Meeting Expectations

by Elisa Ludwig

BLUEFIN

1017 Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, 610-277-3917

Lunch: Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thu., 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat, 5-11 p.m.

Appetizers, $1.95-$8.50; entrees, $12.95-$24.95

BYOB. Reservations accepted. Wheelchair accessible. All major credit cards accepted

Ten years ago, residents of Plymouth Meeting -- the suburb known for its Quaker settlement and more recently as the home of the first U.S. IKEA -- had to travel to nearby Norristown to meet their sushi needs or accept the insidiously tempting wads of gummy fish, fake crab and seaweed that masquerade as sushi in most supermarkets. I know this because my family lives there, and over the years, we've ordered wooden boatfuls upon wooden boatfuls of sushi at August Moon. Well, times have changed: Ikea is now in Conshohocken and P.M. has finally acquired its own Japanese restaurant. In fact, Bluefin, which sits in a tiny, old-school shopping plaza off Germantown Avenue, is owned and operated by former August Moon chef Yong Kim, and acolytes swear it's the best sushi in, around and near the city.

Indeed, on a weekday evening, the restaurant was packed, and, not having made a reservation, we had to wait for a table. One of the first-course highlights was the spicy tuna sundae, a combination of raw tuna, avocado and roasted peanuts lavishing in spicy tuna sauce (red pepper and mayonnaise) and dotted with tiny orange pearls of roe. Served in a martini glass, this little savory confection elicited several oohs and ahs from our table. We also enjoyed the delicate steamed pork shumai, wrapped in a light wasabi-flavored dough. Another favorite was the cool salad of shredded crabmeat and cucumber which was naturally sweet and light on the tongue.

Unfortunately Bluefin's popularity made for slow service, and we were given not one, but two compensatory plates of salmon tempura between courses. The salmon was not fresh, and after the appetizers, which were almost uniformly delicious, seemed like a letdown. (Later, a complimentary dessert of honeydew melon, orange wedges and tempura-dipped banana restored our faith in freebies.)

Next up was the eagerly awaited sushi. Bluefin serves a nice variety of standards (salmon, fluke, yellowtail) as well as exotic-for-this-region choices (white tuna and Japanese red snapper). The roll menu is also extensive, but thankfully doesn't go overboard with inauthentic ingredients and combinations. Overall, the fish was exquisitely fresh, but the rice was a little soft, and our rolls fell apart with any amount of handling. While not entirely living up to its raving reputation, the sushi was quite good, with the Spanish mackerel, crunchy spicy tuna roll and lobster hand roll topping the list. Add these to the spicy tuna sundae, the meetinghouses and the DIY furniture kits nearby, and Plymouth Meeting is looking better all the time.

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