Our Review of Blue Ribbon Sushi and Steak in Midtown Manhattan: Commuter Friendly, Overpriced, But Still Pretty Good

We are not, in fact, late. We are so early, we arrive before most of the staff. We are told to arrive at 4:00PM, when the restaurant does not open until 4:30PM, and subsequently must wait for the manager (whose name is Paul, and who arrives shortly after 4:30PM). Despite the communications mix-up, Paul is extremely friendly and assures us that we are in for a delicious evening. The location is prime for commuters or anyone with MSG tickets who is afraid to venture out into the city proper, and provides a surprisingly serene oasis in the middle of Penn 1 Plaza (Plaza 33) in Midtown Manhattan.  

Our Beverage at Blue Ribbon Sushi & Steak

The Getsu is an old fashioned made with Japanese whisky and demerara sugar syrup. It’s not revolutionary but is balanced and well-made. The Do is a vodka spin on a mojito, scarily drinkable and summery. Later, we get an aperol spritz and The Freddy and swap out the mezcal for Maker’s Mark (goodbye, old car garage) in the latter. It is spicy, surprising, and pleasantly subtle. My companion’s love for habanero is well-known, and he is impressed by the strength of habanero flavor that comes through without overpowering the rest of the flavors.

Crudo

Is it a parfait? Is it a cocktail? Is it overpriced and covered in gold leaf? All of the above, and yet this oddly aesthetic concoction still manages to be pretty tasty. The bluefin toro is luxuriously fatty; its softness is only amplified when combined with the avocado and sweet cream. The ponzu sauce is a little heavy handed for my liking, but the taro chips leave no room for complaint — they’re razor thin and explosively crispy.

Appetizer

I am delighted to see a spicy tuna crispy rice appear in front of us. My companion, who has never tried crispy rice sushi before, is astounded, calling it “crazy good with a fantastic and fun texture.” I agree; the proportion of rice to spicy tuna is perfect, and the addition of avocado and serrano pepper adds to the textural adventure. It’s also warm, creating a cozy and satiating mouthfeel, which is excellent because I am still starving.

Sushi

Our outstanding appetite turns out to be a good thing, because we are soon greeted with a large platter of sushi, nigiri, and sashimi. A few standouts from the bountiful assortment: buttery salmon toro, snappy shrimp that doesn’t smell, not-too-fishy mackerel with fresh scallion and ginger, and a branzino sashimi that is a soft, silken bite of oceanic bliss. The sushi rice is sturdy and well-seasoned, the spicy tuna roll is an ambient-temperature delight, and the wasabi is freshly grated. No complaints here.

Steak

The only thing worse than an overcooked steak is an overcooked steak with no accoutrements. Blue Ribbon, thankfully, provides neither scenario (although you’ll pay extra for anything, well, extra) and our Australian wagyu skirt steak arrives perfectly rare. Do I have minor qualms about the immaculate Japanese wagyu succumbing to the inevitable destruction of mass production at the hands of Australia? Yes, but that’s an argument for another time. The end piece I try first isn’t my favorite; it’s a bit tough and overly salted, but the inside slices are much better — tender, beefy, and not-quite-buttery. 

The steak is served with a giant slice of bone marrow, topped with oxtail and mushrooms (I’m tasting either shiitake or truffle), as well as sides of miso creamed spinach and a roasted mushroom medley. The bone marrow elevates them all, indiscriminately lending its unctuous decadence. The mushrooms here especially shine, beautifully roasted and texturally diverse. My companion has no taste for plain mushrooms, but lavishes praise on the bone marrow (“the definition of meat butter”), the steak (“an absolutely insane sear”), and the little pile of ginger, scallion, and wasabi mustard (“better than sauce, and I love sauce”).

Dessert

There is no dessert menu available on Blue Ribbon’s website for this location, so we are truly in the dark until the server appears and graces us with bread pudding and ginger ice cream. Far from cakey or dried out, this bread pudding arrives looking like a slice of actual bread and is rich, eggy, and almost custardy in texture. Each surface of the slice has been crisped up, French toast style, creating extra depth of flavor and a pleasantly crunchy contrast. The ginger ice cream prevents the entire thing from wallowing in decadent despair. 

My companion asks the staff if they serve matcha ice cream. They do, and they graciously bring out a perfectly scooped portion, which my dining partner is particularly excited about. He calls it “creamy and matcha-y,” then thankfully elaborates on its flavor, noting its grassiness, with an apparent matcha flavor that is grounded and not overly sweet. I find it delicious, and am doubly pleased when I have the rest of the bread pudding to myself.

Final Thoughts

If one were to arrive at Blue Ribbon Sushi & Steak on a weekday, they would most likely find themselves amidst a sea of corporate patrons. We dined on a Saturday and saw a diverse crowd of tourists, New Jersey folk en route to some concert or other, and some actual New Yorkers who probably didn’t want to walk too far from any large subway line. The food is inviting, and the menu benefits from a general lack of sprawl. The music gives jazzy lofi and the overall ambiance indoors actually doesn’t feel too corporate — until you look outside and remember that as good as the food might be, you’re mostly paying for location. (There is al fresco dining available, should you want an even greater reminder.)

You can check them out here on Instagram or read some more reviews of the place on Yelp.

Three Best Bites

3. The bread pudding: more custard than bread, each spoonful feels positively sinful.

2. The roasted mushrooms: with the caveat that they must be consumed with the bone marrow.

1. The branzino sashimi: silky but never buttery, with a fresh supple texture. Eat with freshly grated wasabi. Would make excellent nigiri as well. 

Bathroom Corner

The bathroom is dark and small, with a low seated toilet and no paper towels, only a hand dryer. Hopefully it has a HEPA filter.

Katherine Chin

Katherine Chin was raised in upstate New York and grew up with the mindset that good food can, and does, exist anywhere. Now living and working around Manhattan, she spends most of her breakfasts pondering what she’ll eat for dinner. She advocates for food that tastes good, and believes that sharing is caring – the best food is often eaten together. You can find her either walking or eating anywhere in Manhattan, when she’s not planning her next food-centric adventure.