Restaurant 2978’s ‘Ty Cosmopolitan’

Restaurant 2978, attached to the local favorite Richie’s Bar & Grill in Lihu‘e, serves a high-class Japanese cuisine menu. To complement such refined cuisine, it’s only natural it would have a refined drink selection.

The “Ty Cosmopolitan” is a sweet and classy drink made with Ty Ku Soju — an Asian spirit made with Japanese barley and water from the Kyushu mountains. The result is an ultra-smooth spirit with only half the calories of a traditional vodka.

The lovely smile behind the bar belongs to manager Dustylyn Farias. The mother of a 10-month-old baby girl loves to get sunkissed whenever she has a day off.

Dustylyn’s other half baby-sits their little girl, so the hard-working mom can bring home some bacon five nights a week.

Japanese chef Yoshi Yonemura may look young, but he has plenty of experience — and creativity — for sushi making.

As one of his coworkers put, “Yoshi thinks outside the bento box.”

Yoshi was the original sushi chef at Richie’s. When Restaurant 2978 opened up in November, he took charge and created an amazing menu, complete with traditional and fusion sushi.

The menu, recently revamped, also has steaks, seafood and pasta.

Restaurant 2978 is open seven days a week for breakfast, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 11 p.m. they serve pupus, and from 5 to 9:30 p.m. dinner is on. Sunday is a day of rest for the night crew; the restaurant is closed for dinner.

1.5 ounces of Ty Ku Soju

Cranberry juice

Splash of triple sec

Lime squeeze

Lemon twist

O’makase

Throw the Ty Ku Soju, cranberry juice, triple sec and lime squeezein a ice-filled shaker, and gently but firmly give it a good shake.Softly strain the drink into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemontwist, look at the sushi chef and o’makase — leave every order tothe chef’s recommendation.