Bluefin Sushi Thai – 3211 Encinal Ave, Suite. A - Alameda CA 94501 – (510) 522-1269

December 28, 2012 -- Bluefin Sushi Thai is a relatively new east end restaurant (opened in 2012). It is located in the former Burger Orchard space next to the Encinal Market. The service was very attentive. The atmosphere was very pleasant (the girls liked the way they folded the napkins). The food was a little unusual combining both Japanese and Thai cuisines, but it was prepared artfully and tasted delicious. This is a good place to go with a group that includes folks that don’t like Thai food, since they can get traditional chicken teriyaki or something else less spicy.

Our party of six had:

• Fried tofu (appetizer) - The girls loved it; very crispy and delicious. It was served with a tangy sauce.

• Bento Box #1 with chicken teriyaki - This was Linnea’s dish. “It was…interesting,” she said. “I liked the sashimi and teriyaki, but the sushi was unusual in that it had edamame beans in it!”
• Bento Box #5 vegetarian - Greta’s box had tofu pockets (rice balls wrapped in sweet tofu), broccoli and carrots over rice, and vegetable rolls. Greta enjoyed the “flavorful and juicy” bento box very much (giving it four stars out of five), although she didn’t eat the vegetable roll because she doesn’t like avocado.

• Alameda roll - Vera ordered this roll, which was spicy crab wrapped with cucumber. Not knowing how spicy this roll would be, Vera was caught off-guard. But, she enjoyed the orange served alongside with a paper umbrella.
• Garlic noodles - This unique Thai dish was described as “very good but not normal,” by Vera (who is used to Chinese garlic noodles).

• Chicken teriyaki - Elizabeth ordered this dish which had generous portions and included many fresh vegetables.
• Panang curry and Mango curry – Both of the Thai dishes were excellent. We really enjoyed them (and suspect that the owner/chef is a Thai food specialist).

We ordered extra rice and finished off most of the dishes, except for the garlic noodles and spicy sushi and needed a to-go container. Since Bluefin Sushi Thai is a new restaurant, they are probably not aware that  Alameda has a Styrofoam ban.

http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/Go-Green/Styrofoam-Ban

Ruth gave Greta and Vera special collapsible Tupperware for Christmas to bring along for leftovers when doing our restaurant blogging. But we forgot them on this outing (doh!) and had to get the take-out packaging (which came in Styrofoam). We will let Maria in Public Works know that Bluefin needs to be notified of the Styrofoam ban.

We accidentally got Styrofoam!

We forgot to bring our Tupperware for leftovers!

 Compost report – We spoke with a server and asked her if the restaurant had organics collection. She did not think they had that service, but was interested because she was familiar with some of the restaurants in Oakland that have organics collection. We gave her a MASC brochure and she said that she would give it to the owner. We checked around back at the Encinal Market and saw that they have an organics dumpster (so it should be easy for Bluefin to start composting!).

So, we recommend that you take a trip to the east end of Alameda and check out Bluefin Sushi Thai. Have some wonderful Thai food and ask them if they are composting.