We were all set up for dinner last night at Park Slope star - Al Di La - unfortunately, it was packed as usual. Al Di La does not take reservations so it's first come, first served. Instead of waiting, we switched gears and headed to Blue Ribbon Sushi down the block.
There's something about going into an upper echelon Japanese restaurant that makes you put aside all of your doubts; I mean, at these prices it has to be good, right? Blue Ribbon Sushi does it one better, you enter into a small vestibule where moody music and dim lighting instantly puts you into a relaxed and trusting frame of mind; you feel like you're entering into an exotic environment, a piece of Japan transported to New York. Very effective.
The place was busy, but not full. We were seated immediately and given hand towels that were hot but not scalding. We started with the usuals, edamame and shrimp shumai. Both good but, well, indistinguishable from edamame and shumai you've had elsewhere. For dinner we shared two rolls, a dragon roll and spicy lobster roll, and a sushi/sashimi deluxe combo. I washed it all down with a 22oz. Kirin.
Though I've been to Japan and have been to top flight Japanese restaurants here in the city, other than knowing when a place sucks, I'm not sure my palette is trained enough to appreciate the difference between good sushi, and great sushi. Price becomes a proxy. If I'm paying $28.50 for a sushi/sashimi combo, I am predisposed to think it's good. And it would have to really be bad for me to feel differently.
That, I think, is the story of Blue Ribbon Sushi. It has a good reputation and the food isn't noticeably bad, but I think I'd be hard pressed to tell you how it was better than other good places I've been to, some of which are less expensive. All this is not to say that I was in any way disappointed by my meal or the dining experience, because I wasn't. Frankly, the confidence that comes with knowing that a place uses high quality ingredients and has a reputation for excellence, is worth a lot to me, even if I'm relying on the determination of others.
Dinner for two consisting of what I outlined above came to $78 before gratuity.
Posts
2 comments:
The money is best spent in the dishes that set it apart from other sushi places. An unfair benchmark if you're trying to compare apples to apples, maki to maki, but your tongue should speak for itself.
For me, the fish is what determines quality in the standards, and in Blue Ribbon's case, it's top-notch and fresh. But so are a dozen other places. Still, the standards aren't all that pricey by comparison. Then again, I have a small stomach.
The specials are pretty darn good, though (if you really want to "venture" beyond the sea, then the steak is mighty tasty).
And I could be biased... My girlfriend waitresses there. (I'm 0 for 2 on your site for objective comments so far.)
But to prove my neutrality... I also highly recommend Iron Chef Sushi on Clark St. in Brooklyn Heights. If Iron Chef were the same distance from my apartment as Blue Ribbon... I just might go there more often for the quality of their special rolls.
I look forward to trying Iron Chef Sushi.
Post a Comment