One word: Go. Just go. You’ll be happy you did.
Bold flavors have found a new home in the Gaslamp’s latest addition, Aqua Blu at 734 Fifth Avenue, a self-proclaimed "fusion seafood" bistro. My guest and I couldn’t miss the arched wave of an aqua-colored frieze adorning Aqua Blu’s façade, a beckoning pearl on a street jammed with chefs competing for our taste buds.

Enclosing a dining room that could be described as "industrial ocean liner," the deep-green arched ceiling with dropped panels lends a roomy yet cozy feeling to the space. Banquettes line two walls and colorful suede pillows give just the right measure of casual meets night out. A lemon-colored wall hiding the kitchen is reminiscent of a Japanese screen. Early in the evening on the weeknight when we visited, the ambience was relaxed both inside the dining room and out on the patio along the bustling Fifth Avenue sidewalk.

Chef Vincent Contreras, new to San Diego after four years in Las Vegas, joined the Aqua Blu team earlier this year to deliver his unique interpretation of fusion. Considering what practically jumped from our plates with unexpected flavor combinations, Chef Contreras is having a blast dreaming up things like glazed garnet yams paired with chocolate sauce hosting a delicate foie gras, and wasabi-potato-crusted escolar (a South American fish that tastes like the lovechild of halibut and swordfish) paired with a Korean red bean sauce.

Heavy on Asian influences, the menu features seared ahi actually seared (that means red in the middle, not pink and dry like some of those others you’ve had), and lobster bisque with a dose of coconut milk and vanilla bean to make you remember that trip to Thailand you’re hoping to take someday. But just when the Hawaiian shrimp martini makes you think you’ve slid off the Pacific Rim and landed in the islands, you find something like the delicately handmade shrimp-scallop tortellini floating in your lobster bisque. It’s these kinds of surprises that make you appreciate fusion done well.

Dinner favorites include the appetizers fried calamari with wasabi-miso sauce and sesame-seared crab cakes. For entrees, consider the sautéed North Pacific halibut and sea scallops with sweet corn sauce and a Thai basil-tomato concasse. Our favorite the night we visited was a special, the Togarashi ahi. Its sweet corn and ginger coulis aside a watermelon jus was just spectacular. The salad accompanying the seared ahi was coated with a sharp, chili vinaigrette, something my mouth won’t soon forget. The spicy, almost peppery flavor of the salad complemented the tenderness of the ahi.

But don’t think those courses will be around for your next visit. The menu changes every few months, ensuring a devoted local clientele, as well as giving tourists something to write home about. Fresh, in-season ingredients are stressed. You can count, however, on the beef being perfectly tender with a delicious crust, the scallops crisp on the outside but delicate inside, and the duck just right, even while their plate-mates–varying sauces, vegetables, and starches–change with the season. One thing to watch for: Chef Contreras’ facility with the humble potato. Throughout our meal we found it used in unexpected and creative ways.

For libations, there’s an extensive list. You’ll find all your favorites and then some. I overheard someone order a chocolate martini, but I stuck to our server’s recommendation of the Bonny Doon reisling, which, as promised, offered a sweet contrast to the striking flavors of each course. I also fancied a Sierra Nevada when I saw a couple at a nearby table kicking back a round. That hop-y flavor might be just the thing to cleanse your palate between the appetizer and entrée.

The dessert special the night we visited was peach short cake (actually quite tall), layered with star anise cream (divine) and accented by a lychee-berry sauce and mint-speckled honey. I could eat that star anise cream by the gallon.

Service was the kind I prefer: attentive but not intrusive. Help given with the wine list was particularly appreciated.

The crowd was a mix of locals, business travelers, and tourists (judging from some of the questions we overheard, like, "Is that an avocado?") But we could imagine the dining room in full bloom on a weekend night, energized by diners looking to satisfy their adventure jones with a meal at Aqua-Blu. They would not be disappointed.