Karasu

Tucked behind a door in the back of their Fort Greene restaurant, Walter’s, lies Danny Minch and Dylan Dodd’s windowless Japanese speakeasy, moodily set with midnight-blue walls, wooden kumiko screens and shelves of 1950s jazz records. At a curved marble-and-mahogany bar, the bartenders turn out modern Japanese cocktails in vintage glassware—a Scotch-forward Thrice Rice features rice cake, nigori and almond, while a rum-splashed Nettai is flavored with yuzu and mandarin orange—as well as a selection of Japanese whiskey, sake and shochu. Shareable izakaya plates come courtesy of chefs Yael Peet (Shuko, Frankie’s) and Elena Yamamoto, such as snacky pickled rutabaga with ume, karaage duck wings with spicy sesame, and tagliatelle with uni and smoky butter.