Photo: D.L Anderson Pictures |
BBC: Dashi is a collaboration between the owners of The Cookery and Toast in Durham. How did you all come up with the concept?
DASHI: Our partnership rooted from Hakanai, a Japanese pop-up restaurant at The Cookery that featured Billy and Kelli Cotter of Toast in 2013. The restaurant was only open for three nights, but the attention it received far exceeded expectations. All 300 seats were reserved within 15 minutes and hundreds of people signed up for the wait list!
After catching our breath, we realized that our varied talents complemented each other perfectly and decided that a permanent restaurant should be the next adventure together. Focusing on ramen as the ultimate nourishing meal and comfort food, Dashi was born!
The Japanese word dashi refers to the mother broth of Japanese cuisine. It is the base of many miso soups, noodle broths, and other simmering dishes.
BCC: When most of us think “ramen,” images of late night study sessions in college with a cup of instant noodles comes to mind. How does “Dashi ramen” differ from these earlier perceptions?
DASHI: Dashi’s steaming bowls of ramen are a far cry from their plastic packaged cousin. Comparing Dashi’s ramen bowls to instant ramen is like comparing an expertly crafted latte made from artisan roasted beans to instant coffee—they are two very different experiences!
We use fresh noodles at Dashi, which need to be refrigerated until use; we’re not unwrapping the typical square dried noodle packets or using dry or frozen ones.
BBC: What will be some of the signature ramen bowls?
DASHI: Our ramen bowls vary from tonkotsu (which has pork broth that is boiled for over 10 hours), shio (salt base), shoyu (soy sauce base), and even a brothless ramen (mazemen).
Vegetarians will appreciate our vegetarian bowl, and even gluten-intolerant guests will be able to enjoy a bowl with tofu and shirataki noodles!
All dishes feature local meat and produce with ramen bowl toppings and small plates changing seasonally.
BBC: What will be the atmosphere of the restaurant?
DASHI: Dashi has a comfortable and vibrant atmosphere centered around a lively open kitchen in the dining room, and an intimate izakaya (Japanese pub) upstairs. Dashi is a restaurant that does not feel formal, yet offers dishes with premium ingredients served by a knowledgeable and friendly staff.
BBC: What will the upstairs izakaya be like/offer?
DASHI: Our izakaya centers on a bar with wine, sake, beer, and craft cocktails, and offers small plate dishes late into the night. The ramen shop will also have our entire beverage menu available downstairs as well.
Upstairs, the izakaya will have a completely different menu—small plates featuring a medley of yakimono selections, housemade pickles, refreshing salads, spicy miso chicken wings and much more!
Logo: Dashi |
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