A Review of the Blue Fish House Restaurant in Houston, Texas

The Blue Fish House restaurant in Houston, Texas was rated the best sushi restaurant of 2008 by City Search's editorial staff, but by its customers, it was only ranked number five. My husband surprised me for our anniversary by taking me to the Blue Fish House on a Monday evening. The exterior was funky and exotic, but the interior was nothing special - although I loved the high back leather armless chairs.

Our waiter was very efficient and quick but not the friendliest person in the world; gee, is it me or is no one really that friendly in Houston? Since the sushi was the main attraction here, we ordered tuna nigiri, salmon nigiri, and a California roll. The fish tasted fresh, and the pieces were thick so they definitely did not skimp on the portion size. The California roll was thick - very thick - and it was almost too big to fit in my mouth all at once, but I somehow managed it despite looking like a pig. My husband kept his manners in check by eating his California roll in two bites; I guess that's the difference between someone who learned how to eat in New York versus someone who learned how to eat in Texas. The California roll was wonderful and it, like the nigiri, was very fresh. But that's where the good ends unfortunately...

I ordered white rice ($1) and asked for it to be served straight away since I have an abundance of acid in my stomach, but honestly I do not know whose stomach can tolerate this economy. The waiter brought my rice out quickly but the rice was nothing to write home about - don't expect a letter mom and dad. I also had the mushroom soup ($3.25) which was made with large strips of boiled chicken but very little mushrooms; needless to say, the soup was disappointing. Besides the fact that it was bland, it tasted nothing like traditional oriental mushroom soup. And the soup bowl was a bit odd; it was more like a ceramic bowl that was meant for French onion soup with a handle and all.

We shared the vegetable dumplings ($3.95) which come with the cute name dumb and dumpling but didn't come with a savoury sauce. Instead the sauce tasted like pure red vinegar. The dumplings themselves were very tasty though and I particularly liked how light they were.

My husband had the beef teriyaki ($8.95) from the U-Pick-It section of the menu which came with steamed vegetables and brown rice; actually you have your choice of rice, but for some unknown reason, my husband chose brown and then didn't eat it. Men! I tasted one slice of the beef teriyaki and it was like chewing a piece of sponge that had been soaked in water for a week. The beef was just a tad chewy to say the least, and for me, it was not edible.

What I liked about the Blue Fish House in Houston, Texas was the fact that they had cranberry juice on their drink list; it's my favorite drink but I never buy it so it's a real treat to have it in a restaurant. The Blue Fish House has a sushi bar which is where I'll sit the next time I eat there. The attire is casual and the crowd is mixed, so don't worry about being too old in trendy Houston.

If you want to use the restroom at the Blue Fish House, then you'll have to leave. Seriously, you have to exit the restaurant and walk the plank to the restrooms which are next door. They have one bathroom per gender; but if you have to wait in line, then don't worry, the plank is covered in the event of rain.

The Blue Fish House restaurant is open for lunch Monday-Friday 11 AM - 3 PM and Saturday 12 - 3 PM; their dinner hours are: Monday-Thursday 5 PM - 10 PM, Friday and Saturday 5 PM - 11 PM. The Blue Fish House is closed on Sunday.

The Blue Fish House restaurant is located at 2241 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas, 77098. Visit their web site at: http://bluefishhouse.com. Reservations are not necessary on Monday nights (as we found out), but I wouldn't risk it Thursday-Saturday; their phone number is: 713-529-3100.