The proprietors of the restaurant at Hurricane Hole Marina opened their newest restaurant, FISH, this past Wednesday. About a 15 minute drive outside of Key West, this new seafood restaurant on Saddlebunch Keys is located in the building formerly home to Kaya Island Eats.
While it looks much the same inside as it did for the last owner, there were fewer tables and the noise level seemed much greater. We were seated in a booth per our request, where we perused the menu with interest. With a name like FISH, you can imagine that there was a good amount of seafood on it; but land lovers need not fret as there were also other options such as chicken and steak.
To start we ordered the tuna tartare taco appetizer. The tuna was finely diced and deliciously marinated. Served with fried wantons and cucumbers spotted with wasabi and soy pearls, the taste and the presentation were both phenomenal.
For dinner my husband ordered the half chicken with waffle fries. This was served with a vegetable medley on the side. The chicken was well seasoned and tender. A very tasty dish, and we were pleased that this seafood restaurant did a simple, yet very good chicken dish.
I ordered the seared tuna tacos. Yes, I know that we already ordered the tuna appetizer, but this preparation was totally different. I asked for my tuna done medium and it
was served as such. I was presented with three soft tacos, each with a decent size piece of tuna and garnished with shredded radish, cucumber, and cabbage and a light sauce of some kind. I ended up somewhat shredding the tuna so that all of the ingredients inside the tacos could better meld together. While the tacos were tasty and the tuna was obviously fresh, they were missing that something special to make them pop and really be a stand out dish.
Since we were pretty full after this we did not opt for dessert. However, they did have three selections that evening: two pies and a lavender creme brûlée.
It took a good while for our food to be served. I will not ding them for this as it was the first week being open and I am sure that the kitchen still has many things to iron out. My husband was a little disappointed that they had no bread at the start, especially with the wait time for our food being brought out. But the food quality was there so I think that they will be fine. Our waitress was very friendly and she made some suggestions for us at our behest. She was spot on by the way.
Because FISH is near my home, we will probably dine here again at some point. The food was very good, although slightly pricey. But the noise level really makes trying to enjoy a meal difficult; I had to actually yell at my husband across the table from me so that he could hear me.
Before deciding where you are going to eat while visiting Key West or the rest of the Florida Keys, be sure to read my other restaurant reviews too; check out our restaurant review section of this blog as well as our previous restaurant reviews.
And to see what is happening on Key West during your visit, check out our Key West Events Calendar to see other upcoming special events. For more information about the fun side of Key West… things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site.
Feel free to Email Me if you have any questions about Key West!!
