Sui Ren Izakaya

Photographs: Lizz Kuehl

Like the Spanish tapas bar and the English gastropub, the Japanese izakaya celebrates food and drink in equal measure. Sui Ren, the latest such establishment to open in Williamsburg, features booze-friendly small plates in a sparse and dimly lit room that’s better used—at least when weather allows—as a passage to the spacious back garden. There you’ll discover a quiet space where a lone tree is studded with purple blossoms and the back wall sports a colorful, cartoonish mural. It’s easy to get excited scanning the lengthy menu, which combines classic Japanese preparations with enticing, inventive ones from chef Jun Hiroshima (Bond St.). Unfortunately, though much of the food was good, many of the more creative small plates fell short of our expectations. Among the most promising dishes was a warm eel and cold foie gras creation—but the mismatched temperature was more disconcerting than delicious. And while the miso-mascarpone cream that topped soft eggplant sounded tasty, the offbeat combination was unsuccessful. Less adventurous items are safer bets: Black-pepper chicken wings tasted more of sesame and soy than spice, but the satisfyingly sticky drumettes made for perfect beer chow. Duck ramen, while not as umami-rich as some of the city’s best bowls, featured a perfectly soft-cooked egg and springy noodles (on Wednesday nights, the free Sapporo that comes with it also makes it a great deal). In addition to the well-rounded Japanese beer and sake selection, it’s worth trying one of the handful of shochu cocktails, including the refreshingly herbal Shiso Fine (shochu, lemon juice, tonic, muddled shiso). Sui Ren’s more ambitious dishes may not elevate the restaurant to destination status, but it’s still a fine neighborhood place for some light fare and a drink or two.—TONY

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