Ronin occupies the soft, quiet swoop of On Wo Lane with nary a sign on its neutral-toned sliding door and squeezing only about 20 diners into its narrow cave of a dining room (be sure to secure one of the four seats facing the bar or else you'll get stuck eating against a wall). Its exclusivity will only make the scenesters clamour moreover a sought-after reservation (which Ronin takes via email).
It's also designed as a culinary playground for chef Matt Abergel to stretch his Japanese cooking techniques using the city's freshest seafood. The menu shifts daily and the restaurant's cool staff highly encourage alcoholic accompaniments to the dishes – from the Yardbird-labelled sake to artisanal spirits or even something from Ronin's whisky collection.
Ronin carries the same Yardbird stamp of warm service and swingy, anything-goes vibe, and has amped the class up a bit with fancier finger foods, fancier drinks and even a fancier dim mirrored bathroom.