Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds will definitely be a go-to for me when I am in the area. A bit pricey, but the good and ingredients are quality, and the service is fantastic. I was seated at the bar with a friend, and we had both the bartender and another staff member on the floor available and ready to help with any menu questions, provide recommendations, etc. Started off with the Seaweed Vesper cocktail - Very strong but the gin is quality stuff! The Almond Miso is a must-have; The soup is somewhat creamy, which I wasn't expecting, but makes it a hearty side. The flavors were balanced and it was not too salty! Highly recommend the Hamachi Collar - The meat fell right off the bone!! The only thing I probably wouldn't order again would be the Matcha, which had a great color but was not as flavorful as I had hoped. Definitely recommend checking out this spot if you are nearby. Great date spot!

It was our anniversary and they provided a card to commemorate the occasion, which was thoughtful. The venue also has such roomy seating, which feels like a luxury in NYC.We shared the:Trout sashimi: this was good but so small of a portion (4 slices) for the priceSilken tofu: this was the star of the show. I could order multiple of these. Feels like a Michelin star option.Pork belly donburi: the pork belly was so tender and flavored well. I didn't care too much for the accompaniments (not the biggest fan of cooked carrots), but the meat itself was good with the rice. It also comes with almond miso soup which has such a tasty earthy flavor.We'd love to try the pancake one day. Definitely will come back here.

Pretty disappointing food experience... but it's been on my list for awhile. I got a reservation in advance for two, which was pretty easy to secure. It's pricey and the food is meh. The menu is surprisingly small, even with the specials, and I was disappointed for the short list of selections. We tried the snowball effect cocktail, which tasted medicinal and pretty hard to choke down -- we were warned it was a sweet cocktail, but it was kind of sickly. We ordered the steelhead appetizer, which was sort of like sushi. I did enjoy the sunchokes a lot and would recommend that item. For mains, we shared the hamachi collar and the truffle mentaiko papardelle pasta, which was a special. The trout wasn't very flavorful and small portions. Pasta was good but a bit underwhelming. Service was friendly, and I enjoyed the ambience but wouldn't come back again.

Rule of Thirds is such a unique gem! These are the kind of dishes you won't find on every menu (even other Japanese menus). We came here for brunch and had the nicest server who really made our experience. We ordered a variety of dishes to share. The hot honey gem salad was so tasty and refreshing. It is a very generous portion, so we weren't able to finish, but honestly, we still loved it. The hot honey is very subtle but the overall flavor is delicious. We also got the chicken katsu sando and we loved the chicken itself, which was perfectly fried. One of the standouts for us was the smashed potato. This had an incredible, rich flavor and was a very balanced dish. I'm not a big mushroom fan, so I was a bit apprehensive about this, and it really blew me away. We also loved the hottekoki- every table orders this and you can see why! It is lightly sweet and the honey maple butter adds great flavor. Highly recommend adding the optional soft serve, which is a little mini portion of the white sesame soft serve that comes on the side (and is also dairy free!). The cocktails were also quite unique- both of the ones we tried had a very herbal profile. You might not enjoy these as much if you tend to like sweet cocktails, but we enjoyed trying them. The one complaint we had was that the utensils you're provided make it really hard to eat everything. For example, the gem salad was delicious, but the leaves and radishes were huge and we were only provided chopsticks, so it was difficult to actually eat bites of the salad. The katsu sando had a large schmear of mustard on the side, but we didn't have anything we could use to put the mustard on the sando. The wooden spoons that came with the hottokeki were also kind of impractical- they were fine to use to scoop out pieces of the pancake but hard to actually eat with. We really enjoyed our experience here and would gladly come back!

This place has been on my list for awhile and I'm glad I had the chance to come. Definitely make reservations as they're quite popular. First off - love the ambience and setting. The staff is so sweet and attentive. Food - I wasn't as impressed. The food was delicious but I was underwhelmed. I would love to come back to try the Sando. I do like the smashed potatoes a lot.

We ordered the karaage ($17), japanese breakfast set with bluefish ($27), hottokeki ($20), and yakiimo ($8). Chicken karaage- It was really good and a decently sized portion so it's good for sharing. Breakfast set- I didn't love this. I did think the fish was prepared well and it was really flaky, but this was my first time having bluefish and I learned it's not my favorites. The vegetables were all fine but nothing special. I did like the almond miso soup that the breakfast set came with, though I surprisingly wasn't really getting the almond.Hottokeki- This Japanese soufflé pancake is the reason I came to the restaurant. The texture was great- it was so light and fluffy. The melted butter on top really enhanced the flavor and it tasted plain without it. It's pretty big so I would plan on sharing it. I wouldn't say I was blown away by the dish, but I did like it. Yakiimo- This wasn't our favorite. We were hoping it would be like the bruleed sweet potato at the Union Square Holiday Market, but just something didn't work for us. Not sure if it was the kasu creme?The restaurant itself is beautiful and I really liked the vibe and all the little touches from the cups to the decor. We waited a few minutes for our table to be ready and there was even a waiting table where they offered us water and gave us a menu to start perusing. I was able to make a reservation for 2 for a weekend brunch a few days before so good to keep in mind if you need a res somewhat last minute. Overall the food wasn't a complete hit for me, but the ambiance and service made up for it.

This brunch spot is sooo cute and has really good food. Tbh I thought they'd be overhyped but actually so worth. They're popular so you need a resy to come here but highly recommend! Hotteoki ($20) - fluffyyy pancake with maple butter, served w cute wooden spoons lol. A popular item on their menu and for good reason, you must get this Chicken Katsu Sando ($19) - also super yum and a popular item. Their bread is fluffy w crispy and juicy katsu! Instagram - @joangela.eats

I was so excited to try this place but was kind of disappointed by how meh the food was. My friend and I ordered the hottokeki, chicken katsu sando, and curry donburi to share. Our favorite thing was the hottokeki. We love how warm and fluffy the Japanese soufflé pancake was. However there was only two of us and it's definitely too much soufflé pancake for two girls. The chicken katsu sando was okay but the bread is just too thick that you feel full after eating just half the sando. Our least favorite is the curry donburi. The curry was very underwhelming and it was one of the worst curry bowls we've had. The interior ambiance was good and nice for catch up with friends. Love the outdoor shack looking seatings that are perfect for warmer weathers. Service is attentive and prompt.

Food: Came here as a group and ordered a few dishes in order to try a little bit of everything! Ordered a few dishes such as the clams sakamushi, hamachi collar, mazemen and smoked pork ribs. The dishes weren't bad but I didn't find them to be anything particular beyond just good! A place to still try out once because of all the hype but I might consider coming back here for their breakfast/brunch menuCost: A little steep but here to experience the hype!Environment: I do have to say I loved the inside- very large, Scandinavian/modern/minimalist style!Service: Service was normal- things did seem to come out a little slower/dish by dish rather than everything all together.Uniqueness: A unique twist on Japanese cuisine/style, still worth to check out at least once!

I've received multiple recommendations from friends and acquaintances to try this place and I'm so happy I finally did! It's such a beautiful space and the menu is beautifully crafted.I came here for brunch and had their pork belly bowl and shared their pancake dish with my friend. I was a bit bummed that I couldn't also order from their dinner menu since it was only brunch at the time but I am excited to return for that! I will say that the pancake is huge and best to share! I love how Japanese foods focus on quality and highlighting the ingredients' natural flavors. This place really takes care of the ingredients and it all tasted very fresh and balanced. I look forward to returning here!