For years, there's been optimistic talk about revitalizing the K Street Mall. Though strides have been made, frankly a stroll on the strip can be dicey, especially after dark.

On the positive side are the first-rate lunch and dinner houses that line the mall – the Esquire Grill, the Broiler, Ella, the Pyramid Alehouse and restaurateur Randy Paragary's new Cosmopolitan complex.

Then there's the eclectic Three Monkeys, an interesting 10,000-square-foot space that opened last year. It's the home of the $12 Ultimate Martini.

Recent history: Three business partners were the original "monkeys" who founded the restaurant, later joined by a fourth partner.

Ancient history: Depending on which source you consult, the origin of the Three Monkeys "pictorial maxim" to see, hear and speak no evil came out of India centuries ago, moved to China and later went to Japan. And the monkeys' Japanese names? Mijaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru, respectively.

Lunch pal Michele and I were mulling that over in a booth at the Three Monkeys restaurant while we scanned the six-page menu. The place is comfortable – red brick, dark wood, artwork, mellow music – with seats at the sushi bar for viewing the sushi chefs' craft.

"I've been looking for a restaurant with Japanese food," said sushi veteran Michele, "but I'd be suspicious just walking in here because it's not a sushi place."

Strictly, it's not – but in a way, it is. There is a sushi bar, as noted, and the word "Sushi" is in the restaurant's formal name. Besides, two menu pages are devoted to various forms of Japanese-themed appetizers ($12 to $14), nigiri (a wedge of rice topped with raw fish; $4 to $7) and sushi rolls ($10 to $15).

Moving on, the menu becomes diverse: small plates (wings, ceviche; $9 to $12), hot and cold sandwiches (Reuben, roast beef; $10 to $16), house specialties (seafood, pork schnitzel, steak; $12 to $39), pasta ($13 to $18), and soups and salads ($4 to $15). The tab adds up quickly.

We started with crunchy seaweed salad dashed with vinaigrette ($5). Michele was enthusiastic, but two bites did it for first-timer me. What's the point?

Next were two plates of buttery salmon and meaty red tuna nigiri on firm fingers of rolled rice, with white ginger and sinus-clearing wasabi on the side. The raw fish was fresh and meltingly tender.

A cup of shrimp bisque looked and smelled good but tasted tinny.

We moved on to three pulled-pork sliders, tender shreds of rich meat sauced on the sweet side, topped with too much crisp coleslaw and served on soft buns that had been buttered and grilled. I liked them a lot, once half the slaw was scraped off, but Michele found them overwhelming.

The accompanying crinkle-cut fries were standard issue, which brought up a point: We thought hand-cut to-order fries (like shoestrings, maybe?) would better suit the culinary profile the Three Monkeys promotes, as in this from its Web site: "American, European and Asian classics uniquely designed by our master chef." Aren't fries an American classic?

The hit was the house-made Bavarian-style bratwurst with mild sauerkraut. The perfectly seasoned coarse-ground pork possessed deep flavor and wonderful texture.

"This brat looks and tastes like the sausagemaker is in the kitchen making them," Michele said.

That was a good guess but could not be confirmed later. Voicemail messages left at the restaurant over a week's time were not returned and other attempts by phone were unsuccessful as well.

Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni, (916) 321-1128.