It's when the kitchen went into "tapistro" overdrive that things got dicey.
We ordered the agedashi mozzarella ($5) solely out of respect for Kawashima's sheer ballsyness to attempt it, but the gloppy cheese left us yearning for two things: the lightness of agedashi tofu and a crock of marinara. This was fusion gone way wrong.An order of panko-fried scallop skewers (two for $5) was served pommes frites-style, in a cone. Our server instructed us to dip the scallops into small bowls of crushed, salted sesame seeds and soy. Bad advice. One bite was so salty, it had us desperately draining our water glasses in desperation (unfortunately, we couldn't find our server to give us a refill). A second, un-dipped bite confirmed that the scallops were rubbery, which only added insult to injury. Not to get all Colicchio, but was anyone tasting this stuff in the kitchen?
We left with more dot-bomb disappointment than dot-com nostalgia. Rocketfish has a catchy name and a nice-looking space, and Kenichi Kawashima has a strong point of view. But it adds up to a restaurant unsure of what it wants to be.
Rocketfish: 1469 18th St. (at Connecticut), 282-9666.
