Red Fin

05/16/2008 Posted by tike0vitz

I've been going to Red Fin now for half a year, mostly in the winter. Now that summer is upon us however, i find I can't even sit in the bar or restaurant for more than 10 minutes without starting to perspire. I love the place, the food is great, presentation unbelievable, the entire staff is so friendly and helpful, but seriously, turn up the A/C, it's like dining in a boiler room on hot days.

04/08/2008 Posted by traveler747

Staying near convention center, and not a lot of higher end places for a sushi bar type dinner without taking a cab. Tried Red Fin, and was concerned that it was a fusion type place with different cuisines. Was thinking of cabbing it to places that were recommended for pure sushi type experience, but since I was dining alone, I preferred something within walking distance. Red Fin had a great atmosphere with a mix of out-of-towners and locals. Sushi bar was full, so had a table for two in bar area. Sushi bar lighting was too bright anyway. Had the Sashimi dinner with miso + rice for $28, and it was as large and fresh as I have had anywhere. Sushi dinner was $25. I was looking for an Omakase type dinner, but with all things considered, and location taking an important role in the decision, this was great. Beer and sake prices were very reasonable as well. Highly recommended due to location, ambience, and fresh fish. Favorite sushi places are Sushi Sasabune in Honolulu and Los Angeles. Different owners and LA cheaper by 20%, but excellent Omakase at both.

12/17/2007 Posted by sryuuza

If you are in Seattle or even passing by and are even remotely hungry for something Asian, check this place out. I usually dine here for lunch and sometimes dinner and was kind of skeptical about breakfast, but they do that right as well. Anytime I have ever dined at Red Fin it has been extremely tasty offering unique flavors for all their dishes from the dozens of Bento Box combinations to the full service Sushi Bar.

Pros: Service, Price Value, Promt Service

Cons: None yet and lets keep it that way!

07/30/2007 Posted by hilaryhhh

Not only was I pleasantly surprised with the high level of service and quality of the ajoining Hotel Max - it has been a pleasure eating many a meal at Red Fin during my stay (a plus for returning to this hotel for future trips to Seattle). The menu is interesting, the quality and presentation EXCELLENT!. Try it - you will not be disappointed. The staff are fantastic and will help guide you through your choices. They are warm and helpful - and all seem to enjoy and take pride in this gem of a spot. The space is small but never seems uncomfortably crowded - the furniture is comfy. Aside from amazing sushi try the crab soup - wow! They also offer brunch on the weekends. On top of it all the prices are very reasonable given the quality you receive. Bravo!

Pros: Service, Quality and Value

Cons: NONE

06/01/2007 Posted by alicianoele

My recent Urban Eats dinner at Red Fin was good, but none of the flavors really blew my mind. My dining partner really liked the spicy tuna poke starter--a little too much onion for me, but I realize not everyone shares my onion issues. For my own starter, I went with the goat cheese and wonton chips and found it to be an interesting, tasty combo. I didn't care for the accompanying marinated apple dice as the flavor just seemed off. My teriyaki steak was tender, but pretty basic...double thumbs-up on the wasabi potatoes and tempura onion rings, though. My dining partner's phad thai was, like the steak, very basic in that it was...pad thai. With scallops and shrimp. Desserts were something of a weak link--the consistency of the Thai tea creme brulee just wasn't quite right, and the cheesecake reportedly too strongly-flavored. Of note, Red Fin serves mammoth portions of food--go there hungry! I had to take home some of my steak and potatoes as a leftover, and I couldn't finish the enormous quantity of creme brulee. No complaints on the service, but no raves either. Our server was prompt but not especially warm--he got the job done and that was it.

Pros: Huge portions, well-prepared and presented food

Cons: Weak desserts, flavors not compelling

03/29/2007 Posted by wanttobefoodie

When people ask me my favorite restaurant in Seattle, I always find myself saying Red Fin. The menu has so many options. Red Fin is a place I can go for a special occation with multi courses or for a quick bite and a drink. I have dinned there too many times to count. Everything from the sushi bar is incredible. I think I have tried everything on the menu and love it all. Among my favorites are the 5 spice duck and the shimp pad thai. For lunch I enjoy the chicken sandwich, or a bento box. The service is friendly and relaxed. The atmosphere decor is "hip, downtown" and spacious. I love the fact I get great quality and well prepared food at a price I can dine frequently. I highly recommend Red Fin as a place to dine frequently.

Pros: Great menu, friendly service

Cons: not exceptional 4 star service

02/12/2007 Posted by guyon12

I went to the Red fin for the first time on Saturday and my girlfriend and I loved it! The atmosphere was romantic and fun, the executive chef came around to each table personally to describe the specials, and they have a great wine selection. The sushi was some of the best I've had in town (The Red fin roll was awesome - love the jalepeno touch) and the scallops small plate was VERY good. Service was excellent all the way around, and we were too full for desert. The only thing I might add would be a couple of lighter desserts to the menu, but we wouldn't have had room anyway, so no points deducted. You can also charge to the room if you're staying at the Hotel Max - we were and it was the perfect combo. Special thanks to the exec. chef for his time and descriptions - this guy is REALLY into food and it shows.

Pros: location, ambience, service, food

Cons: heavy dessert menu

02/05/2007 Posted by vuoffline7

Been to Red Fin a couple times now - doing both the happy hour thing as well as the all-out dinner. Since I've been to some of the other restaurants mentioned by other reviewers, I just don't understand what they're talking about. The happy hour there is quite the deal with the same quality food. During dinner, my sashimi was simply fantastic and the portion huge! And unlike some of those other sushi places, the rest of the menu might even exceed the sushi. We had a special with Sichuan peppercorn-grilled beef medallions in a Chinese rice wine(shaowshang?)-thyme sauce kinda like a demiglaze. It had fingerling potatoes, wild mushrooms, bacon and gorgonzola. Some sweet and sour balsamic onion jam topping, too. Just amazing! One of the best things I have eaten this year. And they actually have the wine list to back up this kind of food (that seemed more French-Chinese; most of their menu at dinner seems more French-Italian fused with Japanese, Chinese and Thai, a little Vietnamese and some Korean, too). Service was overall very good - not too formal but very nice and got the job done. Matched the atmosphere: more hip upscale casual than anything. I could pick them apart for a few details here and there, but it's not trying to be Rover's or Mistral (my favorites when I want to sit up very straight in my chair) and you're not paying for that, either. I will be back many times as long as they keep it up.

01/05/2007 Posted by mlh0314

Red Fin has great atmosphere and located in Hotel Max which is one of the most posh and trendy hotel in Seattle. Its sister restaurant Wasabi Bistro has been serving great Japanese cuisine for years and frankly I had a lot of expectation for Red Fin. First time visiting Red Fin was for a friends' birthday. The service was slow and the food portion is stingy, pricy, and average tasting. I thought it may be a one time glitch so I went with a couple of close friends again couple of weeks later hoping to give it another try. Again the food was disappointing and with so many Japanese restaurants to choose from in Seattle I'm surprise to this day they are still in business!! Perhaps I should give them one last try to see if they have gotten better. For the same price point (spendy), I would rather go to Wann or Umi Sake House.

Pros: Decor, Service

Cons: Price, food

12/04/2006 Posted by chazmcg

I went to Red Fin for the first time with a group of 6; and we were promptly seated, despite having no reservations. I had heard about Wasabi Bistro before, but I didn't know Red Fin had the same owner. Our server, Ian, was very helpful and knowledgeable of the food and wine available. I had a Tarantula roll (softshell crab, avocado and jalapeno) and the special of the day (fried vegetables with a spicy scallop mixture on top), both delicious, and not lacking any heat! The bathrooms were a little hard to find (in the hotel lobby?), but we'll definitely be coming back!