The Black Marlin - 4/5 Stars

Old-fashioned American fish place locationed in Old Town Tustin. A must try for all seafood lovers and enthusiasts. One of my favorite fine dining spots!

Center Cut Salmon Filet - grilled salmon with Old Bay Seasoning, house-made tartar sauce, served with mashed potatoes & steamed broccoli

“If you have good food, people will come to your restaurant.” - Mickey Gilley

Location

The Black Marlin is located in an area called Old Town Tustin. It's a rather quaint-looking town with a ton of small shops and restaurants. Of all the eatiers in the area, The Black Marlin is definitley the most expenisve. However, the outisde appearance is rather unassuming. At the entrance, I was gretted with a marlin, the namesake, just below the restaurant name.

Company

On this restaurant visit, I was joined by my mom and brother who also enjoy eating fish. My dad, being a vegetarian, did not come because the vegetarian options were limited. Since my family was with me and understood the intent of our visit, it made it easier for me to pay more attention to the finer details of the restaurant and take notes all the while interacting with them. My mom and brother also helped point out certain things to me.

Service

Overall, I felt that our waitress did a good job. When we were about to order, I asked her a few questions about an item on the menu, and she kindly informed me what was necessary. I appreciate this due to the fact that I have had experiences with servers who are annoyed when customers ask any question. Throughout the meal itself, our waiter came to our table several times to make sure we were doing okay and also refilled our waters as it was needed. One thing to note, since we dined in the late afternoon, there weren't many people in the restaurant. The service might have possibly been different had we gone at a busier time.

Ambience

As I mentioned earlier, the inside of the restaurant had a rustic feel. It sort of reminded me of being on the deck of a ship out at sea. I quite enjoyed the styling of the restaurant because it made the experience feel more luxurious and intimate. For example, seeing a marlin hanging from the wall gave me the feeling that I was actually eating fish straight from the sea. Apart from the decor, the chairs were comofortable and the table had plenty of space for all of our plates of food. One thing I noticed when we first walked was that there was a small bar to the right. Even on the website of the restaurant, it is advertised for having a bar and happy hour which is something to note. While the place as a whole seemed more suited for older adults, there is no doubt a sense of family and a place for children to enjoy food and time with their parents and siblings. The last thing I saw when we were just about to leave was a small stage. There were a few posters about musicians and even a magic show every Thursday. I will try to plan this out in future visits so that I can experience live entertainment which is rather rare in restaruants I've been to as of late.

Food

I ordered the Center Cut Salmon Filet with a side of broccoli, mashed potatoes, and french fries. The salmon was grilled perfectly and was easy for me to cut with just a fork. The portion size was enough, and the fries I ordered made sure of that. Even though the salmon was seasoned with butter, it did not feel oily at all and was very easy to eat. The mashed potatoes were nice and soft to the touch, without unnecessary amounts of salt. One thing I found was that the broccoli was quite bland. I would have liked some sort of flavoring, maybe a cajun seasoning or spice to give it a unique taste to help it stand out from the rest of the meal. The fries were hot and crisp and worked perfectly with the thin-consistency ranch that was served. Overall, the food I ordered was terrific–the best grilled salmon I’ve ever had!

Summary

All in all, I really enjoyed dining at The Black Marlin. The food was excellent and the experience overall is one I won't forget. The important takeaway from this is that restaurants are not just about food, but a sum of many aspects of the whole experience. In this case, I would definitely recommend The Black Marlin to any seafood fan. It will truly impress.

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