Yelp Review: Good Ambiance, But Overpriced and Underwhelming…read more I have years of experience in fine dining, so I'm not someone who looks for things to criticize just for the sake of criticizing. When I evaluate a restaurant at this price point, I look at three things: quality of ingredients, service, and ambiance. The price should reflect all three. Blue Ribbon Sushi has the ambiance--it just needs some tweaking. Seating: We were seated at the long bench with two-top tables. Unfortunately, the tables are squeezed so closely together that it's impossible not to hear the entire conversations happening on either side of you. Add music that was too loud, which caused everyone to speak even louder, and suddenly I'm involuntarily listening to the first-date questionnaire happening next to me. Not exactly the intimate sushi experience I was hoping for. It really killed the mood. Now, the thing everyone talks about: the prices. Do I think it's overpriced? Yes. But hear me out. I don't expect Texas-sized portions at a sushi restaurant. I do, however, expect to understand what I'm paying for. When you're charging $18 for a single piece of sashimi, portion size matters. My advice: ask how many pieces come with an order before ordering, especially if you're planning to share. Otherwise, you may end up spending significantly more than expected. I ordered the Chef's Choice Sushi for $60, along with the Kaki Fry. I hesitated because, in my experience, "chef's special" can sometimes mean a small portion dressed up with a fancy name. But having worked in fine dining, I also know what a chef's special should mean: an opportunity for the chef to have some creative freedom and show you what they think you should experience at their restaurant. In fine dining, dishes are generally plated and presented intentionally and separately. Here, my Kaki Fry was not what I expected, it came as a roll and it was lumped onto the same board as the Chef's Choice Sushi. At first, I actually thought, Okay, this is a pretty good amount for $60. Then we asked where our Kaki Fry was. We were told it was already on the board--mixed in with the Chef's Choice. Kaki fry tends to be. Graded oysters fried (look up pictures for reference). In this case, it came as a roll. It wasn't labeled as "kaki fry roll". The manager said "it was listed with the rolls" so what? It wasn't called the Kaki Fry roll! That felt like a cheap shortcut to make the presentation look more substantial for the price. Maybe technically nothing was wrong with it, but as a diner, it felt like a bait-and-switch, and it completely killed the experience. They ultimately comped the Taki Fry, which I appreciated, but by then the moment had already been lost. Service: We were seated promptly despite not having a reservation, which was great. I did wonder whether that was why we ended up with the particularly loud, cramped seats. The waitstaff was friendly, but there were a few things I think could be improved. Portion sizes should be communicated more clearly, particularly when something is only one piece or isn't realistically enough to share. There was also a noticeable push toward drinks, which felt a little aggressive given the already high menu prices. Overall, as someone who lives in FiDi and has tried quite a few sushi restaurants in the area, I have to agree with other reviewers: Blue Ribbon Sushi is overpriced for what you get. The restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere and clearly has the bones of a great dining experience. But at these prices, the details matter. Better spacing between tables, clearer communication about portions, and a more thoughtful approach to plating and service would go a long way. There are simply better sushi options nearby for the money.

Pretty good sushi at this Financial District restaurant that is a favorite of my staff when we run…read moreevents in the area. The house salad has a good light ginger dressing and includes avocado. The shumai didn't taste all that good, which kind of shocked me. We had the sashimi sushi combination - the chefs choice of sashimi was good (though I didn't care for the mackerel), and Rebecca loved the spicy lobster roll. Spicy tuna roll was good, but we have had better. The final roll, a combo of yellowfin and a couple other fish, was the tasty Sakana Sanshu. We were told we could only have a table for less than an hour and a half, but slow-walked service at the tail end of our dinner, so I guess that changed.

We got takeout - bulgogi kimbibap. It was pretty good! Not a very big portion but for ~$22 it was…read moreenough for me; my husband def needed more. I haven't dined in but would try it. Food was clean and delicious.

The restaurant has a relaxed feel to it. The tables in the front seats four people. It has…read morecomfortable seating. The waiter made good suggestions on food and the amount of food. The kalbi was exceptional. It was very tender. The texture was perfect! Japchae and bibimbap was good too. Everything tastes as it should. Nothing mind blowing. Just things were done right. It was a good experience overall.

We need a quick place before we headed to midtown for a show. This was really good…read more The crispy rice had warm rice with excellent tuna on top for an app. The sushi rolls were delish and bigger than they looked. I had the spicy miso ramen and it had tons of noodles and pork. And quite a bit of spice too. For a basement place, it's a winner for sure.

Everything was on point here. Basement level restaurant cranking out top notch sushi at reasonable…read moreprices with good service. By the numbers: Food 5/5 Drink N/A Service 5/5 Ambiance 3/5 Value 5/5 Omakase - Excellent. Fantastic nigiri with very fresh fish. Favorite was the kanpachi.

The Tyger Visited The Tyger NYC for a girls night out and…read morehonestly, everything was delicious. We made reservations and were seated within about 5 minutes of walking in. I was actually caught off guard by how much I enjoyed the food because I had seen so many mixed reviews online about several of the dishes we ended up ordering. Most of the menu is tapas/small plates meant for sharing family style, which I personally love for group dinners because everyone gets to try a little bit of everything. The ambiance was great. The restaurant had a really cozy, lively atmosphere, and our waitress was so sweet and relatable. She even moved us to another table once some seats deeper into the restaurant opened up because we were originally sitting near the entrance and every time the door opened, freezing cold air would hit us Small gesture, but very appreciated. Now for the food, The Charred Octopus with ginger and watermelon was DELICIOUS and probably my favorite dish of the night. The salty octopus paired with the sweetness of the watermelon was genuinely mind blowing. The octopus was also soft and tender. The Grilled Beef Sirloin Saté Skewers were good and tender. I liked the sauce they the skewers were brushed with. The Phnom Penh Fried Chicken completely surprised me. The chicken itself had so much flavor already, and then the sauce gave it an extra punch. Definitely one of the standout dishes of the night. The Stir Fried Water Spinach was very good and honestly acted as a little palate cleanser in between all the heavier dishes. The "Crying Tyger" Grilled Sirloin Steak was soft, tender, and cooked really well, it was okay flavor wise, but the cut of meat was amazing. The Crispy Lamb Ribs were also delicious and VERY soft. The only dish that fell slightly short for me was the Singaporean Chili Crab Fried Rice. It wasn't bad at all, and there were nice pieces of lump crab throughout, but compared to how amazing everything else was, this was the one dish I probably wouldn't reorder next time. I'd rather use that spot to try something else on the menu. I ordered the Furnace Bright cocktail since they're also known for cocktails, and that drink was really good too. But we loved it here so much that we've officially made The Tyger our designated girls night out dinner spot Everything was delicious.

Service and ambiance were excellent but the food was overall a little spicy for the average person…read more(Asian spicy is no joke!!). Even the pad see ew, which is usually mild, had a kick to it. Just a caution to make sure you speak to your server about your spice preferences. Overall the flavors were great although the food we got was a bit oily -- including the tempura mushrooms, charred cabbage salad, and pad see ew. It was certainly not a light meal despite the cabbage salad! Our server was absolutely phenomenal and was willing to explain the whole menu and take us through pros, cons, and flavor preferences with utmost patience. They also have a separate vegetarian/vegan menu if you ask which was super helpful. A+++ service and a beautiful establishment!

Service was very good and food was very delicious. I love the yuzu shrimp and the chicken wingsread more

Amazing vibe! Really recommend the Yuzu Shirmp and Dan Dan noodles. Server was super awesome.read more

Bueno Restaurant Review…read more We had a wonderful anniversary dinner at Bueno near Wall Street. The food was excellent--the steak was incredibly flavorful and delicious, and the short ribs were so tender, paired with a sweet potato purée that was the perfect complement. We also had the calamar, which unfortunately has since been removed from the menu, but it was a highlight of our meal. The service was prompt, friendly, and attentive. The decor is sleek and sexy, and I loved the music, good cumbia, at a volume that actually allowed us to have a conversation. It was a relatively quiet night, which we really appreciated for our anniversary. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is the dulce de leche cheesecake. The cheesecake itself was good, but it was served with caramel sauce rather than dulce de leche. As an Argentine, I have to say: dulce de leche and caramel are not the same thing! That was a little disappointing, especially when it's advertised as dulce de leche cheesecake. That said, the portions were generous, the rest of the meal was fantastic, and overall I absolutely recommend giving Bueno a try. One note: it did not appear to be accessible. We had to descend stairs to reach the basement-level restaurant, so I would recommend checking with the restaurant about accessibility before visiting.

Walked in without reservations with my teenage kid (wanted to see it first) but with reservations…read morefully available for when we walked in. Looked a bit more like a bar. Asked for a table, the hostess said tables were for reservations. I said, ok, I can make one right now; you show full reservation availability and you're mostly empty on a Saturday evening. She said, only if you promise to be out within an hour, "we get busy". I don't know whether this was an attempt to screen out what she thought might be a lower spending table or not their ideal customer because of a kid or what, but it felt ridiculous because reservations were completely available. So we left. I guess we know where we aren't wanted....

I've been to Golden Wuish multiple times since my original review. My most recent time was when I…read morebooked out the restaurant on a Saturday Night for my wedding. From the start of setting up and planning the wedding, the manager and owner were so helpful. Making sure to carefully answer all of our questions, allowing us the opportunity to stop by the restaurant to check, make sure measurements were all set, etc. Everyone was so kind and attentive throughout all of our visits. On the night of the wedding, the food was absolutely delicious and just kept coming. They worked hard to make sure to follow a good serving structure while allowing us time to have speeches completed and everyone else we needed, etc. Everything was absolutely delicious and we received so many compliments from our guests. The restaurant itself has its own sound system and DJ booth, making it easy to transition to different event needs. All in all, Golden Wuish is such a special restaurant and a wonderful location for a large event as well.

Having a late night meal with one shot at a decent meal. I wasn't disappointed but wasn't overly…read moreimpressed either. Recommend having a reservation to keep from having to sit outside or bar - I choose the bar. Food wise: The chicken dumplings were fried and seasoned to perfection. The black truffle dumpling didn't have enough truffle to really have impact. And finally, the Dan Dan noodles were ok - the best way to eat them is to ensure you have a good mix with every bite to balance out the flavors - hard to do without concentrating. Appreciate the good bartending service and chill atmosphere.

Fantastic dinner and service. My favorite dish was the hamachi tiradito. We then shared truffle…read moreyucca fries, octopus, the pork anticucho, and the night's special, veal heart anticucho. The portions were larger than we expected, so there were leftovers to take home. Everything was delicious.

Walking in, you're greeted by a beautiful upscale interior, with lush greenery covering the ceiling…read moreand hanging overhead throughout the space. The food was delicious. The Artesano Ceviche was excellent. The rocoto tiger's milk was citrusy with a little kick of spice, which added a nice touch to the dish. There was a good variety of seafood. I also ordered the sweet potatoes with jalapeño sauce. They were crispy on the outside and soft inside. The sauce was a little too mayo-heavy for my taste. I actually thought I had ordered the huancaina sauce instead, so there may have been a bit of a miscommunication with the waiter. Still, I enjoyed the dish. For dessert, I got the Pachamama, which was interesting. It was creamy with a subtle sweetness. The lucuma ice cream had a slightly starchy texture, with butterscotch, maple syrup, and caramel notes. It was my first time trying lucuma ice cream. It wasn't my favorite, but I'm glad I got to try something new!