Deep Blue Sushi — Restaurant in New York

Deep Blue Sushi - JFK Terminal 5:

“The QR Code Hunger Games Experience”

I have a sacred rule: never eat at airports. It’s like voluntarily setting money on fire while destroying your health and disappointing your taste buds. But here I was at JFK Terminal 5, stomach growling, flight delayed, and my willpower weaker than their WiFi signal. Blue Table Sushi beckoned with promises of dragon rolls and regret.

The “service” here is about as real as airplane legroom. They’ve replaced human interaction with a QR code system that works about as well as a chocolate teapot. After scanning more codes than a grocery store cashier on Black Friday, I finally managed to place my order through their glitchy web portal that seemed designed by someone who clearly never intended to actually eat there (but does try to trick you into paying exorbitant gratuity for service that will never exist).

Then came the waiting game. And waiting. And more waiting. I watched three boarding announcements, two gate changes, and a small child learn to walk before my dragon roll made its grand entrance. When the “server” (and I use that term as loosely as airport security uses the word “quick”) finally delivered my order, they looked personally offended that I had successfully navigated their digital maze. Apparently doing their system correctly is somehow… offensive 🤷‍♂️

The sushi itself? Well, it tasted exactly like what you’d expect from airport sushi that’s been sitting around longer than some of the delayed flights. The fish had the freshness of a dad joke and the texture of disappointment. Each bite was a gentle reminder of why I made that airport food oath in the first place.

Consider this experience my renewed commitment ceremony. I, once again, solemnly swear to pack snacks, embrace hunger, or survive solely on airline peanuts before subjecting myself to another round of QR code roulette and sad sushi.

The only thing fresh here was my regret.

Would I recommend? Only if you enjoy expensive life lessons and have already tried everything else in the terminal, including the...

Food: The dragon roll was fantastic. A bit pricey at $22 but the quality was great! The pad Thai I wouldn’t order again; the peppers are not for me and the taste was sour.

Service: 2 out of the 3 staff members were friendly; although they’re not very observant - if your water is empty or you would like more napkins and such. The 3rd staff member only paid attention to one customer and overall didn’t really have awareness of anyone else in her area. I’m not really sure how to rank this particular area since you order and prepay the meal through a QR code. With possibly 2 interactions there isn’t really much to say other than the staff is nice when they bring your food.

Atmosphere: There was plenty of seating with some hip music. It seemed as if it was suppose to be a comfortable atmosphere. Probably wouldn’t take a call here since the music is a bit loud but overall it’s okay.

Additional observations:

On arrival it was difficult to tell if you seated yourself or if you wait for someone to seat you - a sign would help since guests take a look at the menu and start looking around if someone is suppose to greet them.

When ordering food ahead time it was a bit concerning that there was a box of food on a counter for about 10 - 15 minutes without anyone watching it. Recommendation would be to have an employee hold it and wait for someone to come to the counter to ask about their order.

It was a bit tough to tell what everyone’s role was. Everyone seemed to be completing all types of tasks - the person that cleaned the table also brought you your food, drinks and bartended. When I ordered an espresso martini it was a bit disappointing to pay $18 for a staff member to not be knowledgeable in making a cocktail.

By no means is this the employees’ fault but I wouldn’t come here again to spend money on drinks. Overall if you’re in the mood for sushi the quality seems to be good but other than that I would pass on anything else this restaurant...

Living in Puerto Rico has unfortunately tainted my perception of airport food because everything that I have tried at the airport, and I have tried most of it by now, has so far been just plain bad. I suggest that you eat before getting to the airport in San Juan or bring food with you. Avoid the food at Luis Munoz Marin airport. . But being in New York City had given me fresh hope. In NY you are either selling good tasting food at a fair price or you go out business pretty quickly, so I was taking my chances and trying new things. . Isabel, my wife, knows that I will sit down to eat sushi with little to no encouragement so when we came across Deep Blue she suggested that we have a snack, and we did. I was able to get some sushi and she had a chicken and noodle dish. I got a ‘Taco Trio’ sushi plate which was very interesting looking, delicious, but super difficult to eat. . Service was quick and good, and we had our drinks and meals quickly. Everything looked good, tasted even better, and absolutely supported my new theory that in New York it is pretty safe to go into any restaurant for a decent meal because the bad restaurants are not allowed to stay in business by one of the most discerning food audiences in the world. . Check-out Deep Blue next time you are going through JFK terminal...