Bluefin Ramen & Sushi

Reviews

• ★★★★½ Avocado Bomb Takoyaki Flaming VIP Roll 620 Roll Tempura Shishito Peppers Visited May 31, 2024

  Good Rolls, Wide Selection Of Items, But Some Appetizers Had Small Portions.

  Bluefin is located in the Rim Shopping Center. The restaurant specializes in Japanese items. The menu offers an assortment of ramen and sushi rolls as main entrees, and many other Japanese items as appetizers such as takoyaki, karaage, kushi, gyozas, and more.
  
  Also on the menu was (Texas) Waygu, offered on both a sushi roll, and served raw with a hot plate.
  
  There were so many items on the menu I wanted to try, we nearly all ordered something different, and tried a little bit of each. We ordered black tonkotsu ramen, tempura shishito peppers, takoyaki, calamari rings, avocado bombs, flaming VIP roll, and the 620 roll.
  
  We were seated promptly, and drink orders were taken and brought out decently fast, we weren't ready to order yet, as there was a lot to choose from on the menu. Once ordered our food was brought out a few plates at a time, with almost everything arriving within 15 minutes.
  
  First up was the avocado bomb. This was $9 and was basically 1 avocado, skinned, battered and deep fried, quartered and topped with crab. It had decent flavor, but for the price was a bit of a small appetizer. Basically 1 bite per person.
  
  Then the takoyaki came out, again 4 pieces, which seemed a bit small as a $8 appetizer. Most places charge about $5 for 4 pieces. The takoyaki itself was decent, but again a little underwhelming. Not the best Ive had, but not bad. What surprised me was the bonito flakes. I usually tell them not to put them, but forgot. The bonito flakes here were amazing. They had a very smoky flavor, no fishy smell or overpowering flavor like most places, but they also weren't moving around from the steam like they normally do at other places.
  
  Next up was the calamari, I didnt get to try this until it was already cold, but it didnt have much flavor from what I could tell. The portion size was pretty good, but I felt like there were many items on the menu that would have been better flavor wise.
  
  Then the tempura shishito came out. I wasnt sure how hot these were going to be, as shishito peppers are generally not hot. In a serving of 10 you generally get 1 or 2 peppers that are medium spiciness. My very first pepper was a solid 5/10 medium heat wise. The peppers were still somewhat crunchy, not like the baked shishitos most places serve. As I ate more of them the majority were on the spicier side. The plate had probably a dozen peppers on it. Flavor wise they were a bit plain, the peppers acidic flavor was the main flavor, the tempura added some texture and flavor, but again this appetizer was a bit underwhelming.
  
  Then our entrees started to arrive. Those who had the ramen said it was excellent, some of the better ramen they had eaten. I tried some of the black tonkotsu broth, and it was pretty good. It was definitely up there in some of the best I've had, but I didnt get to try any noodles or pork. I'll have to return to try a bowl. Most the ramen bowls here were $15, before adding additional toppings.
  
  I ordered the flaming VIP roll as my entree. A sushi roll made with spicy tuna, sirracha, shrimp, mayo, asparagus, and a tempura coating. The roll was brought out in a foil wrapper that looked like a paper boat, on a plate with flamable liquid and was then lit on fire. You could hear the roll inside crackling. When the fire burnt itself out, and the roll was unwrapped the outer layer of rice on the bottom was crisped. The roll had good flavor, the furikaki added a lot of flavor and had what looked like baked onions sprinkled on top. The tempura gave a crunch, the shrimp and asparagus gave done denseness, the avocado and sauces soft mushy texture, and the spicy tuna and sriracha a bit of heat. The combination of flavors and textures was pretty good.
  
  The 620 roll was also brought out on a plate and lit on fire, it was served on top of orange slices. I tried 1 piece of this roll, and it had decent flavor. It was a thick sushi roll, with a couple layers, its plating and visual appearance was very nice, but I slightly enjoyed my VIP roll a bit more. I felt it had more flavor and better texture.
  
  Overall the meal was good, and while I didnt have anything I felt was the best I've ever had, I did have a few items that would easy make top 10 lists. I actually take that back, the bonito flakes (were the best I've ever had) but thats not quite an entree. The ramen here was promising from the small bit I tried, and I'll probably go back to try it. But as far as the sushi rolls and appetizers went, they either fell short flavor wise, or portion wise for the price.
  
  Service was good, we were checked on multiple times, by more people than just our waitress, and drinks were refilled, and plates cleared quickly throughout the meal.
  
  As far as selection goes this place had one of the better Japanese offerings in San Antonio. It wasnt a cheap meal, and for the quality and price, I felt like some items (entrees) were a good deal, while others (appetizers) were overpriced.
  
  If you like Japanese food, Ramen or Sushi, this is probably a must try in San Antonio. Until I try a bowl of ramen I cant say how this place ranks ramen wise, but sushi wise it falls short of my favorites. The variety of items is really what was impressive, while none of them delivered a home run. Dinner for 2 (1 appetizer, 2 entrees and 2 drinks) here will easily cost about $50.
  
  Other things that effected my score, an automatic 20% tip was added for a party of 5. Not sure I would consider that a "Large Party", especially when 2 of the 5 weren't adults.

  — Paul