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Review content:
Lets set the record straight: Blowfish Sushi is not really a restaurant; its a money-extraction device. A place to blow money . on fish. Hmmmm. Now the name makes sense. On my visit, everything possible was done to ensure that we left with an empty wallet. \r
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My friend and I walked in on a Wednesday night and spotted two empty seats at the sushi bar. Could we take those? No, we were told, there would be 15-minute wait. Why dont you have a seat in the bar? But of course. After consuming $14 worth of alcohol (consisting of one beer and one mixed drink), we were escorted to the very same two open spots at the sushi bar we had originally asked about. \r
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Others have commented on the wall of noise that passes for ambiance at Blowfish. It turns the otherwise sublime experience of eating sushi into a shoutfest with your dinner mate. And the portions? No super-size-me here. The $11 appetizers we ordered would have left Ghandi hungry. When the first one came, I thought it was one of those tiny chefs caprices some restaurants serve before your food comes. Actual conversation -- Server: How did you find your appetizer? Me: I just looked under that sprig of parsley, and there it was! Server: Awesome. \r
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Did I say sushi? It really isnt sushi. Its fusion food. Remove some of that objectionable fish stuff, and replace it with cleverly prepared vegetables, and charge double for it. And thats the great thing about fusion cuisine, at least for the chef; it does not have to satisfy the persnickity taste of those who seek the real thing. It has all the appearance of being foreign and exotic, without actually being so. Indeed, there was very little we found that would offend the discriminating tastes of the Mid-Western American (example: filet mignon sushi with spinach and potato crust.) Sushi this is not. Its gimmick food, which is not to say its bad. But for those reviewers who claim, Its the best sushi I ever had, I suspect they dont really like real sushi, and what they ate was not really like real sushi. \r
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Blowfish deserves credit for being creative with its presentations. Most of the dishes truly looked gorgeous. They might have tasted gorgeous too, but somehow the auditory overload overwhelmed my other senses (like the one that usually says dont spend so much money on food). I can remember how everything looked, but not how it tasted. Perhaps that was the whole idea. \r
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It would be unfair to criticize Blowfish for simply being what it strives to be: A meet-market for 20-somethings who are more interested in impressing the dish they came with than enjoying the one they ordered. We left still hungry after blowing $137 on skimpy but attractive sushi-inspired food and a few beers. Which leads me to ask: Why spend money on Jenny Craig or Weight-Watchers, when you can get the same diet-sized portions at Blowfish, and only have to exercise your vocal chords?\r
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Bottom line: Blowfish Sushi is a wonderful spot if for those at a particular point in life; single, young, money to blow and dying to impress, or to be impressed, by image. If you want real sushi, or a conversation, go somewhere else.
Pros: Attractively presented food; lots of pretty people
Cons: Too loud and too expensive.
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