The Brooklyn Papers / Greg Mango

Fish 'tails: At Cube 63 in Cobble Hill, a martini glass is used to serve up their "omakase," or three-course chef's meal.

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Cube 63 is not your average, dimly lit sushi bar. Instead it’s a comfortable, family-run space, furnished to attract a youngish crowd who isn’t looking for attitude with their sushi.

Open since October on Court Street, the restaurant is a spin-off of Cube 63, an eatery that opened two years ago at 63 Clinton St. in Manhattan. Chefs Ken and Ben Lau - and Ken’s wife, the chatty, affectionate hostess Suzanne Lai - own both establishments.

Like its predecessor, their new offshoot exudes an understated, hip ambience. The small room sports a long, black wood sushi bar where the chefs can be seen practicing their craft. High-backed, horizontally placed banquettes, paired with black wood tables and chairs, run horizontally across the room, creating an intimate dining space. Black-clad, sneakered waitresses serve the courses in a steady but unhurried way, which is exactly how you’ll want to enjoy them.

Most chefs serving sushi claim to use the finest, freshest fish, but not all establishments live up to that boast. The ingredients at Cube 63 are impeccable and on this night, Ken’s plating raised the art of Japanese food styling to a new level.

One amusing dish is the "tuna tataki," a sushi bar appetizer. A martini glass holds slices of seared tuna. The fish appears to spill over the glass’s rim and onto the plate. It’s a playful riff on cocktails and hors d’oeuvres that are just as pleasing to eat as they are to look at. Ken sprinkles sea salt and black pepper on the fish, then sears it briefly until the edges are crunchy and the flesh silky. A ramekin of "ponzu" (soy sauce flavored with dried fish flakes) lent the perfect saline edge. The dish pairs well with any of the sakes from the small roundup. (House red or white wine and two Asian beers are available, too.)

Ken kept the plating of tuna belly "otoro" simple, so nothing distracted from the stunning first bite. "Otoro" is the fatty flesh around the fish’s belly. Ken serves it in two large wedges that he singes with a blowtorch. The outside of the fish has a smoky, grilled taste and the soft - yet firm - interior stays cool. The tuna’s sirloin flavor is given a jolt of heat with a thin slice of a jalapeno pepper, while a splash of miso sauce cuts the richness.

If the "otoro" special is on the menu, order it.

Lau does an admirable job searing a large piece of moist red snapper. He coats the firm filet with sweet-and-sour sauce - not to be confused with the candy-like Chinese version. This brown sauce balances the heat of chiles, vinegar and sugar in a way that is light, not cloying.

I found some of the sushi rolls fussy yet tasty. The "spicy tuna roll" begins with tender rice, sprinkled with black sesame seeds, that forms the covering around the moist raw tuna. Chile-enhanced mayonnaise adds some heat. The roll is creamy, chewy, cool and spicy - and a bit heavy.

The seaweed wrapped "volcano" is filled with pieces of crabmeat and shrimp. The roll is gently warmed and accompanied by two sauces - a chile-mayonnaise and another made with eel. Both overpower the delicate seafood center.

And cream cheese makes one-too-many ingredients in the "Tahiti" roll. With shrimp in a crisp tempura batter, eel, avocado and red caviar, that single, out-of-place addition tipped something opulent into sushi-rococo.

Nothing could taste cleaner or lighter than silky, delicate slices of artic char, a lake trout that looks and tastes like wild salmon, rolled around rice balls. It’s joined by pickled ginger and wasabi, for a jolt of heat.

Sashimi was excellent. Wild yellowtail (similar to pompano) was firm and richly flavored. Slices of "otoro" were fatty and luxurious, as were slivers taken from a salmon’s belly.

After the fish, a dessert that was cold, but not too sweet, was in order. Cube 63’s short list offers green tea, vanilla, red bean or chocolate ice cream. There’s "mochi," too, which is green tea or mango ice cream in a pastry-like coating, made of sweet rice flour. The tea "mochi" is barely sweet and refreshing - and fairly dull.

Cobble Hill and nearby neighborhoods have plenty of places with flashier menus and glitzy dining rooms. But Cube 63 - with its quiet, quirky charm and just-enough-flair in the kitchen - is destined to become a local favorite.

Cube 63 (234 Court St. between Baltic and Warren streets in Cobble Hill) accepts Discover, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $16-$40; "omakase": $30-$40 per person. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner Monday through Friday; weekends from 2 pm to midnight. For reservations, call (718) 243-2208.

©2006 Community Newspaper Group