Izakaya Blue Ocean

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, October 27th, 2011

This week I went to Izakaya Blue Ocean in Fairfax for a great sushi lunch. I had read amazing things about this place online–I’m a big fan of Yelp “research” and like to read reviews of most places I go. The first Yelp comment for Blue Ocean was: “This place is legit.”

Not quite sure what to expect from that, I walked and instantly knew what the comment meant. In Fairfax’s Pickett Shopping Center, with a Chuck E Cheese’s and Dollar Tree, I would have never picked out the lettering of BLUE OCEAN and even think of walking in the place. But man, am I glad I did.

For 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, I was expecting an empty restaurant with one or two lingering waiters. But as soon as I walked in through the door, I was surprised by the bustling scene, loud talk and laughter and some lively instrumental music that was oddly fitting. There was a table in the back with a large party of Japanese women, which I took as a great sign. (Yes, I know this is a bit presumptuous, but I try to be observant and I’m a firm believer that an ethnic restaurant is especially good if there are people of that ethnicity eating in it; I knew the women were Japanese because I heard them speaking Japanese to the wait staff.)

I sat at the sushi bar and saw in another corner of the restaurant an old Japanese woman who sat eating by herself–she looked to be at least 95 years old, packing down a plate of steaming hot food, and from what I picked up she was most definitely a regular. I relished in the endearing moment, thinking how I loved the vibes of this Izakaya already, and then was immediately brought a hot bowl of miso soup as I looked over the menu, which my growling stomach and I were very appreciative of. Adding to my experience, the sushi chef was very friendly and pleasant to chat with.

After I finished my lunch (I went for the maki—an E.T.A. roll (eel, tobiko, avocado) and a crunchy salmon roll; both were delicious) the waitress brought over a little complimentary dessert with my bill. It was a small, green, round ball of ice cream inside Japanese mochi, a glutinous rice cake that’s soft and chewy, (and, in my opinion, doesn’t have too much flavor on its own, but stuffed with green tea ice cream it was amazing). Such great texture of chewiness and cool, silky and sweet ice cream.

I asked the waitress if they make these mochi creations in-house or if I could (hopefully) buy them somewhere, but the waitress told me that they order them online from a distributor in New York. I hoped my memory of the mochi ice cream would last, and told myself I would definitely be back to Blue Ocean again.

After lunch I went next door to Trader Joe’s to do some grocery shopping. Roaming the frozen isle, I couldn’t believe what I stumbled upon…mochi ice cream! Go figure. I was tempted to buy the box and run back next door to Blue Ocean, even though they were closed for lunch, to show them my excitement of what Trader Joe’s had.

I laughed at the irony of the Trader Joe’s next door selling what I marveled over inside the gem of Blue Ocean’s Japanese haven, and of course, bought the strawberry mochi (the only variety they had) to hold me over until my next visit.

 

 

Izakaya Blue Ocean is located at 9440 Main St. in Fairfax (703-425-7555; www.izakayablueocean.com)

-Julia Harbo

Tags: blue ocean, Fairfax, fish, Gut Check, ice cream, izakaya, Japan, japanese food, julia harbo, lunch, mochi, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, sushi, Trader Joe's