The restaurant space formerly occupied by Brickwood Barbecue has been purchased by husband and wife, Wentao Chen and Song Li, who also own Nami Japanese Restaurant downtown. The new restaurant will be called Ren Japanese Dining.
Brickwood Barbecue was located in the former F.W. Sullivan’s space (2401 W. Main St.) and was owned by lawyer Hayden Fisher. The restaurant served bar menu staples, and pork barbecue with an emphasis on sauces.
Li said, “My husband does omakase and he wants to narrow down what he do[es]. He wanted to find a bigger place and we contacted the agent and bought the place. The kitchen will have more space for him to do omakase.”
Omakase is a Japanese phrase meaning “I’ll leave it up to you.” In dining, rather than ordering from a menu, the chef prepares a personalized, multicourse meal with seasonal ingredients.
The news was first reported by Richmond Bizsense.
Popular items on the Nami menu include traditional Japanese appetizers to the fan favorite sushi experience. Diners praise the premium 13-course sushi omakase, classic à la carte rolls like the spicy yellowtail roll and hot appetizers.
Online, diners highly recommend the lunch and dinner bento options that pair hot entrees, like teriyaki chicken ($19.99) or beef bulgogi ($22.99), with sushi or tempura. Edamame is perfectly salted, and a go-to starter. For the vegetarians, the age tofu ($7.99) is crispy fried and served with a classic tempura sauce.
AloJapan.com