Last weekend a friend wanted to go for sushi, but I was fished out and wanted something else, but wasn't sure what. I had just heard about a new place on Lincoln Boulevard serving a thai sushi fusion. That all sounded risky - both a restaurant on Lincoln serving quality food and the restaurant serving a melding of cuisines. It sounded ambitious, but given the rising popularity of restaurants on this stretch of Lincoln like Sadtha, Superba Food and Bread and Clutch, I figured it was worth the gamble.

Rize took over yet another takeout Thai place on Lincoln Boulevard and did a nice job sprucing up the place with exposed brick, two small sushi counters and a few booths and tables scattered around the small room. At some point, I can only hope that they'll put in some sound proofing as the cement floor and ceiling didn't offer a lot of noise reduction.

The menu at Rize does a good job of not swinging too wide by offering every dish from Asia. There is a decent sushi selection with the usual suspects and then some like no Riz(c)e creations (see what they did there) that included quality fish wrapped around each other with avocado, cucumber and a light yuzu sauce.

There's tapas style plates to share like satay and miso spareribs that veer into the Thai category. Larb tuna tartar was infused with the fresh flavors of kaffir and red onion, spiked with a spicy lime sauce that all worked. You can get your egg roll fried, or go a little healthier with duck, cucumber and carrot wrapped in rice paper with spicy avocado.

Mains offer a who's who of curries and noodle dishes. You can taste the love and 8 hours of braising that went into the tri tip, though it still managed to be slightly dry. The sauce was layered coconut milk with a complex curry paste. Just don't look too closely at the pooling grease in the bowl.

With most dishes in the $10 - $14 range, Rize brings a casual new dining option to Lincoln Boulevard, offering a little something for everyone.

Rize
2906 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica
310.581.7945