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Blue Ribbon Sushi is officially middle-aged. Its 1995 opening came at a time when the sushi scene in New York was split into two camps: run-of-the-mill, all-you-can-eat affairs and strict traditional counters, reserved for upper echelons who could afford it. Blue Ribbon Sushi gave New York a needed middle ground, one where pristine fish was the norm, dining rooms hummed with excitement, and the in-the-know scene had some edge.
The Blue Ribbon Sushi of today still holds on to that cool factor, down to its enduring aesthetic. The cedar-decked, izakaya-like underground does most of the heavy lifting with its sleek wooden booths and a tight chef's counter that sits just a hair below the glow of the refrigerated sushi bar. It can take a second to parse through the extensive menu and decide what to order (there are 20 plus appetizers alone), but there are definite highlights: amberjack with pinches of yuzu kosho whose tartness wakes up the tongue and crispy rice that makes good on its name—crispy and crunchy with a dollop of chopped tuna with actual heat. The fish, in general, is a cut above, with scallops that have a springy texture and tuna belly that's nice and fatty.
Yet, the above-average fish couldn’t hide that the rice arrives at the table nearly cold, just a step above your favorite takeout spot on the block in terms of quality. The steamed dumplings also fell flat (adding Wagyu to them didn’t help) and the hamachi serrano tasted just like every other one in the city—fine but not memorable.
Taking the great with the not-so-good, Blue Ribbon Sushi is still a solid find, and is a particularly good time if you want to impress out-of-towners with a sushi counter that's born right here in the city.