The Blue Fin

The area near Central Avenue and McDowell Road is known for impressive cultural institutions such as the Phoenix Art Museum and the Burton Barr Central Library. Food options near this corner have historically been limited but have started to improve in the last few years with the addition of Cheuvront, My Florist Cafe, and Thai Hut. These relative newcomers all join one of the longest-established restaurants in the area, the Blue Fin. This fast-casual Japanese restaurant serves teriyaki, rice bowls, noodles, and sushi rolls in a standalone building just a block south of the McDowell / Central Avenue Station.

The teriyaki chicken is probably Blue Fin's best known specialty, but the restaurant's menu also includes panko chicken and fish, chicken and beef curry, and vegetable yakisoba (center photo below). Sushi offerings consist of California rolls (right photo below), which come in a hearty portion of eight rolls, rather than the usual six; spicy tuna; cooked shrimp; and inari pockets. As at Yasda Bento, no raw sushi is available due to the restaurant's small kitchen size. The appetizer selections feature egg rolls, available in either pork or vegetable versions; gyoza; crab puffs; and edamame. All food can seasoned to taste at a small condiment bar near the entrance.

No alcohol is served, but beverages include fountains sodas and an interesting assortment of bottled drinks. Aloha fruit drinks, made from real cane sugar rather than corn syrup, are a particularly tasty accompaniment to the food at Blue Fin. Finally, most restaurants of this type have a limited dessert selection, but Blue Fin shines unexpectedly in the final stage of the meal. Blue Fin offers Japanese cheesecake, agar topped with fruit cocktail, and an assortment of mochi. Among the various mochi, all of which are filled with red bean paste, the one coated with sesame seeds is a standout.

Blue Fin is open weekdays only, from 10:30 AM until 6:30 PM. Party platters are available for those looking to feed large groups, and there is a drive-thru window for customers in a hurry. Service is consistently friendly, and staff are happy to answer questions about the food and its ingredients. The seating inside the restaurant is usually sufficient for the lunch rush, but many customers choose to eat outside on the mist-cooled, covered patio, which faces Central Avenue.

1401 N Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004
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(602) 254-3171

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