Rate-A-Restaurant #198: Blue Fish Sushi

Restaurant: Blue Fish

Location:2261 Honolulu Ave (Montrose)

Type of restaurant: Sushi

We stipulated: It was an overcast day, and we were looking to get out of the house — but not stray too far from Franklin Avenue HQ. Glendale’s Montrose district — particularly Honolulu Ave., which has been dubbed Glendale’s “Old Town,” is a nice stroll on a lazy afternoon. There’s bakeries, a kids’ bookstore, a good old fashioned toy store, coffee shops, etc. And restaurants. Maria had a craving for shrimp tempura — and we hadn’t done sushi in a while. Montrose has several low-cost sushi joints; Blue Fish is a tad pricier than those, but the ambience was probably worth a few extra bucks.

They stipulated: Blue Fish is semi-kid friendly, offering up two non-sushi alternatives for picky kids.

What we ordered: Shrimp tempura roll ($9.95); Dynamite (Baked scallops, lobster, mushrooms and onion on a California roll, $11.95); Spicy tuna rolls ($5.95); California roll ($5.95); Chicken teriyaki bowl for kids ($5.95)

High point: We liked the nice space, and appreciated the price, given the amount of food we received. And let’s face it, any sushi joint that’s also kid-friendly is OK by me. We’re not overly adventurous sushi orderers, since we’re (ahem) cheap — so we usually judge by the spicy tuna roll. And this one was pretty good.

Low point: We ordered way too much, as there was no guidance on the menu. And the Dynamite was way too goopy, unfortunately.

Overall impression: It’s strange that we keep over-ordering lately. We seem to always be assuming that we haven’t chosen enough food — and then we overcompensate. The waitress at Blue Fish didn’t help: When we were finished with our initial, and very large order, she asked us “Is that it?” — in a tone that made it sound like we hadn’t ordered nearly enough.

Chance we’ll go back: It could be a good, quickie way to get sushi when we’re feeling lazy but want to go out to a restaurant. But I don’t see it become one of our regular rotations.

For a complete list of our nearly 200 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant, #164 in a series

(Pic by Steven Pantazis.)

Restaurant: Kushiyu

Location: 18713 Ventura Blvd. (Tarzana)

Type of restaurant: Sushi

They stipulated: Kids are welcome — hell, half the tables had young ones there, so we weren’t too worried about bringing the little guy. Just try to keep them behaved. (The loud sound levels help drown out some of that.)

We stipulated: It was our friend Lizzy’s birthday, and she suggested sushi. It just so happened that we would be in West Hills on Sunday, while she was also in the West Valley looking at apartments. As you know, sushi joints dot Ventura Boulevard like coffee shops in Seattle. After a quick glance at the Chowhound and Yelp boards, Kushiyu — located in a strip mall off Yolanda on Ventura — seemed like a good pick.

What we ordered: Sushi & kushiyaki plate ($19.50); chicken and veggie plate (we needed this one for Evan; $16.50); special Asian roll, $13.50. Sushi included the basics — salmon, squid, shrimp, yellowtail, etc. Kushiyaki included chicken meat ball, lotus root, chicken breast w/citrus, fish, asparagus with pork, etc.

High point: Some of L.A.’s best sushi restaurants reside in strip malls. And while this isn’t among L.A.’s tops, it’s still a fine spot — and probably one of the better ones in the West Valley. The sushi was fresh without being too fishy (a complaint some Chowhound/Yelp readers gave Kushiya) and the skewered kushiyaki items were a hit with the BT.

Low point: Well, file this under both: You had to specifically order hot tea; in order to save a bit of money, I didn’t. Turns out it was free.

Overall impression: Well-designed dining room, and (thankfully) no wait, even though we showed up without a reservation on a busy Sunday night. Big enough that kids are welcome, and their noise blends in; not too big, though, that you get lost in the shuffle. Good service, and most importantly, good sushi and kushiyaki. Always nice to feed three people at a sushi restaurant for $55.

Chance we will go back: Don’t know how often we’ll make a point to hit sushi in the West Valley… but after reading more raves online over Kushiyu’s lemon roll, we may have to make the trip west on the 101.

For a complete list of our over 160 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant, #164 in a series

(Pic by Steven Pantazis.)

Restaurant: Kushiyu

Location: 18713 Ventura Blvd. (Tarzana)

Type of restaurant: Sushi

They stipulated: Kids are welcome — hell, half the tables had young ones there, so we weren’t too worried about bringing the little guy. Just try to keep them behaved. (The loud sound levels help drown out some of that.)

We stipulated: It was our friend Lizzy’s birthday, and she suggested sushi. It just so happened that we would be in West Hills on Sunday, while she was also in the West Valley looking at apartments. As you know, sushi joints dot Ventura Boulevard like coffee shops in Seattle. After a quick glance at the Chowhound and Yelp boards, Kushiyu — located in a strip mall off Yolanda on Ventura — seemed like a good pick.

What we ordered: Sushi & kushiyaki plate ($19.50); chicken and veggie plate (we needed this one for Evan; $16.50); special Asian roll, $13.50. Sushi included the basics — salmon, squid, shrimp, yellowtail, etc. Kushiyaki included chicken meat ball, lotus root, chicken breast w/citrus, fish, asparagus with pork, etc.

High point: Some of L.A.’s best sushi restaurants reside in strip malls. And while this isn’t among L.A.’s tops, it’s still a fine spot — and probably one of the better ones in the West Valley. The sushi was fresh without being too fishy (a complaint some Chowhound/Yelp readers gave Kushiya) and the skewered kushiyaki items were a hit with the BT.

Low point: Well, file this under both: You had to specifically order hot tea; in order to save a bit of money, I didn’t. Turns out it was free.

Overall impression: Well-designed dining room, and (thankfully) no wait, even though we showed up without a reservation on a busy Sunday night. Big enough that kids are welcome, and their noise blends in; not too big, though, that you get lost in the shuffle. Good service, and most importantly, good sushi and kushiyaki. Always nice to feed three people at a sushi restaurant for $55.

Chance we will go back: Don’t know how often we’ll make a point to hit sushi in the West Valley… but after reading more raves online over Kushiyu’s lemon roll, we may have to make the trip west on the 101.

For a complete list of our over 160 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant, #150 in a series

Restaurant: Sushi Ike

Location: 6051 Hollywood Blvd Ste 105 (Hollywood)

Type of restaurant: Sushi

We stipulated: Looking for a lunch spot in Hollywood, and after hearing great things about Sushi Ike — and jonesing for some — we decided to check it out.

They stipulated: It’s in a strip mall, and parking can be a bitch.

What we ordered: Sushi included live soft shell crab, green mussel, Spanish mackrel, Japanese scallops, red snapper and (of course) Spicy Tuna rolls.

High point: The sushi is well-prepared, fresh, and much better than your average mid-priced sushi joint.

Low point: The decor isn’t much — you never quite forget that you’re in a strip mall. And considering your bill will still hit the $50 or $60 range, it’s too bad the dining environment isn’t more pleasant.

Overall impression: I know the foodies over at Chowhound have long debated the pros and cons of Sushi Ike; I can see why. I’m torn myself. Maria enjoyed the soft shell crab, and I thought the scallops were solid… but I’m still not blown away. If everything were just a tad cheaper, I would be.

Chance we will go back: It’s not on our docket in the near future… but if I need to hit a sushi spot in Hollywood, Sushi Ike will definitely be top of mind.

(For a complete list of our over 150 restaurant reviews, visit our companion site Rate-A-Restaurant.)

Rate-A-Restaurant, #150 in a series

Restaurant: Sushi Ike

Location: 6051 Hollywood Blvd Ste 105 (Hollywood)

Type of restaurant: Sushi

We stipulated: Looking for a lunch spot in Hollywood, and after hearing great things about Sushi Ike — and jonesing for some — we decided to check it out.

They stipulated: It’s in a strip mall, and parking can be a bitch.

What we ordered: Sushi included live soft shell crab, green mussel, Spanish mackrel, Japanese scallops, red snapper and (of course) Spicy Tuna rolls.

High point: The sushi is well-prepared, fresh, and much better than your average mid-priced sushi joint.

Low point: The decor isn’t much — you never quite forget that you’re in a strip mall. And considering your bill will still hit the $50 or $60 range, it’s too bad the dining environment isn’t more pleasant.

Overall impression: I know the foodies over at Chowhound have long debated the pros and cons of Sushi Ike; I can see why. I’m torn myself. Maria enjoyed the soft shell crab, and I thought the scallops were solid… but I’m still not blown away. If everything were just a tad cheaper, I would be.

Chance we will go back: It’s not on our docket in the near future… but if I need to hit a sushi spot in Hollywood, Sushi Ike will definitely be top of mind.

(For a complete list of our over 150 restaurant reviews, visit our companion site Rate-A-Restaurant.)