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Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
35002 Pacific Hwy SThe best tasting sushi I've had outside of Seattle.
The only thing that sucks is you don't really know what you're eating since you're grabbing it off a conveyor belt. Hard to be sure exactly what each thing is. Thankfully, that doesn't bother me too much.
If you're allergic to anything though... or you really don't want to eat specific things.. this probably isn't a good idea!
This place is alright. My god, their conveyor belt is damn long. Fortunately, they do cover their sushi with something plastic and clear, so you're still able to choose what you want. They're sushi has different prices, depending on the color of the plates that the sushi is on.
I came on a night that was quite empty although I have heard that it does get pack.
The quality isn't the best, but you do get what you pay for. It's similar to the conveyor belts in San Francisco, but this place has a bit more variety. This place is based on solely conveyor belt and doesn't have other normal size dishes. They serve udon, but they're much smaller.
I'd come back if I want a quick fix on my sushi craving.
Big brother gives 2 thumbs up! I give 4 stars! Roomy, pleasant restaurant with attentive servers! Pick up a menu and match the pictures to the treats travelling by on the sushi train. When I couldn't match up the picture, I asked the staff what the items were - so no mysteries there! If you choose soups, you just call for your waiter and ask. Between us, we must have had about 10 plates of goodies, miso soup and I had shrimp udon. All were tasty. Big brothers says there's just enough rice, not an outrageous giganto hunk on the sashimi bites. We didn't have alcoholic drinks, but I would love to return and have a long island ice tea for $4! It was just the wrong time of day for me to do so this trip. And special note ...they have plates of chicken strips on the sushi train, so you can bring the kids and others who don't do sushi!
Clean place decent service. Cheap sushi. However, if you look closely, every roll is actually a cheap california roll in disguise with some sort of fish/eel on top (hence the cheap $). For instance, their spider roll was really a california roll with *one* crab leg in it. Their sushi isn't the freshest either. I go to Blue Island whenever I'm in need of a sushi fix and can't drive to Seattle. Their tuna poke, SOS roll (scallops in spicy mayo sauce on top of a california roll then baked), and spicy jalapeno (spicy tuna stuffed in jalapenos and deep fried in batter) are pretty good, as long as you order it fresh and refrain from taking it off the conveyor belt. This place isn't so bad as long as you stay away form the nigiri and anything that's a california roll in disguise.
It's the typical converyor belt sushi experience. The sushi is good, and it satisfies my occasion need for quick and fast california roll. The rest of the family love it as well..it definitely being a kid friendly place. ALTHOUGH, i noticed they do not have a diaper changing place in the bathroom, and a poor mother was changing her baby on the sink area. NOT cool, or sanitary for customers or baby.
The staff is very friendly and attentive. We continue to go here, despite the drive.
If you have been to SushiLand it's the conveyor belt concept. The sushis
are fresher and more creative than Sushi Land. And 50cents more.
It's definitely better than a lot of sushi chains out there. But selections are limited. Of course, if you're a serious Japanese food lover. You don't come here.
Good service, clean and 3 stars for the food.
If you aren't paying attention and accidentally walk into Blue Island you'll be struck with the immediate thought, "Hmm...what a mediocre dance club." The décor is fairly modern and chic - they have a full bar - and the music is a heavy rotation of R&B artists (Chris Brown, Ne-yo, Akon, and Kanye West). Then, upon closer inspection, you'll notice the gigantic conveyor belt amply stocked with raw fish that runs through the center of the restaurant and realize you indeed walked into the right place.
To appreciate Blue Island Sushi you have to make a clear distinction of what it truly is versus what it is not. Much like your expectations when walking into McDonald's and realizing you aren't going to consume a 'real' hamburger, when you go to Blue Island you aren't getting 'real' sushi. Yes, they have sashimi - nigiri - and every other type of 'i' you can think of - but if your expectations are one of an authentic sushi dining experience (see: Shiki's, Nishino, Shiro's) you'll be disappointed.
Not to say that the quality of the sushi at Blue Island is bad - for a conveyer belt style restaurant I've been impressed more than I've been disappointed. You are going to find a wide selection of plates available at any given time, and the chefs are more than happy to freshly prepare any item on the menu if you so desire. But, like I said previously, go in there with realistic expectations. Unlike the intimate atmosphere offered at more traditional sushi restaurants, Blue Island is literally a cornucopia for the senses. You'll constantly be distracted by the bright plates rotating in your field of vision - the music and chatter of the customers can make conversation difficult at times - and the sporadic plates of Orange Chicken / Chicken Tenders / Fried Peppers stuffed with Cream Cheese and Sausage (to appeal to the non-sushi customers) can shock your olfactory system.
The best way to explain the Blue Island Sushi experience is this: Have you ever had a really strong craving, let's say, for a Fudgesicle? You think about how delicious it would taste, how much you enjoy the flavor, and how happy it would make you to indulge? Then, you drive to the store only to find that they are out of Fudgesicles and that you'll have to settle for a close knock-off and not the authentic version. Well, that perfectly captures Blue Island. It's not the real deal, but in a pinch, it sedates the craving.
Really, the only decent sushi place I've been to in Federal Way.
I've been here several times and though the rolls have consistently tasted good, their selection and variations aren't that huge.
And I don't like how almost every roll has some kind of sauce squirted on top of it. After a few plates, you can feel kind of sick with all the sauces.
Their service is good and they are always packed during dinner time, so expect a wait, especially if you want a booth. Decor is great since it is new with nice plasma tv's and multi colored wall sections. Plus they have a full bar, which has a nice touch to it.
The price is a bit higher compared to other chains like sushi land.
This place is a little more expensive than Sushiland...but that doesn't mean it's better.
Pros: Big place (almost cavernous), clean, good service
Cons: NOT fresh (went there for dinner at 6:30 and the stuff was just not fresh), portions are small
If you are familiar with the Sushiland chain, this place is equivalent of the Queen Anne one. Yes, friend, stay away.
We liked the place but I agree with the other posters that the food is average and a lot of the same with slight variations. It will cost you an average of $25 per person.
I did quit going when we were left in the waiting area for 45 minutes along with about 15 other people. When I looked around the place, I saw that close to half the tables were empty but were roped off. I asked the hostess why these tables were not being used when there were enough people waiting to fill almost all of them. She just said that section was "closed". I wondered why since it was a help yourself ordeal. The only real interraction with the wait staff was when drinks were served and the bill was presented.
I told the hostess we will take our business else where. She didn't seem to give a hoot.
This place is cool if you're looking for some tasty sushi at a reasonable price. Compared to other sushi restaurants that I've visted, this place is really cheap. Don't get me wrong, just because the price is low, the food is not a reflection of that at all. Good sushi, laid back atmosphere and the conveyor belt thing is cool too! Pick & choose as they sushi goes by and start stacking those color-coded plates. My limit, at best is 12 plates. Have fun and eat hearty!
The 4 stars is relative.
Compared to the Tsukiji wholesale fish market (Tokyo), this place would get a 2. Compared to Maneki (Seattle), it would get a 3. But being in Federal Way with not many other choices, and keeping in mind that it's kaiten sushi, *not* a standard Japanese restaurant, the quality is good. Thought not melt-in-your-mouth-like-butter good. I think that the nice surprise for me was that the prices were discounted 25¢ per plate at lunch.
In terms of the fish, I thought that some of the tuna was a bit too cold, like right-out-of-the-fridge cold. What does that do? Well, it takes away from the taste, as well as the texture (since it's too stiff), and thus the experience. And it makes me wonder how fresh really is this fish. Specifically, it was the tuna sashimi salad they had.
There were a couple of rolls, though, that were excellent. The most expensive plates were definitely the best in quality by far. However, I agree with a previous Yelper that they need to put a cover on all of the plates, and not just most of them, for sanitary reasons.
I'll probably go back next week for lunch again.
One Saturday afternoon my boyfriend and I wanted to try a different sushi place and stumbled upon blue island. When I first saw it I thought it was a pretty neat place. Upbeat music, big place. What I found that made me raise my eyebrow was that there was a family sitting to my right on the cushions by the window. They were told that they would be able to sit at a table because no one was serving it. They ended up waiting there for 20 MINUTES before they we're brought to a table when I saw 2 or 3 waiting wandering around. What I also didn't like was I asked the waitress for more tea and she filled it up half way. I also didn't like how nothing on the conveyor belt was labeled but you had to check a menu they have waiting for you. I think that could have been planned out a lot better. To me, this place was okay. I'm not sure if I would go back or not.
I come here often for lunch, because there's really no where else to go in Federal way that offers a healthy, cheap, lunch option. During lunch, their fares decrease a quarter, so you can get a few good plates for under ten bucks. The sushi is fresh and is cheaper (and better) than what I could get at trader joes or safeway, so it's definitely a plus.
But the fact of the matter is, it's average sushi. Nothing spectacular, no song and dance moments when eating the food.
Good points are their bathrooms are clean and the music they play are awesome korean songs. Plus, their staff is very attentive.
but i go for the food (damnit) and its mediocre. If you do go, get the stuffed jalapenos and salmon bake roll. they're pretty good.
We got the food to go - rolls, sushi, sashimi...
They were very fresh and tasty~
I just wish that they would put more rice in the roll so you have more to chew on. After 3-4times of chewing, they are just gone.
I've been here probably 4 or 5 times and I love this place.
Service isn't very consistent. One time, I had a nice waiter that always came by once in a while if we wanted anything else but another time, we had a waitress that didn't get us our water, my friend asked for Cream puffs and ended up having to ask one of the chefs, and she barely came by to see how we were doing.
The sushi there is fresh and is pretty good.
They have interesting combos that work well together.
Overall, if service was consistent, I would give it 5 stars.
Love this place and so do my kids! Fun, fast and friendly service. The chefs definitely entertain the kids and sometimes give them little samples of what they just made. We all love the Ichiro roll - it's definitely our favorite! The kids will chooses Blue over McDonalds,
Fatburger or the Rock any day. The prices at lunch are great and the variety is always good plus they will quickly make you anything you want off the menu which is quite large and varied!
I don't usually write reviews unless I thought the place was amazing and/or an epic failure. Well, this place fortunately is AMAZING. I usually eat sushi in Seattle at belt-sushi places like Blue C or Sushiland... however, these places don't offer a variety in flavor or TYPE of sushi which Blue Island DOES. Their service is decent unlike Sushiland, although it is missing the awesome service button that Blue C has.
Overall, great place. Clean, good food. Their Udon dish is amazing, order it!
My sister who lives up here in Auburn wanted to go here after taking my dad to the hospital for a check-up. So took dad, my sister and my brother in law. We all really enjoyed it. I like all the sauces and hot sauce. Very spicy! Excellent. Will continue to eat here every time I come up for a visit from Silicon Valley.
Yummy food. I love the food assortment here. Unlike other place like this in Seattle, Blue Island Sushi has it's signature dishes that are ONLY available with them. They usually have quick seating, and plenty of food out on the conveyor belts. I especially love how you're able to order soup and desserts as well even if they're not seen on the belt. All the cooks and servers are especially nice, not to mention the HUUUUUGE screen they have that usually has sports playing ;).
The only reason why I didn't give this a five star, is because of their quick drops in making certain dishes when it's not peak times. Sometimes they'll leave out some of the best dishes because they notice that it's not lunch or dinner. Other than that, it's a really nice place.
Ok first thing is whoever says this is bad sushi doesnt know sushi this place is amazing when it comes to giving you good fresh sushi remember when you think good sushi think Blue Island
Great atmosphere, decent service, and pretty damn good sushi. I've been to Blue Island several times and every time its been great. The one thing that sucks is some times the sushi is not always the same because there are many chefs their. I've never been unsatisfied with the food though. I would like to point out it can get crowded, and it can be loud. Otherwise a great place.
The most FUN I've ever had eating sushi! This place was fantastic - big screen TV, full bar, nice bathrooms and Sushi on a conveyor belt!! The prices were fair, the food was tasty, the sushi chefs were chatty and entertaining - you get your money's worth here.
We sat in front of the door too, but that's becuase the place was PACKED with customers...that's what happens sometimes.
We will definately go back again and again.
It's not often you get to experience the conveyor belt sushi bar.
Most pieces were covered with a little, plastic "hat" to protect from patrons like me from drooling on your fish.
The prices are very good. This big girl ate like a pig under $15 for lunch.
The service was horrible the day I went. My friend told me that wasn't normal. I can tell the fish was VERY fresh. I couldn't stop eating the salmon. I felt like a bear! GERRRR!
This is by far one of the best places to go to in Federal way! Sometimes service can be slow if they are busy, so I order off the menu first, the orange chicken can take a while to make....but its yummy! Their spicy tuna rolls are really good! If you do not like sushi they have plently of other stuff to keep you happy. The prices here are amazing!
Good food. I mean its very laid back atmosphere. I'd never been to a Sushi joint with a conveyor belt before, but it was awesome. Grab what you want and eat. Good food. I recommend anything with the tuna. The staff is always friendly. Good prices my wife and I can go and eat for 20 bucks or less. I recommend this place to anyone. You have to go and try it at least
The sushi was pretty good... nothing like Wasabi Bistro, of course... but about 5 times better than nasty Sushi Land. The place was CLEAN... probably because its very new. The bathroom was really nice as well... I almost took a picture in there (haha). I think it doesn't open until 5pm though, so don't go there early!
At least I knew that the sushi was freshly made and it didn't taste like rubber. Kids have fun eating here because they can pick what they want as they go by on the conveyer belt.
** 4/23/08--Writing an amendment to my original review below**
This place has improved a great deal since my original review. Much more variety and the quality seems to have improved. I've gone here 3 more times in the past 2 months and am now giving it a hearty 4 stars!!
Conveyor belt sushi comes to Federal Way!
This place is strictly average. It's a notch or two below the U Village Blue C, but has the same sort of feel and variety. Very average. I've been twice, will most likely go back sometime when I have a craving, but nothing special 3 stars. Very "eh".
Went to this place tonight. I'll have to give it an average rating. Their prices aren't bad for a conveyor sushi place. But they use a lot of msg in their food and for some reason love using mayo on all sorts of things. The usual types of sushi weren't bad. The sushi rice was very bland and didn't have the right sweetness and flavor to it. I started to question the place when I started seeing a PINK colored sauce on top of the sushi. Wasn't brave enough to test what it was. I'm assuming its colored mayo. I'll probably stick with Blue C Sushi since its around the same price and things are slightly better portioned.
This place is pretty hit or miss, service can be real slow! Food is okay, they have one really good roll but I couldn't tell you the name of it because none of the rings are labeled. Whenever I order the cream puff deserts the inside is always super frozen. Should be gooey on the inside, Blue C Sushi is still my favorite.
This is one of the better conveyor belt style sushi places. Most of the sushi and hot plates are great, but I can't stand the ones that are overflowing with all those sauces over them. I think that pretty much covers up the taste of the whole roll. The rainbow roll is great. This place has a full bar and during lunch on weekdays, all plates are 25 cents off.
The plates range from about $2.00-$4.50, I believe.
Fortunately for Blue Island Sushi in F-Dub, they have no serious competition when it comes to sushi, which is why when you need a sushi fix in the southend, this may be the place you resort to. (especially if the damn gas prices keep going up)
You have your conveyor belt serving style with trendy "hip" Asian staff. These guys didn't go through years of apprenticeship like official sushi chefs so clearly, you're going to get the style of sushi where its being mass-produced.
Food: Its good, but for me, I prefer traditional sushi rolls/nigiri/sashimi and other standard japanese dishes. Blue Island takes has all those weird layerings of sushi and combination roles with tons of mayo. They need to stick more with the basics. Also their sushi isn't like top grade stuff, its not melt in your mouth kind that you can get at better sushi places.
Ambience: I dont know if its just me but I feel rushed when I go. The staff feels like they're always in a rush so it rubs off on me as a patron.
I'm a regular at this place. I'm a big fan of Sushi, and can get very picky with my sushi. This place always fits my standards of good sushi. Always fresh, very hygienic. Service isn't always good, but it's definately worth it. It's a casual, cheap, good quality sushi place.
I would say that I have experienced better, I have gone there like probably 6 or 7 times and I noticed on the conveyor belt that they serve a lot of California Roll based dishes. And I hate that. I would say they are overpriced because of the California Roll base sushi they have there. My favorite there would have to be the seared tuna salad and the sashimi's. OMG their Calamari is horrible I would recommend Sushi Land's Calamari. though. Other then that theres one sushi Chef that is pretty rude he works near the front entrance and always has a mean mean mean look on his face. Plus one time my waiter was no where to be found and I ask the Chef to make me a dish and he screamed at the Waiter and the Waiter got all scared. Dude, he needs to seriously calm down, It's not the serious. Jurk. Other then that I would say the overall experience is not over the top, its a nice place that you can just grab a few plates to nibble on for a quick lunch or dinner. Oh and if you are wondering what the best time to go there is, I'd say Dinner time, they bring out more dishes that are more fun to look at then Lunch. Service is Okay. I have to ask to get my hot tea refilled a lot.
I absolutely love this place. They are so much fun and the food is very fresh. The sushi chefs are very friendly and love taking requests. The service can be good or bad, depending on what day and what time you come. Lunch is usually not very busy, but don't try to come on a Friday night and expect to be seated right away. Ive been here 4 times and I plan on going many more.
It's conveyor belt style sushi. It's okay. It's cheap. It has that conveyor belt style restaurant atmosphere. This is what you are getting, but they are good at giving you that. The staff are nice. I would say this is good for lunch.
Federal Way, WA
Category: Sushi Bars
Federal Way, WA
Category: Japanese
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Category: Japanese
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