Rule of Thirds: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
I don’t have a ranking system for my restaurant reviews, but if I did Rule of Thirds would get all of the stars. Traditional yet modern, industrial yet cozy… Rule of Thirds hits all the marks exceptionally. I dined there for brunch a few weeks ago and my only regret was not returning back for dinner.
For a table of four we shared three dishes, and this turned out to be the right amount of food because the dishes are quite large. We started off with the Smashed Potato dish found under the “sharing” section of the menu. This dish was a piece of art, with shiso leaves carefully scattered around the borders of the plate. The potatoes were crisped up yet still delicate on the inside, and the umami, miso, and chili sauce truly made the flavors sing. My only critique of the dish was that for me, the poached egg was slightly under with the whites too runny.
The next dish that came out was the Maitake and Shemeji Mushroom Curry, and the flavors of this dish felt like a warm hug. This dish was filled with root vegetables, a variety of mushrooms, leafy greens, and soft rice underneath it all. The curry sauce tasted as if it had been simmered for hours on end, and was thick enough to coat the vegetables beautifully while still encouraging the natural flavors to shine. All of the dishes under the “Donburi” section of the menu come with the almond miso soup, and this was definitely the best bite of the day. Miso soup is something I always order with Japanese food, but this version was laced with almond butter and finely chopped almonds and made me wonder why every miso soup wasn’t infused with almonds. Do you know the feeling of eating a homemade bowl of chicken soup after feeling slightly off, and immediately coming back to life? This soup offered that feeling— it could cure a cold, a hangover, or just a bad mood. I love having dishes that I don’t feel I could recreate, and this miso soup was one of those — A must try at Rule of Thirds.
Finally, a standout dish that was on every table, we had to get the Japanese Soufflé Pancake. This pancake is whipped with egg whites to create a fluffy, cloud-like texture. It’s topped with sesame, honey maple butter, and a drizzle of syrup. It might seem strange to eat curry, pancakes, soup, and chili potatoes in one brunch sitting, but somehow Rule of Thirds makes it work. Honorable mentions for dishes I wish I was able to try that I’ll have to go back for: Tamago Sando (egg sandwich with Japanese omelette, miso mayo, cucumbers with yuzu, milk bread), Chicken Karaage (fried chicken with ginger & soy), and Yuzu Hot Honey Salad (radish, buckwheat, hot honey, fennel, yuzu).
Rule of Thirds offers a modern twist to their classic Japanese roots, pulling you into their world of strong flavors, creative food design, and impeccable service. It’s quirky, it’s delicious, and it’s a place that I feel drawn to revisit many times.
