Blue Fin Sushi Is On A Roll

It’s not true that all raw fish has a “fishy” taste, said Tyler Bess, manager of Blue Fin Sushi in Layton.

  “If it’s good quality fish, it shouldn’t smell or taste fishy. If it does, it’s low-quality or it’s not as fresh. A good quality fish should have subtle flavors, rather than just fishiness.”

  Blue Fin Sushi, which prides itself of its quality of seafood, is NOT the place to go if you want half-price or all-you-can-eat sushi.

“We are going for more quality fine dining,” said Bess.

  Last month I did a Standard-Examiner story on Blue Fin Sushi, which opened last fall at 801 W. 1425 North, Layton.

  The owner is Bart Bess of Perry. He and son Tyler Bess of Tremonton had never owned a restaurant. They were working with Sprint, and decided to get out of the business when it merged with T-Mobile. Bart is a sushi fan, and Tyler has since trained as a sushi chef.

  “We wanted to do something with quality fish, not all-you-can-eat or half-off,” said Tyler Bess.

   The building, at 801 W. 1425 North, just northeast of the Layton Midtown Crossing bridge, was most recently Ichiban Sushi & Cajun Seafood. Years before that, it was an Iggy’s Sports Grill. The upscale décor has changed completely from its sports grill days, with stunning, Medusa-like light fixtures. If you look closely, you’ll notice booth layout is the same.

But where Iggy’s big screen TVs were the focal point in the middle of the room, the sushi bar now takes center space, so that just about every table has a view of the chefs at work.

  People can sit at the sushi bar, or at a table, booth or even a private dining room.

   “Most people prefer to sit in a booth,” said Tyler Bess. “But those who sit at the bar are big sushi fans, who like being engaged with the chef and seeing what’s going on.”

  If they get the chance, they will want to engage with executive chef Andy Seok, who trained in Okinawa for several years. Initially from California, he said he “fell into cooking.” He and his brother were in college when his mother became ill, so he dropped out and found a job. After his mother recuperated, he went to Okinawa to get proper training as a sushi chef.

  “I wanted to learn it from where sushi originated,” Seok said. “I feel the training is most important to learn it the right way, instead of the short cuts.”

  Bess said it’s crucial for chefs to know which cuts of the fish are best for different preparations.

  “When we get whole fish in, different parts of the fish have a different flavor. You have to know what to cut and how to serve it,” Bess said. “Some pieces are better as rolls, or others better as sashimi. Anything on the back is more meaty, and will be good on a roll.”

  But the fatty belly (otoro) should be served on its own, as it’s a delicacy.

  The name “Blue Fin,” comes from the bluefin tuna, which is the restaurant’s top-selling fish. “It’s known for being the best tuna,” said Bess. “It’s very expensive; hardly anybody can get their hands on it to serve it. It has the quality and exclusivity we were going for. People come here for it because they can’t get it anywhere else.”

   The bluefin, the largest tuna species, is considered the king of the seas. Some grow as large as 15 feet and 2,000 pounds, and live for 30 years.

  “A supplier brings it in fresh from places like Japan where it’s fished, and we cut it up ourselves,” Bess said.  

  Wildlife groups have declared bluefin as endangered and overfished. But according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Although Pacific-wide populations are well below target levels, U.S. wild-caught Pacific bluefin tuna is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed under rebuilding measures that limit harvest by U.S. fishermen.” 

  The NOAA also stated that managing the bluefin situation is complex because they migrate thousands of miles across oceans and international borders, and are fished by many different nations.

  I’ve not done a lot of research on this topic. But if it’s a concern for you, you can ask the restaurant about its sourcing.

  The restaurant’s popular “Blue Fin style” otoro is topped with grated wasabi root, tobiko (flying fish roe) and white truffle oil.  Five pieces are $35. 

Bluefin tuna is also served as Maguro Nigiri, where a small ball of sushi rice on the bottom is topped with slices of the raw tuna.

   The Green Giant roll has spicy tuna and cucumber inside, topped with yellowtail tuna, lime, wasabi mayo and sriracha. 

  The Blue Dragon roll has spicy crab, tempura shrimp and avocado inside, topped with cooked eel, tobiko (flying fish roe), spicy mayo and eel sauce.

Maguro Nigiri features slices of raw bluefin tuna, accented with cucumber and an edible flower.

With advance reservations, Blue Fin can offers the Omakase, or the Chef Experience, where the chef creates a customized 10-15 course menu in front of you, while you watch.

  Diners can also order a wooden bamboo “boat” filled with a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi and nigiri. “The chef will custom-build it to what they like,” said Bess. A small boat that feeds two to three people is $90; a large boat for five people is $250.

  You can finish off your meal with the Cloud 9 dessert sushi roll.

“Instead of rice and seaweed, we have doughnuts filled with strawberries, banana and cheesecake, shaped and rolled like sushi roll,” said Bess. “It’s topped with fresh fruit, Nutella sauce, mango sauce and whipped cream.” The price is $13 for eight pieces. 

About Blue Fin Sushi:

Location: 801 W. 1425 North, Layton

Contact: https://www.bluefinutah.com; 801-217-3823

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Prices: $8 to $70