. . . I Die Just a Little Bit
Written: Sep 22 '00 (Updated Jan 29 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Some of the most amazing sushi I've eaten, great presentation
Cons: Often there's a wait; could be too much of a "scene" for some
The Bottom Line: Ignore the trendsetters and tune into the tuna and music. You'll feel like a rock star.
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| asilrenrut's Full Review: Blowfish Sushi to Die For |
“Blowfish Sushi to Die For” references the Japanese tradition of tempting fate by tasting this most exquisite and toxic fish—and then, more likely than not, dropping dead. That’s quite a legacy on which to found a business, but the Blowfish owners seem to have known what they were doing by putting their culinary lives on the line.
Perhaps much like death, Blowfish provides a full-body, saturated sensual experience. Its red walls, decorated with animation cels, urge you on toward culinary ecstasy, even when you’ve clocked a full hour and a half of waiting for a table. And again, like the act of eating that risky blowfish, this place is not for the uptight—it’s a hipster haven, complete with fashionably furred waifs smoking out front, strategically placed TVs revealing *gasp* NUDE animated characters, and the sounds of perpetual electronica to help usher the fish proteins throughout your body. (It’s practically documented, you know. C’mon, you’ve felt it —- that sushi rush?)
So . . . the menu. I’ve been to Blowfish about thirty times in two years, so let’s just say that my friends and I have this down. As a matter of fact, my friend Rachel recently assumed the esteemed position of Designated Orderer when the original Orderer moved to Chicago. Blowfish Sushi is one of the few places where you can order the same damn thing every time, and walk away as exhilarated as when you were first introduced to the Ritsu Roll.
Here is the menu we’ve fine-tuned over the course of two years. The portions I’m listing amount to a feast for about five people.
Appetizers
Edamame (2)
Ritsu Roll (2) The Ritsu combines tobiko, tuna and yellowtail with a bit of avocado in a roll, then takes a brief dip in the frier (yes—fried sushi is one of Blowfish’s best offerings), and appears on a plate with spicy mustard and a martini glass of special soy sauce for dipping.
Tower of Tartare (2) It’s shaped like a pyramid, actually, and worth ordering for the presentation alone. Served with homemade waffle potato chips that act as an alternative to chopsticks, and a side of special soy.
The Main Shebang
Super Dynamite Roll (2) Perhaps one of the most divine things I’ve discovered since moving to San Francisco, the Super is another of Blowfish’s lightly-fried wonders. It has hamachi, sake and scallions, and is otherwise just a regular maki roll.
Spicy Tuna Roll (2) It’s made people cry, and I don’t think it’s just because it’s spicy. No seaweed wrapper on this one—just the tuna in a cozy blanket of rice, drizzled with the spicy. Amazing, and might just put some hair on your chest.
Blowfish Maki (1) A fine wee roll with the salmon on the outside.
Assorted Sushi (4) Blowfish’s salmon is like butter, and the tuna and hamachi are also amazing. Big cuts of fish, too (as appetizing as that may or may not sound.)
Dessert . . . Don’t You Dare Pass This Up
You will need to order at least two desserts to share, but I suggest getting all three of the first desserts listed on the little plastic menu board. The desserts are one of Blowfish Sushi’s most amazing testaments to culinary presentation, and they taste as good as they look.
If you decide to go puritan, though, and opt only for one, choose the Chocolate Dream, my personal favorite. A wee tureen of some special alien breed of extra-chocolate ice cream accompanies the main attraction: a little chocolate cake with a slice of banana baked inside. This Dream is usually served with some kind of spun sugar or chocolate lattice. As a caveat, this is not *quite* as good as Betelnut’s Warm Chocolate Cake with Banana Ice Cream number (the best dessert in San Francisco), but Blowfish’s Chocolate Dream does quite well as a substitute.
Cocktails
I’m partial to a dry, filtered saki (warm), while Rachel indulges in a Sake Breeze (it’s pink and has sake—that’s all I know), and Patricia would be hard pressed to ever stray from her Dirty Martinis.
Live long and eat sushi!
Service: Average; luckily, there's a lot around to distract you from the waiting.
Decor: Japanimation Central meets Hipsterville (the people are very much a part of the decor)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
asilrenrut
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Member: Lisa Turner
Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 77 members
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