BELLE CHANTO Chanto Dining, a chain of more than 40 restaurants owned by Japanese entrepreneur Kenichiro Okada and catering to the young and trendy in that country, is coming to New York.

Chanto New York (133 Seventh Avenue South, between Charles and W 10th streets, 212-463-4686) is scheduled to open April 8 and will be headed up by chef Kiyotaka Shinoka. He will be offering items such as grilled foie gras with daikon, and fried oysters wrapped in prosciutto. Wines on offer will include some made from Japan, such as the Chateau Mercian Kikyogahara Merlot.

The cocktail list will feature drinks made from Shoju, the Japanese cousin of Korean Soju, which has about half the strength of most hard liquors.

DINNER & DRINKS If you want stronger stuff in an elegant setting, Aureole (34 E. 61st St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-319-1660) is pairing cocktails with its food.The Ozu, which blends shiso-infused vodka and yuzu juice,is being served with grilled marinated calamari with olive tempura, arugula salad, and parsley puree.

A campari-based cocktail is being poured next to seared scallops with beet reduction. Lemon-flavored vodka mixed with limoncello is being served with lemon sole topped with orange brioche.

A full tasting menu, with a cocktail for each course, is available for $150.

CRAFTY BRUNCH Craftbar (900 Broadway between 19th and 20th streets) begins offering brunch this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., you can have chickpea pancakes with smoked salmon and creme fraiche ($12), a white anchovy bruschetta with a soft-cooked egg and braised leeks ($8), crispy pork terrine with farm eggs ($12), or house-made granola with Greek yogurt and fruit preserves ($8). Craftbar’s version of home fries is roasted fingerling potatoes with cippolini onions ($5).

BROWN BUTTER Chefs throughout the tri-state area are getting ready to make brown butter: Soft-shell crab season is upon us, and brown butter – made by heating butter to cook the milk solids slightly – is the preferred cooking medium for the little crustaceans, which are harvested at this time of year as they molt. Grand Central Oyster Bar (Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St., near Vanderbilt Avenue, 212-490-6650) is always an eager purveyor of soft-shell crabs. This year, executive chef Sandy Ingber is sauteing them with garlic for $29.99.

BUSINESS UNUSUAL Aquaterra (209 E. 56th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-644-4447) never gave up on Restaurant Week and is still offering a $24.07 weekday lunch special. Billed as a “businessman’s lunch,” menu items include an Italian-American “Rigatoni with Sunday Gravy,” and a pizza salad, which is hot pizza crust and salad toppings of your choice.

Mr. Thorn is food editor at Nation’s Restaurant News. He can be reached at bthorn@nrn.com.