INK C.E.O. Charles Khabouth is collaborating with Guy and Michael Rubino to rebrand the Mercer Street restaurant formerly known as Rain, opened by the Rubino brothers in the late '90s. The 5,000-square-foot space, which is being redesigned by the award-winning firm Munge Leung, will open in June as Ame (pronounced Ah-may), a contemporary Japanese restaurant.
The new space will feature heritage woods throughout, a private dining room for 24, an expanded dining area that will hold about 100, and a Japanese lounge and sake bar that will hold an additional 50. “The Rubino Brothers share my passion for creative cuisine and design,” Khabouth said. “They have a dynamic, detailed, and worldy approach to food preparation and presentation along with an established history in the culinary arts. Ame is the perfect venture for us to partner on.”
Executive chef Guy Rubino will oversee the kitchen, which will feature a custom robata grill. The menu will focus on sushi and sashimi. “Ame is the Japanese term for rain,” Michael Rubino said. “After 10 years at this location, we are excited to introduce this new, expanded menu and restaurant concept that will not only offer unique food choices but also give the consumer direct control over how much they would like to spend.”
