bluefin - Memphis, TN

On my way to see Jerry Seinfeld at The Orpheum Theatre...

Date of dining experience: May 29, 2015

Place: bluefin edge cuisine - sushi lounge

Location: 135 S. Main St. in Memphis, TN

Starter: Fresh Scallops - with warm truffle butter, scallions, & mushroom salt. These scallops melt in your mouth and are absolutely amazing. This is the second time I've eaten at this restaurant and this dish was perfect both times. ($14)

Entree 1: Sashimi Assortment - 5 kinds of fish, 15 pieces: salmon, walu, big eye tuna, octopus, & snapper. I love sashimi, especially at bluefin. The fish is so delicate and perfect. The flavor of each kind is wonderful alone, but equally fantastic dipped in soy sauce. The soy sauce here is perfect as well, which for me means not too salty. If you want a little spice you can add wasabi to your soy, but I prefer not to. Salmon and tuna are typical of most places and always delicious. The snapper and walu were perfectly smooth. The octopus was not quite as soft. Octopus is firmer and tougher, similar to chicken gizzards but with better taste and texture. The tentacles had been cut off, but be prepared for the meat closer to the tentacle area to be firmer and tougher than the rest. There were thin slices of lime on the octopus, which really gave it a great flavor. ($23)

Entree 2: Grindhouse Specialty Roll - shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado, & basil, topped with smoked salmon, spicy mayo, and eel sauce. This restaurant has the best sushi I think I've ever had, and this particular roll is absolutely delightful. A tiny little bit of each piece dipped in soy sauce adds the perfect amount of salty to the flavor combination. ($11)

Dessert: Local Blueberry Creme Brule and Tempura Banana (with vanilla ice cream, coconut milk, and brown butter). The creme brule was not what I was expecting. It was basically a regular creme brule with a few blueberries throughout. I was expecting more blueberry flavor, but it was still delicious. The fried banana was very good and the coconut milk added a great flavor. The coffee served with dessert was also very good.

Wine: Conundrum 2013. This is a semi-dry white and always a good, middle-of-the-road choice. Though delicious, it was a little overpriced at bluefin ($48) compared to other restaurants. If I could go back and do it again, I probably would have order something a little more dry to go with the sashimi.

The atmosphere and service at bluefin are great. Halfway through the meal, a small jazz combo added nicely to the experience when they started playing in the lobby area. Upon leaving, I noticed the musicians were very young. They were playing very well for appearing to be young high school students.

I highly recommend bluefin to everyone, especially if you love good sushi and sashimi! I believe this place is becoming my go-to restaurant in Memphis, and it's much less messy than barbecue!

Give it a try the next time you're in Memphis and let me know what you think! Enjoy!