The opening of the original Diky Ris late last year was promising, as the democratic Japanese eatery offered more than just the typical selection of sushi, sashimi and rolls, including some other Asian cuisine. Unfortunately, it is located far from the center and its seating is cramped.

Now Moscow has a second, improved Diky Ris. For starters, it's much more centrally located, right on the Garden Ring not far from Paveletsky Station. Even better, the new eatery is a lot more spacious than the first. It is located on two levels, with the second floor looking down over the first. The ceiling is very high and, what's more, there is a generous amount of space between the tables so you don't feel like your back is pressed up against your neighbor. The design follows the basic minimalism found in the first Diky Ris, although the enormous two-story windows that run across the front of the restaurant allow much more light in than at the first. Another improvement is that this time, the open kitchen faces onto the nonsmoking area rather than the smoking section.

The menu seems little different from the first. It has the same range of sushi, sashimi and rolls plus the extra more exotic options -- just keep in mind that these dishes aren't designed to challenge any taste buds. Sushi ranges from 45-120 rubles, sashimi from 160-200 rubles and rolls from 70-230 rubles. The house specials are some of the more interesting choices on the menu and include such dishes as Chinese-style pigs' ears (100 rubles), baked duck rolled with feta and avocado served with celery chips and wasabi sauce (150 rubles) and coconut blini with chicken, crab and sweet corn (175 rubles). The wok-prepared dishes start from 200 rubles for pork and pineapple in sweet and sour sauce or chicken with broccoli and glass noodles. Yakitori selections include seafood (490 rubles), meat (410 rubles) or a mix (470 rubles).

Diky Ris serves its own house beer, which comes in either dark, light, unfiltered or green "bamboo," various portion sizes are available: 330 milliliters -- 80 rubles, 1 liter – 220 rubles, 1.5 liters -- 330 rubles or 2 liters -- 440 rubles.

Diky Ris: 8/18 Valovaya Ul., 951-8482, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., M. Paveletskaya.