Blue Fin
our comments
Don’t be misled by the big Times Square production of this seafood extravaganza; Stephen Hanson broke away from his popular but mediocre-for-the-masses fish formula (Atlantic Grill, Blue Water Grill, Ocean Grill) when he opened this bi-level water world in 2002. Avoid the street-level bar and ascend to the upstairs dining room, where a jazz combo grooves and the giant faux-tortoiseshell walls soothe (but the room is loud---you’ve been warned). Rarely does a do-it-all spot succeed at everything, but Blue Fin does. Sushi, raw bar offerings, masterfully prepared, contemporary fish dishes---it’s all good. Sushi chef Masaki Sasaki, who came over from San Francisco’s Kantaro, prepares top-notch, traditional sushi and sashimi as well as sweet, colorful rolls. He knows how to choose and handle his fish---a special of o-toro is achingly fresh and fatty. In the kitchen, British chef Paul Sale, who learned a thing or two while at Le Bernardin, turns out well-composed plates. Sautéed red snapper, paired with shrimp-and-asparagus risotto and oven-dried grape tomatoes and encircled by alluringly green chive nage, is an irresistible balance of flavors and texture. There are some nods to the tourist trade, such as an appetizer of grilled shrimp overpowered by sweet barbecue sauce, but that’s a small misstep. Blue Fin is reeling them in hook, line and sinker.- April 2005
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