket of cucumber simply doesn't need to be dipped in soy sauce. It may well be my favorite invention since the spicy tuna roll.
I don't typically order cooked food at decent sushi bars, but Blowfish makes a baked salmon that's worth the deviation. And I have friends who swear their chicken teriyaki is better than any they've had elsewhere.
I could go on about the specials, but I'm afraid it would be overkill. When you're going out for sushi, I know you're looking for quality. Even if you skip all the rolls and specials, you won't go wrong with the fish this place has to offer. Ignore the hipsters, order the cheapest saki they have, and be happy that there's room enough to sit and enjoy this delicious fish. It's pricier than a lot of other places, but I think it's worth an extra 40 to 60 cents an order for better quality.
Parking is not impossible in this neighborhood, but I have some friends that are uncomfortable with the fact that the restaurant is on a dark sort-of-side street in the Mission. So if you're going to be in SOMA or the Mission at any other point in the evening, it might me worth taking a cab.
As a postscript, I should mention that Blowfish is rumored to actually serve blowfish at some point during the year. As you may know, there are only a few places in the country that serve this delicacy, because the fish has a poisonous pancreas or something and it must be cut perfectly or the eater runs the risk of grave illness (death?) An old friend of mine claims to have tried a serving of the dish (at $60, it wasn't a bargain) and was underwhelmed. If you're so inclined though, I would love to know if can get this "sushi to die for" at Sushi To Die For and what you think of it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Mr.Eyore
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Reviews written: 129
Trusted by: 301 members
About Me:
I come for the pervasive sense of elitist self-importance and semi-witty expressions of faux camaraderie
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