I remember Sunday afternoons as a kid fondly.
We’d stumble out of church, sleepy and content. I’d hold my brother’s hand as we walked down the steps and prattle on about what we did in Sunday school that day. And, of course, I’d ask mom, “What are we eating?” about 10 times before we got to the car.
If Grandma was around, the answer was inevitably Hong Kong Buffet.
We would all race to the koi pond once we got there to call dibs on our favorite fish before entering the flurry of people waiting not so patiently for the buffet. I can still remember the steam rising from the fried rice and the clatter of plates being filled and dumped.
I remember standing on my tiptoes to reach the Chinese doughnuts that made up the majority of my meal, and falling asleep on mom’s lap when the sugar rush died down.
Flash forward to Nov. 30, 2016. I pulled up to the old site of Hong Kong Buffet — now Bluefish Chinese Japanese Restaurant — and killed the engine. Sidekick and photographer Devin Dronett met me outside by the koi pond, and we leaned over the rail like old times.
But we didn’t enter a swarm of hungry people or a wall of steam. Instead, we walked into a swanky open area with cushy booths separated by a wall of beads. Classical music streamed in, and low-key blue-lighting lined the ceiling.
It was quite a change from what I remembered, but I found myself quickly falling for the restaurant’s newfound elegance and glamorous feel. Our waiter said it had been open for about eight weeks.
I ordered the first thing I saw on the menu, the Unagi Roll, filled with eel and cucumber. Unable to settle, I tagged on the Art of Maki, which contained shrimp tempura, avocado, snow crab and raw tuna.
Devin ordered the lunch special Orange Chicken, which was only $6.95 and came with miso soup, egg roll and rice. Our entire order totaled $34, and in about 15 minutes our food was ready.
I decided to go for the Art of Maki first. As truly authentic sushi rolls tend to do, the roll fell apart on contact and melted in my mouth like air. The thin layer of tuna mingled with the avocado and the snow crab, and the tempura finished it off with a satisfying crunch. I couldn’t stop gushing about it to Devin in between bites.
A few rolls in, I decided to switch over to the Unagi before things got out of hand. Something about the sweet undertones of the eel and the crispness of the cucumber — I’d never heard of the combination but I was quickly convinced that the two were made for each other.
Out of curiosity — it certainly wasn’t hunger at that point — I took a bite of Devin’s ample pile of Orange Chicken and rice. It was light and delicious, with just the right amount of sauce and that oh-so-satisfying crunch unique to this classic Chinese dish.
Although I’ll always cherish the times I had at Hong Kong, I have no doubt that dining at Bluefish Chinese Japanese Restaurant will prove just as memorable.
And I have sneaking suspicion that Grandma will like this one, too.
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