Tender Details Define Brooklyn’s Latest Japanese Restaurant, Rule of Thirds
Located inside of A/D/O by MINI, a design-forward restaurant that emphasizes interactivity
A collaborative project from Brooklyn-based Sunday Hospitality, George Padilla and JT Vuong, the restaurant Rule of Thirds lies just beyond the nARCHITECTS-designed courtyard at A/D/O by MINI, a mixed-use creative space in Greenpoint. To remain consistent with the venue’s overall ethos, careful attention was paid to design—both of the restaurant itself and of its finer details. Japan-inspired, Rule of Thirds adopts concepts from the island nation’s extensive cultural index and spins them into their own original features. Most notably, local pottery and other ceramics exist at around every corner and on all tables.
Inside, the restaurant carries dishware by Erin Louise Clancy, bowls and sake carafes by Soto Ceramics, sake cups by Felicitas, sake warmers, lights and tables by Studio Beson, and much more by other Greenpoint-based makers. Emphasizing locality and interactivity, a visit to Rule of Thirds begins with each guest choosing a sake cup to use during the duration of the visit. From the emerald, gem-like hued to the delicately indigo-dyed, the subtle pieces at this simple station quietly tantalize.
“When we were thinking about tying together multiple design partners, it was really important for JT and me to assemble a creative team that knew us from Okonomi [a restaurant they both worked at] and shared our love for Sunday in Brooklyn. Every neighbor we worked with contributed to our vision and was excited for what this restaurant could be. Rule of Thirds is as much their passion project as it is ours,” Padilla explains.
Placed on and poured in these handmade treasures are delectable dishes by chef Vuong and drinks chosen by Padilla. Ranging from Izakaya-style chicken and mushroom bites—served on an ever-changing rotation of plates—to Blade Steak Tonkatsu and Butterbean Kasujiru, regional influences prove easy to identify, but ingenious adornments, much like the entryway decision, abound.
Images courtesy of Rule of Thirds
