$35 omakase at Bluefin in Newport Coast

July 28th, 2008, 10:42 am · 4 Comments · posted by Kat "I eat 'til my pants hurt" Nguyen

For anyone who appreciates sushi, it’s not exactly the most affordable meal. I’ve easily plunked down more than $100 at the sushi bar — alone. So when I heard about Bluefin’s $35 omakase, or chef’s choice lunch special a few years ago, I was looking forward to this reasonable indulgence.

My four-course feast started with a pretty amuse bouche trio (pictured above) of heirloom tomato gelee in a martini glass, a tempura crab claw and a shotglass of ikura roe. The gelee was smooth and tart with bits of chopped green onion, a refreshing beginning before segueing to the lightly battered crab claw in ponzu sauce — my favorite of the three. The ikura or salmon roe was a pleasant finish, the silky orange orbs popping gently in my mouth. (During a previous visit, the amuse consisted of a lovely kobe carpaccio with bits of shiso, baby squid and the ikura roe.)

Next came a hefty sashimi salad that could have been a meal in of itself …

For anyone who’s ever eaten with me, I’m the one smacking people’s hands and reminding them to allow me to take a photo before they can eat. However, on this day, I committed a heinous food blogging crime: I ate a piece of the tuna tataki before taking a single photo, oops! This particular salad featured rolled up slices of scorpion fish (firm and mild), salmon, yellowtail and the missing morsel of seared tuna — all sitting in a shallow pool of citrus vinaigrette — the touch of acid provided just the right amount of zing.

The third course, a cooked dish, was a lovely striped seabass in a carrot puree with langoustine. The slightly sweet offering was a nice change from the previous citrusy salad.

I was ready to tap out by the time the nigiri sampler came out. Just a basic assortment of tuna, albacore belly (nice and fatty), halibut and two pieces of uni (sea urchin) cut roll.

Finally, the last course. A peach compote with vanilla gelee, a gentle dessert with slices of mango and a few blackberries and strawberry and a perfect ending to a luxurious (but relatively affordable) sushi meal.