Bobblefish (did I get the name right?)

[MarketStEl]

I was walking up 10th Street between Chestnut and Market today, and across the street from St. Stephen's Church (on the site of the field where Ben Franklin conducted his famous electricity experiment), I saw that the former diner-turned-deli/convenience food store had closed and that a new eatery called Bobblefish had taken its place.

Or was about to -- the signs were all up but the windows were covered over with brown paper.

The signs indicate that this place will serve "sushi & more," and that it considers itself a "fast food" restaurant that doesn't serve "fast food". ("We use the same ingredients and preparation you would find at a gourmet restaurant," the sign announcing Bobblefish's impending opening announced. Or something like that.)

Well, I'm a sucker for sushi, and I know that it is easy and quick to prepare, but difficult to do well, because the freshness of the ingredients matters a lot (since most of them are eaten raw, it has to). So I thought I'd see if I could get some advance reports on whether Bobblefish (if I have its name right) manages to pull it off -- and if so, at a reasonable price (I also don't think of "fast food" places as expensive).

So why am I posting this query here when I live in Philadelphia? Because the bottom of the sign listed Bobblefish's four locations:

Kansas City / Financial District

Kansas City / Historic Westport

Washington, DC / Old Town Alexandria

Philadelphia / Center City

Well, I know the last of these four isn't open yet, and if the other three are, then 2/3 of the existing locations are in Kansas City, which also leads me to believe that Bobblefish originated there too. (And frankly, I wouldn't associate my hometown with sushi -- fast food or otherwise -- at all, so I'm doubly curious.)

So: what can you all tell me about Bobblefish? (I thought I typed in the address of its Web site, but got nothing.)

[kendix]

I don't think there's a Bobblefish in Kansas City and I can't think of a sushi place that's downtown and in Westport.

There's a wine bar called Boozefish in Westport but there's not one downtown.

[onrushpam]

Is this this place?

Bumblefish

[MarketStEl]

Is this this place?

Bumblefish

←

That's the one. Thanks for figuring out what I was talking about.

I see this place got its start in Alexandria, Va., then migrated to Kansas City, and Philly will be location number four.

After scanning the Web site, it looks like what they're doing is Americanizing Japan's native form of fast food, the bento box.

I guess Kansas Citians have taken to Bumblefish, for there are two locations there, while their second Washington-area location, in the District itself, is still "Coming Soon".

I will definitely have to visit the South 10th Street location once it opens (the Web site says "Spring 2008," but it's not open yet).