BEST JAPANESE/SUSHI IN SOHO
Another stronghold in the Bromberg brothers' exceptional local restaurant federation, Blue Ribbon Sushi successfully conquers the raw fish niche with chef Toshi Ueki behind the bar. That's the sushi bar, of course, the best place to grab a seat in either the SoHo or Park Slope locations –– both equally hip and, consequently, equally packed –– for a taste of omakase (chef's choice). But whether it's the conventional spicy tuna, the specialty Blue Ribbon roll (featuring lobster and black caviar) or another choice from the extensive menu of soups, appetizers, maki, sashimi and a rotating variety of daily specials, rest assured that some of the freshest catches from the Atlantic, Pacific and Sea of Japan will be beautifully presented for your palatal enjoyment. The excellent sake selection sweetens the pot.
Beer, wine and sake available. Serving lunch, dinner and late-night daily.
The New York Times: ** (very good)
Zagat 2010: 26 food rating (extraordinary to perfection)
"The high point of the meal is always sushi and sashimi. ... And unfettered by tradition, [the sushi chefs] create unusual special platters filled with whatever happens to be best that day."
—The New York Times
"This may be the best raw fish in town – and the sake selection is tremendous."
—New York magazine
"The crowd is like a gathering of the glamorous denizens of an earlier Soho-needle-skinny performance artists, diamond-Rolexed gallery honchos, [and] Japanese postgrads on their yen-burning New York year."
—Time Out New York
"This hip, late-night joint offers some of the best sushi and sashimi in the city (including fantasy rolls made with unlikely ingredients like lamb and filet mignon)."
—Newsday