Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya - Best Japanese Below Houston?

[weinoo]

Last week, craving some Japanese and/or sushi, and not wanting to head too far north to one of our favorite soba places, we decided to give BRSI a try. BRSI went into the space that was once Shang, in the Thompson LES Hotel...I never got around to eating at Shang so I don't really know what the space looked like before, but it's pretty nice now. Huge, too.

In any event, with only one meal under our belts, we will gladly return. Our skewers were perfectly cooked and delicious (we must've tried 3 or 4 of them), and the sushi we had was high quality as well.

I don't know what it's like on a Friday or Saturday night at 10, but at 7 or so, it was practically zen-like. Service was a little too omnipresent, but I'm sure that goes away the more crowded it gets.

[weinoo]

A meal at the sushi bar last night was fine for what it is, which is the best sushi below Houston and east of Bowery. I haven't ventured into the omakase world yet, but it appears as if the guys behind the sushi bar know a bit about a fish and rice, and are itching to take on that challenge, rather than making spicy tuna rolls.

What really threw me for a loop, however, was my well made Stanton Cocktail, which in reality was a Boulevardier with a mint leaf garnish. In a sushi bar. Who'd a thunk it?