With its swanky, ultra-mod interior (even the bathrooms are gorgeously appointed), and fabulous selection of saki, Samurai Blue delivers an aesthetic cosmopolitan experience. Privacy seekers can slip into one of the velvety blue booths along the walls. For the more daring souls, there are plenty of seats at the tsunami-shape bar where sushi masters slice and dice fresh fish. The menu presents standards like nigiri (sliced pieces of fish laid over rice) and sashimi (just fish, no rice) as well as a large variety of makimono (sushi wrapped in rice and seaweed). The restaurant also offers some truly scrumptious specialty makimono, like the Hawaiian roll with coconut, asparagus and macadamia nuts and the Spontaneous Combustion roll, which contains Florida grouper and spicy mayonnaise. For those of us who have a hard time making decisions, Samurai Blue also provides a variety of sushi combo dinners (a selection of different sushi and sashimi) that come with miso soup and ginger dressing salad. All of the meals are presented with an artful flair.
Samurai Blue, Centro Ybor, 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City, 813-242-6688, www.samuraiblue.com.
