Fighting Fish - Scott’s Addition
“Fighting Fish’s unassuming exterior truly makes it a diamond in the Richmond rough.”
In a relatively landlocked area of the state of Virginia, the backdrop of Richmond’s rusting and worn-down warehouses don’t look like the most obvious place to search for good eats. In fact, much of the outskirts of the city feel like neglected while they wait for the inevitable re-development and beautification process to take shape. All of these pre-conceived notions as I drove in for dinner one day only convinced me after the fact that one really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, lest there be some incredible salmon sashimi hiding behind it.
Birthday parties are always a nice occasion to go out, and with many of my friends trusting me for restaurant recommendations (especially when it comes to sushi), we ventured out on a Friday afternoon to check out the place. It took me a few extra minutes to locate the front of the establishment. With a literal shadow of an abandoned industrial complex towering over this gem of the restaurant, Fighting Fish may as well had been a sushi speakeasy with how much it blended in with its bleak surroundings.
Once inside, however, the space opened up with hardwood floors and small rectangular dining tables meant to fit 2-4 people. A bar with full drink service filled in the right side as you walk in, and a friendly hostess brought us to our seats where I ordered an assortment of sushi nigiri, sashimi, and specialty handrolls, and an order of their Don Carnivore, which was basically a char-grilled filet mignon with rice and bok choy.
Our food came out after a short wait, and it became apparent quickly that I had discovered a diamond in the Richmond rough for fresh sushi lovers like me. Whereas Lucky AF (another sushi restaurant I’ve come to enjoy in the neighborhood) covers a variety of fusion options when it comes to sushi, Fighting Fish’s identity felt more traditional and purist (with a few notable entrée exceptions). The Sashimi Trio of tuna, salmon, and yellowtail was fresh and delicious - really allowing me to properly taste each unique profile without that fishy aftertaste. The à la carte nigiri reflected the same high quality sourcing and transport of their fish in other cuts as well, including freshwater eel, red snapper, and horse mackerel. Of the handrolls I tried, I enjoyed the Monster Roll Tuna the most - a delectable mix of salmon, yellowtail, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, and kani mixed with masago and avocado. While it wasn’t easy to tell each fish apart without cheating off the menu ingredients, I didn’t mind the delicious combination. The Naruto roll (since discontinued), featured a rice-less tuna and kani roll where the seaweed was substituted for cucumber. I’ve never had difficulty eating sushi before, but this roll was definitely the low point of the meal. Without any adhesive quality of the usual rice, most of the filling fell out as I picked up the roll with my chopsticks, and it felt unnecessarily difficult as I tried to enjoy my meal. I appreciated the novelty of this idea, but as I reference the menu today to write this article, I noticed that this item is no longer available, a welcome sign of acknowledgment of their customer feedback. On later visits, I tried their tasty Don Carnivore, a char-grilled filet mignon with chimichurri, black bean and cilantro rice, and bok choy that I would also recommend.
As I sit here and wrap up this review in a different city, one that is closer to the Appalachian mountains and much more of a food desert, I crave one of Fighting Fish’s Sashimi Trios. It’s no secret that finding a decent sushi place with fresh sourcing in a landlocked part of the state can be rare and difficult, making this secret of Richmond was such a delight to discover and enjoy. While Fighting Fish isn’t the best sushi there is out there, when it comes to a decent lunch or dinner excursion, it definitely does the job well.
Fun fact: While this is often seen as a Japanese invention, it was actually created in Southeast Asia. A dish called nare-zushi, which consisted of rice with fish wrapped around it originated someplace by the Mekong River, which is nowhere near Japan. After being created there, it became popular in China before it reached Japan and became the popular dish that it is today.
Food Quality: 7.8/10
Meal Value: 8.0/10
Dining Experience 6.8/10
Overall: 7.53/10
