Royal Sushi & Izakaya Is Open

Royal Izakaya Staff | Photo via Cristina Tessaro

We’ve been talking about Royal Sushi & Izakaya for almost six years now. First the izakaya concept was a pop-up night at the Khyber Pass Pub and then as a location was chosen at 2nd and Fulton Streets in Queen Village. Then starts and stops that had us doubting the bar would ever open. When the location was announced, it was supposed to open in September, 2011. But what’s five years in the restaurant business? A lifetime of course. On the day the location was announced, Foobooz also wrote about Queen Village’s Village Belle, Xilantro in Wayne and David Katz’s Meme. None are around today.

The bar/restaurant by David Frank and Stephen Simons, who have brought us a plethora of concepts ranging from the Royal Tavern to this season’s PHS Pop-Up Garden at 15th and South opened Royal Izakaya yesterday afternoon with no public warning. Frank and Simons added the sushi masters Matt and Jesse Ito to the project this past March and finally there seemed to be some traction.

A second pop-up, five years after the first, whet appetites more over the summer. Now the bar is open nightly from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. The kitchen is open till 1 a.m. We’ve requested a menu, as much for proof this is all real as to share. Until that arrives, we’ll all have to make do with the delicious looking photos from Royal Sushi & Izakaya’s Instagram feed.

Royal Sushi & Izakaya [Foobooz]