by Marion Warhaft

THIS spiffy little place is a charmer, with lovely coloured glass sconces illuminating, very softly, the terra cotta walls of an intimate and inviting interior -- an attractive decor that doesn't suggest any particular kind of cuisine.

Moreover, with that umlaut -- those two little dots over the u in Bl�fish -- it wouldn't be illogical to expect a German restaurant. But a little research taught me something I hadn't known, i.e., that the umlaut is also Japanese. And so, it turns out, is the food served here.

The usual sushi bar is tucked away at the far end of the room, but, in this case, without the usual seats where one can watch the sushi chef at work. There is another bar with seats, for drinks and, presumably, food as well, but it would be far more relaxing to sit at one of the solid black tables in a high-backed and supremely comfortable dark blue-upholstered chair.

The sushi menu reads like most others, with seafood toppings priced mostly from $1.75 for a single piece of nigiri sushi with surf clam to $11 for a full order of the house roll with crab meat, tuna, salmon, tobiko and avocado. The rice was missing the vinegar that would have given it more character, but the single nigiri toppings were among the biggest slabs of fish I've seen anywhere, and all of them good.

The list is fairly extensive, but it pays to ask what might be special that night -- on one visit it was extra-fresh red tuna maguro ($2.75 a piece). Another night it was a roll of mixed seafood and avocado with smoked salmon and a sprinkle of tobiko ($9.50).

There are also a number of fanciful dishes using raw, or near raw fish, and the ones I tried were delicious. Among the signature plates, for instance, is white truffle tuna carpaccio ($12), a small serving of thin-sliced tuna, sprinkled with crunchy tobiko (i.e. flying fish roe) and dressed in white truffle oil -- the truffle part is pretty elusive, both in taste and smell, but the dish is still perfectly lovely. So is salmon tartare ($8), diced raw salmon with scallions and avocado in a sesame scented soy dressing, served with ultra-thin rice crackers.

Another signature plate is yellowtail sashimi in a citrusy soy-based vinaigrette, also terrific ($8). I know about that one only because, on one visit, we were given a little sample of it while we waited between courses, a heart-melting form of public relations I see all too rarely, even in our most expensive establishments.

The kitchen does equally well with some of the more familiar classics. Sunomono noodle and cucumber salad with octopus (shrimp or crab are alternatives) was also remarkably generous ($4.50), as was tuna go mae, another salad comprised of big chunks of maguro tuna with avocado in a black sesame sauce ($7).

Some of the hot dishes are also excellent, notable among them gyoza pork dumplings -- five for $5, very small, but among the city's best. Another (on a separate list) is tonkatsu, a tender filet of pork, breaded, deep fried (but so utterly greaseless you'd never know it), sliced and drizzled with thin ribbons of a thick, dark, tangy-sweet sauce -- a buy at $6.50. Also on that extra list, shrimp tempura ($8), deep fried in a crisp, ethereal batter, also completely grease free.

Some of the other cooked dishes, however, were disappointing. Teriyaki beef noodle soup, for instance ($9), wasn't exactly what we'd expected, with the teriyaki beef cooked separately and served on the side. It was tender and tasty, and probably worth ordering as an � la carte dinner with vegetables for $15, but the broth tasted like a weak miso soup (so faint in flavour, actually, that we couldn't be sure what it was) and the thick white noodles had no taste at all.

We didn't fare much better with Bl�fish nabi ($38 for two), a big crockful of another bland broth, crammed with precooked seafood and veggies, brought to table and left to simmer over a flame. To boil, actually, over too high a flame, which rendered the salmon, shrimp, scallops and mussels tougher than they might otherwise have been.

However, most of the other dishes I had were winners, everything is beautifully presented, and the service is charming, attentive and accommodating. For those readers who ask me to recommend restaurants near the concert hall and theatre centre, Bl�fish would be high up on my list.

DISCREET DINER

Sushi Alert! The Ashdown Warehouse now houses a much�needed Exchange District Sushi restaurant � Blufish Japanese Restaurant on Bannatyne Avenue.

Naturally, The Friend and I are only too happy to investigate this further with extensive field sampling. The d�cor certainly fits in with the locale. Burnt orange walls with a row of two�toned blue light sconces, high�backed blue cloth chairs, black wood tables and a dark coloured ceiling create a minimalist loft feeling. Urban music synthesizes the ultra�lounge atmosphere.

Even though the d�cor seems conducive to sipping one of the 11 designer martinis, TF considers one of the Japanese beers like Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin ($4.75). I pace myself with a glass of Pinot Noir ($6).

While the restaurant may be small in size, the menu presents a vast selection of Japanese cuisine options.

First bites come from the Signature Plates selection � Spicy Tuna Tataki Rolls ($9), a fusion of zingy Japanese and Vietnamese herbs, wrapped in strips of lightly torched tuna sashimi. These four fragile rolls are not overstuffed � any more of the intense filling would overpower the tuna.

Second bites go to Scallops with Herb Dressing ($10), also from the Signature Plates section. We're treated to two ample sized scallops, delicately grilled and topped with a spirited herb dressing and presented on what is presumably scallop shells. Flavours of lemon, garlic and black sesame come bursting through.

TF chooses the Sunomono Salad ($4.50), a refreshing combination of clear cellophane�like noodles mixed with cucumbers and slices of crunchy pickled daikon, tossed in a modest vinaigrette and served with a choice of shrimp, octopus and crab. Cool and crunchy, the Wakame or Seaweed Salad ($3.5) resembles spinach fettuccine in appearance. Served in a martini glass, the barely there vinaigrette adds a sheen to the dark green stands. Noisy but good.

Wih 8 types of inside�out Maki (sushi rolled with the rice on the outside) most of our selections come from this section of the menu.

The perennial benchmark California roll ($4.50) passes the test. An equal ratio of crab and avocado are rolled in neon�orange tobiko (fish roe) and cut into six fairly bite�sized pieces.

The Crunchy ($7) combines sof and we textures like cooked shrimp and crab with crunchy pieces of cucumber an tempura flakes, accompanied by a small dose of chili sauce.

The Super Dynamite ($9) takes the Dynamite roll (tempura shrimp and avocado) one step further with the addition of softshell crab and vegetables. Warning: These pieces are not bite�sized.

When on Bannatyne, try the Bannatyne ($9). Spicy tuna is paired with salmon sashimi rolled tightly and topped with slices of slippery avocado. It's not as spicy as we expected, as the creamy avocado softens the sharpness of the spicy tuna.

The restaurant namesake Blufish ($8) offers an interesting and tasty combination of flavours and textures. With ingredients like crabmeat, tamago (egg omelet), ebi (shrimp), hokkigai (surf clam), avocado and tobiko, this becomes one very thick roll with pieces that are more than a mouthful.

Of the seven kinds of vegetarian rolls listed, we try the simple and sweet Shiitake Mushroom ($3).

Eleven types of maki (seaweed on the outside) and 20 varieties of nigiri (a piece of raw fish served over a rice ball) are also available.

Chiashi ($15) has become one of my quick favourites. I think of it as a lazy sushi � big bowl of rice topped with tobiko and pieces of tako, tamago, salmon, tuna, shrimp and surf clam. Fishy good. It comes with miso soup but the server never brought it. The menu also offers SukiYaki, Shabu Shabu and Nabe in addition to non�fish dishes like Teriyaki beef or chicken.

With its not too intense flavour and nutty texture, a bowl of black sesame ice cream ($3) helps calm the palate after all those wasabi bombs.

The bill arrives in a compact black box with mints � so much nicer than a vinyl folder or tray.

Overall, the presentation of the rolls matches the d�cor in simplicity. Except for a ball of potent wasabi and a rosette of pickled ginger, there's nothing to take away from the real stars of the plate � the sushi rolls.

With friendly staff, reasonable service and a good fish�to�rice ratio, Blufish provides another Exchange District alternative for business lunches friendly dinners or late�night drinks with sushi snacks.

When asked to organize a fundraising dinner for a charitable organization that I am involved with, the first restaurant that I thought of was BluFish. I had heard many good reviews from friends and was anxious to try the food myself. I worked very closely with Candy at BluFish and came up with a great menu for the night. The atmosphere was stunning and the food exceptional. Some of the people that I work with on Quinn's Quest for a Cure were unsure how my choice of restaurant would work go over, but at the end of the night everyone � and I mean everyone, was very happy with their experience. The portions were very generous and there wasn't a single person who left unsatisfied. It is no small task to try to coordinate 50 meals at one time with no advance notice, but the courteous staff ensured that everyone was served their meals quickly and everyone was eating at the same time. Bravo!!! Exceptional attention to detail with respect to the atmosphere as well as the food is a great combination for any dining out experience � whether it be for a quiet evening out, or a large group gathering.