Blue Ribbon Sushi

Eric and Bruce Bromberg have managed to rapidly expand their Blue Ribbon empire without significantly compromising quality.  Blue Ribbon Sushi, a collaboration with Toshi Ueki in Soho, stands out as the best in the Blue Ribbon line.  It has an almost mystical ambience, with dark, narrow passageways, intimate wooden nooks, and minimalist pebble gardens recessed in illuminated alcoves.  This Zen serenity is somewhat undermined by the blaring music, but Blue Ribbon Sushi is meant to be more trendy than irenic. 

The restaurant's expansive menu is a mixture of traditional Japanese dishes and modern interpretations filtered through an American sensibility, the sheer variety of which can be paralyzing when it comes time to order.  The easy solution to this is to order an appetizer and then the omakase, which includes both sashimi and sushi.  Often, the chefs will serve aji (horse mackerel) as sashimi, displaying the fish's skeletal remains on the plate, and then retrieve it to fry the bones for you to eat at the end.  For appetizers, Blue Ribbon Sushi has probably the best rock shrimp tempura in town.  There is also an excellent broiled miso cured black cod.  If ordering à la carte, many of the special rolls and box sushi are gems.  The service is excellent but, with no reservations accepted, wait times can be long.