Lindsay Lohan -- Why Couldn't I Make the Deposition? I Really Wanted Fish

It's finally clear why Lindsay Lohan blew off her deposition in L.A. yesterday ... she REALLY wanted sushi.

Lohan was spotted in New York last night ... walking into Lure Fishbar on Mercer Street ... famous for its fresh, raw fish selection.

We broke the story ... hours before her fish dinner, LiLo no-showed for the scheduled depo on the other side of the country ... in a lawsuit filed by a paparazzo who claims Lindsay's assistant hit him with her car and put him in the hospital.

Lindsay's attorney had told the pap's lawyers that she couldn't get in touch with Lohan -- but it's probably because she wasn't looking in the right fish joint.