Ramen News

Dallas sushi restaurant makes deal with New York's famed 'ramen junkie'

You won't have to go to New York.

Photo courtesy of Ivan's

The coronavirus is mostly a beating, except when it brings us ramen: Flagship Restaurant Group, which owns Blue Sushi Sake Grill, has launched a partnership that will give Dallas-Fort Worth diners a taste of ramen that's internationally known.

Flagship has partnered with famed ramen master Ivan Orkin, star of Chef's Table and owner of New York's cult-fave Ivan Ramen, to create a program whereby locations of Blue Sushi Sake Grill will prepare Orkin's ramen, fried chicken, steamed pork buns, and more, and make them available for takeout and delivery.

The program has already launched in Nebraska, where Flagship is based. Other Blue Sushi Sake Grill locations will come on board with takeaway/delivery in the next few weeks, including:

Blue Sushi Sake Grill in Fort Worth will begin offering Ivan Ramen for takeaway/delivery starting February 18.
Blue Sushi SakeGrill in Dallas will begin offering Ivan Ramen for takeaway/delivery at the end of March.

Diners will be able to place a takeout or delivery order on IvanRamen.com. A majority of Ivan Ramen's menu will be available, including:

Signature ramens such as the Tonkotsu, Spicy Red Chile, Vegan Shoyu, and Tokyo Shio
Appetizers like Japanese Fried Chicken with toasted garlic caramel, togarashi, and shiso ranch
Steamed Pork Buns with soy-plum glaze and picked daikon
Spicy Kyuri Pickles with spiced rice vinegar and dill

They also crafted a selection of sakes and Japanese lagers that pair well with the menu items, as part of the elevated delivery and takeout experience.

Nick Hogan, CEO and Co-Founder of Flagship Restaurant Group, says in a statement this reflects a longtime goal to work with Orkin.

"My Flagship Restaurant Group partners and I have always wanted to find a way to work with Ivan Orkin and his New York City team, but the timing was never right on either side," Hogan says. "Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and after a lot of creative ideation between both brands, an organic partnership came together that just worked."

Orkin says it's an honor to partner with Flagship and make Ivan Ramen so readily available.

"The pandemic has made it really difficult for many people to leave their cities and travel to markets like New York City or Tokyo, where they can get an authentic taste of ramen culture," Orkin says. "I’m thrilled that I can give people an authentic experience that’s on par with what they’d have at my Clinton Street location, in the comfort of their homes in locations like Lincoln, Nebraska or Dallas, Texas."

openings

Supermarket News

Tom Thumb debuts 2 new supermarkets in the Dallas area

Courtesy photo

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Venerable supermarket chain Tom Thumb is celebrating the opening of two new stores in the Dallas area.

Sanger
A new Tom Thumb opened in Sanger at 1413 W Chapman Drive in Sanger on December 12. The long-awaited store spans 50,000 square feet with tens of thousands of items plus more than 1,000 local products.

The store features a bakery, deli, meat & seafood, produce, and floral, as well as an in-store Starbucks coffee kiosk, pharmacy in store plus drive-thru lane, and Drive-Up-N-Go grocery pick-up.

“We are so excited to open this Tom Thumb for the Sanger communities," says Division President Bill Neve in a statement. “Tom Thumb is excited to showcase our full-service grocery store and fresh new items that customers in Sanger will love."

Sunnyvale
On December 17, a Tom Thumb will open in Sunnyvale at 3400 N. Belt Line Rd. The first 300 shoppers will receive a bag of groceries, and all shoppers will enjoy the incredible deals and sensational offerings.

The Sunnyvale store is slightly larger, spanning 59,000 square feet, but with a similar lineup of bakery, deli, meat & seafood, produce, and floral. The store will also feature an in-store Starbucks coffee kiosk, pharmacy in store plus drive-thru lane, and Drive-Up-N-Go grocery pick-up. The Sunnyvale in-store Starbucks kiosk is the first for Tom Thumb to offer mobile ordering in addition to in-store ordering.

Division President Bill Neve says that they're "incredibly grateful to the town of Sunnyvale for their support of this new store and have been looking forward to meeting our newest customers and welcome them into their Tom Thumb!"

Store details
Store details include:

Prepared foods: Sushi made in-store, full-service salad case, hot line offerings, 400-plus cheese and charcuterie items, and what they call "the best fried chicken in town"
Bakery: Bread baked daily, deserts, five-star cake decorator on staff, in-store fried doughnuts, and exclusive items such as Christie’s cookies and Blue Bell ice cream cakes
Floral: Texas grown poinsettias for the holidays, bouquets, and arrangements, FTD service, balloon bar
Meat & Seafood: USDA choice and prime beef, organic and grass-fed, plus seafood purchases steamed at no additional charge
Wine and Beer: More than 1,000 wines and 85 local Texas craft brews

Starbucks coffee baristas are ready to make customers’ favorite beverages whether they are hot or cold, including Nitro and Cold Brew, along with Starbucks brand pastries.

supermarkets openings