Tail & Fin serves sushi in avocado bowls, tacos and pineapples
The Tail & Fin’s “mastermind” says the mission of the restaurant “is to make it easy for anyone to enjoy fresh, raw fish.” It would have been an odd statement to read on a restaurant website in this country not so many years ago. Yet now the concept is normal; we eat raw fish as sushi and poke, in burritos and bowls and no doubt in more permutations to come.
That the designated “mastermind” at Tail & Fin is Karu Wedhas, a former Nobu executive chef, is reassuring, considering the high standard Nobu Matsuhisa and his restaurants have set. At Tail & Fin the fish is pretty mainstream and comes in the familiar sushi burritos, poke bowls and salads; what sets it apart is obvious when you glance at the food-prep area. Here it really is possible to eat the rainbow.
Start with an avocado boat ($4.95), for example, and you’ll be served a firm avocado half, which was expected, perched on a few crisp mesclun leaves, which was not. The chosen spicy tuna (six other seafoods, tempeh and grilled chicken are available) was piled high and lavishly drizzled with an appealing citrus ponzu sauce and the desired topping; tempura flakes added crunchy contrast to the chewy fish. There are 10 sauce choices in all, 12 free toppings and six premium toppings.
The Pineapple Express ($9.95 for regular size, $11.95 for large) can be served in an actual pineapple half for $2 extra. That adds more of the fruit’s sweet-acidic nature — and it looks really cool. This one was a well-balanced toss of ahi tuna and pineapple chunks, cilantro (they held the cucumber on request) and shreds of surimi, that fish concoction sometimes billed as “krab.” A copious drizzle of yuzu miso sauce, for citrus notes with a touch of smoke, and tempura flakes for crunch completed the picture.
And of course a sushi burrito, becoming as popular as the Mexican ones. The regular size Shrimp Tempest ($9.95; large is $11.95) was refreshingly slim, wrapped in rice paper (seaweed paper is the other option) and rolled up tight around a mix of torn romaine, sliced green onions, shredded carrots and fingers of avocado, plus a couple of deftly tempura-fried shrimp, more surimi and a drizzle of unagi, or eel, sauce.
Tail & Fin, which has two locations in the valley, isn’t a splashy place, just a lot of neutrals and glass in a suburban strip center, although the potted succulents (real or real-looking) added color and charm. It’s a counter-service restaurant; order and you’re given a number to post on your table. Staff members were solicitous, asking lots of questions to ensure things would come out just as desired, which they did.
Thereby fulfilling the mission of the master.
Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.
Tail & Fin, 1910 Village Center Circle; 702-790-1810 (also at 9845 S. Maryland Parkway); tailandfin.com.
The essence: Primo raw fish and lots of fruits and vegetables for flavorful, colorful combinations.
