RESTAURANT REVIEW:

It takes a lot for me to be intimidated by alcohol. I have gone “mano a alcohol” and even though I lose every time, I put up a pretty good fight.

When I told a friend I was going to Blue Coral at Fashion Island he knew my fondness for vodka and informed me I was in for a treat.

“They have more than 60 types of vodka,” he said. “You are going to be in heaven.”

I thought so as well, but when I walked in the door and saw the display behind the bar, it was a bit unnerving.

Backlit by an azul color were several glass shelves containing bottle after bottle of premium vodka. The usual suspects were there, Grey Goose, Absolut and Belvedere among other popular brands, but there were ones I had never seen before.

There were many I wanted to try, but I was a long way from home and driving, so moderation was the key. I settled on Reyka, a wheat/barley vodka imported from Iceland. I liked its smoothness as well as its purity.

The restaurant offers a vodka tasting, which is three different 1-ounce samples brought to the table in a chrome valet.

One of my two dining companions went frilly, ordering a coral cocktail. She prefers fruity drinks, and this one was ideal. It is Belvedere orange vodka, mixed with Citronge orange liquor, cranberry and fresh lime.

My other guest chose a vojito, which is an adapted mohito with Stolichnaya blueberi, fresh blueberries and a mound of fresh mint and lime.

As we finished sipping our drinks the appetizers arrived. We began with yellowtail crudo, a very refreshing, thinly sliced sushi with blood orange vinaigrette, alaea sea salt and Serrano chiles. The sushi was extremely fresh, and the vinaigrette complemented it.

Baked goat cheese was next and it came with roasted heirloom beets and ciabatta crostini. The bread I found too hard and it contrasted with the soft, tangy cheese. I did like mixing the cheese with the beets.

My favorite appetizer was the blue crab cake. The pan-seared lump crab comes with a roasted tomato aioli, and I estimated it had to be 80% crab. That is a nice change from crab cakes where you wonder if there is any crab in the building.

The entrees were difficult to decide on. I liked one of the specials, which was a 6-ounce prime filet with bonnefon sauce, a 4-ounce Pacific wild swordfish and one crab stuffed jumbo prawn.

I usually wouldn’t order red meat in a primarily seafood restaurant, but it was a prime cut and it came with seafood. I was not disappointed. It was excellent quality, as was the swordfish and the prawn.

I was able to steal a couple of bites of the other two entrees. The Alaskan halibut is caught in that state and usually delivered to the restaurant the same day or the next. It is seasoned and grilled, and usually served in a lobster coral butter sauce, but my friend asked if she could have it Oscar style, like the swordfish entrée is prepared.

The pairing of Alaskan king crab meat and hollandaise sauce is outstanding for that thicker cut of fish, which was well prepared and not too tough.

The star of the evening not surprisingly was the lobster en fuego. This is the house specialty and is a Maine lobster baked with a creamy chili sauce and served on its back opened.

It was incredible. The lobster loses none of its flavor in the baking process and the sauce gave it another dimension.

The entrees come ala carte and the sides offered are interesting. The No. 1 seller is the lobster macaroni and cheese. It is bits of Maine lobster with white cheddar cheese and small shells. The grilled farmer’s market vegetables are fresh, but I don’t know whether I would pick those over the wild mushroom risotto or the Fuji apple and blue cheese coleslaw.

Bill Allen and Paul Fleming, co-owners of Flemings Steakhouse, opened this venture nearly two years ago. Chef Chris Hutten moved over from Flemings to Blue Coral and brought his expertise in the transfer. With the success of Flemings I should have expected the same from Blue Coral. This should be a Fashion Island icon for some time.

ADDRESS: 451 Newport Center Drive, Newport

PHONE: (949) 856-2583

CUISINE: Seafood

SPECIALTY DISH: Lobster en fuego

ALCOHOL SERVED: full bar, but no beer on tap

DRESS: business casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes; items can be prepared for in smaller portions for children

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover

RATING: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.