The Blue Ribbon empire has colonized a new location with its casual sushi lounge schtick: their latest outpost is this seductive-looking restaurant in the Thompson LES Hotel on Orchard Street. Located in the space formerly occupied by the critically-maligned Shang, the tenth Blue Ribbon in America seats 150, and includes izakaya-style dining—traditionally, that involves sitting on mats and dining off low tables like in Donnie Brasco, but here it refers to the items you'd typically find at a Japanese izakaya joint.
As you can see, Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya is a bit more upscale at this location, though their beloved fried chicken with wasabi honey and chili sauce is still on the menu. And if you're a fried rice fiend, there are eight varieties to choose from. Blue Ribbon reps assure us the fish is flown in daily from Japan, and the massive menu ranges from Asian small plates to yakitori to big heaping 16-piece pork rib plates. Peruse the full menu in full at your leisure. The joint is open nightly from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. for the late night LES crowd, and something tells us Blue Ribbon's formula will succeed where Shang foundered.
187 Orchard Street, (212) 460-5300
