THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Fins

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Fins Restaurant Review:

Now relocated to downtown, Fins retains the sleek, West Coast décor of the original. Chef-proprietor William D’Auvray’s cuisine is steeped in the influences of his childhood years spent in the Philippines, more than a decade of experience in Franco-Japanese cuisine in Southern California, and palette-broadening work at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC. The resulting fusion, consistently fresh and on the mark, is presented in a daily changing menu that leans heavily to seafood and Asian flavors. Starters might include a peekytoe crab soufflé with lobster coral butter, citrus-grilled sushi-grade squid with shiitake mushrooms and asparagus in chili-garlic sauce, and a Vietnamese-style "foie gras" sandwich. A daily hot-pot serving at least two persons changes its ingredients with product availability, crafting a surprise of flavors with each rendition. While seafood rules the main dish category, there are meat options, including veal, chicken, lamb and beef. Lighter appetites have pasta dishes from which to choose, also seafood focused, such as spaghettini with Manila clams. The signature dessert is the tiramisu, presented layered in a large vase with a long spoon. As one might expect, given the seafood focus, some 70 percent of the wine list is devoted to white wines, and those are chiefly old-world. The diversity in price and choices is excellent, with many wines under $40. Nineteen are offered by the glass. Attention to detail in this restaurant includes choosing glasses that are appropriate for each varietal, including Riesling.