BLUE RIBBON SUSHI BAR AND GRILL AT RED ROCK BY VEGAS FOOD NERD Located inside Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa is a culinary gem created by the legendary brother chef team Bruce and Eric Bromberg. The duo has been highly influential in the culinary world for over two decades. They both studied at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. They used their French training and infused it with their American culinary roots when they started the very first Blue Ribbon restaurant in 1992. In their flagship restaurant, they served the food that they wanted to eat. Casual, inviting cuisine that spanned an eclectic range of foods. The industry seemed to follow suit, and it became the place chefs and many satisfied customers wanted to eat. In addition to high-quality sushi, their legendary take on fried chicken is one of their signature dishes. The original location here in Las Vegas was at The Cosmopolitan. The latest outpost is now at Red Rock Casino. The Japanese-style restaurant and bar feature an indoor and outdoor dining experience complete with a 12-sear walnut sushi bar, a roofed cocktail bar, and a festive outdoor beer garden.
I’ve dined at the new location several times over the past couple of years and quite honestly was about to give up on the place. While the food was always on point, the service was lacking. Multiple visits resulted in servers not returning to get repeat orders. Frustration led me to leave earlier than my stomach wanted to on multiple occasions. Then before giving up completely, I decided to give the restaurant another chance and sat at the sushi bar this time right in front of executive chef Setsuji Mitsui. This changed everything. The Chef was highly attentive to what we ordered and made sure we were happy with every order option. He skillfully cut a gorgeous piece of tuna at one visit and told us how delicious and fresh it was. He didn’t just tell us about it; he cut off a duo of pieces for us to sample topped with ponzu sauce and seasoning, asking us our opinion of the fresh sashimi. It was the most tender sashimi we had ever sampled. Then we dug into the amazing hamachi jalapeno sashimi, kanpachi usuzukuri sashimi, spicy tuna roll, the popcorn fried shrimp, and the chicken wings. The sashimi at Blue Ribbon is delectable, and the wings are the best I’ve ever had with a thick, crunchy fried crust served with savory-sweet wasabi honey. Even their take on the classic miso soup is an elevated experience.
Pro-tip, don’t miss out on experiencing this gem. It’s worth a foodie trip or two to satisfy your tastebuds. When you finish your meal, be sure to float a cash tip to the chefs at the sushi bar. Trust me; they will remember and treat you VIP style on your next visit.