Unfortunately for week-old Japoix Restaurant & Lounge, the French-Japanese steak house from former Jing chef Jay Spickelmier, the restaurant's exterior is mired in scaffolding. Once inside, though, the space is sleek and inviting.

The menu is a conglomeration of sushi and burgers, salads and noodle bowls, but with eight sections all vying for attention, the offerings—and knowing what constitutes an appetizer and an entrée—can be confusing.

Forge on and discover don't-miss dishes, such as the quinoa roll, an unusual sushi roll spiraled with avocado, quinoa, macadamia-nut butter, and sake-poached cherry. (After finishing the first round, I was tempted to order another.) Also of note, the crunchy and sweet tempura rock shrimp with Siberian red ginseng gastrique, and the excellent seared ahi tuna burger dressed with togarashi spice rub, cider mustard, and red-cabbage coleslaw.

The noodle bowls, however, need fine-tuning. Both the lobster udon with miso broth and the ramen with duck confit lack depth and become monotonous after just a few bites. One-note bowls won't fly–especially with Bones' dynamic selections available just a few blocks away.

That said, the staff is eager for feedback and appears ready to make changes to further improve the Japoix experience.

975 Lincoln St., 303-861-2345