Head to the cocktail bar, Mon Ami, and order, if you must, some simple sushi to go with your expertly mixed retro and nuevo drinks; the drinks, at least, are outstanding. In the dining room of this inexplicably popular restaurant, however, much of the food can safely be given a pass. The panang curry lacks depth and roundness, and the unbalanced heat of the green curry is off-putting—which is a shame since the vegetables are fresh and plentiful. We do remember once having pleasant thoughts about the drunken noodles, but they were neutralized by sub-par pan-fried pork dumplings. On the theory that anything with enough chili should work, we might be coaxed into ordering the Thai squid with prik king sauce.

But as much as we hate to say it, the sushi is better: creatively themed rolls stop short of the cream cheese madness that infects many of the obligatory sidekicks to Asian restaurants hereabouts, though the selection is hardly the best in town. Some nice decorative touches relieve the dining room, but in general it’s also unremarkable—like a grocery store storefront. Which is another reason we hone in on the cozy lounge, soon to move into a more defensible space across the corridor.