Suzume Opening Tonight in Williamsburg

Michael Briones and Sam Barron are opening a humble restaurant on the corner of Devoe and Lorimer. Suzume, which means sparrow in Japanese, is bringing sushi and ramen to Williamsburg via 30 seats set in a cozy room rife with Eastern influence. Barron is a carpenter with two other Brooklyn projects to his name in Maggie Brown and The Emerson. Briones honed his ramen skills in the kitchen at Momofuku Noodle Bar and learned his way around fish filets during his time at Bond St. In addition to sushi and ramen, Briones' menu at Suzume is one of izakaya-inspired small plates and everything on it shares a focus on sourcing the freshest ingredients possible. The restaurant opens tonight at 6pm.

We were lucky enough to get invited to a soft opening earlier this week. Here's a look at what to expect from Suzume.

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Ivan Orkin Is Noodles About Noodles

After studying Japanese at the University of Colorado, Ivan Orkin delved into food stuffs at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.  He stayed in his native New York and worked at Mesa Grill and Lutece before moving to Japan.  In 2007, he opened Ivan Ramen in Tokyo with a careful menu offering "ramen standards" like Shio and Shoyu.  "I figured if I could get people in Tokyo to love my ramen, than that's a pretty significant statement of success."

Ivan Ramen Plus is Orkin's second project that he opened also in Tokyo in 2010.  At Plus, with three years of credibility to his name, Orkin is able to experiment with new flavors and ideas.  Both restaurants are guided by his "Slow Food Fast" motto; searching out quality ingredients and buying locally whenever possible.

Orkin will be opening a ramen restaurant in New York City by the end of this year.  To honor his future re-arrival, he was invited as a guest chef to serve his ramen renditions at Momofuku's Noodle Bar this past Tuesday, July 17th.  The sidewalk outside of Noodle Bar on 1st Ave was full of anxious slurper's long before the doors opened to the one night ramenthon.  Here's a rundown from Momofuku's blog of the three ramen dishes Orkin served Tuesday:

ivan ramen classic shio ramen – chicken and dashi double soup, blend of japanese sea salts, thin rye noodles, pork belly, 6 minute egg, hosaki menma

ago dashi hiyashi shio ramen – chilled flying fish dashi, lemon, blend of japanese sea salts, slow roasted tomato, warm chicken breast

tonkotsu, pork fat, bacon and triple garlic mazemen – pork neck, chicken feet and roasted vegetable soup, pork fat, bacon, fresh, pickled and roasted garlic, thick whole wheat noodle

In the Year Two Thousand and Four

Remember 2004?  Lance Armstrong won his 6th Tour de France, fox hunting got outlawed in the UK, Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison, Janet Jackson's nipple fell out of her shirt, and David Chang opened Momofuku Noodle Bar.  To celebrate the latter, Bed-Stuy's Do or Dine chef Justin Warner is recreating the original menu from when Noodle Bar opened in the summer of '04.

Do or Dine turns one on Sunday, June 3rd, and Justin will be recreating DC's original Noodle Bar menu for the occasion.  Chang doesn't have anything to do with the event, but it'll still be worth the trek out to 1108 Bedford Ave for $7 shredded pork ramen and $3 cans of PBR.  Happy Birthday, Noodle Dine.