Noodle News

International ramen restaurant makes Dallas debut in Victory Park

Ramen from Jinya.

Courtesy photo

A ramen restaurant from California is coming to Dallas. Jinya Ramen Bar, which was founded in Tokyo in 2000, will open a location in Dallas' Victory Park, with a tentative opening set for the weekend of March 23-24.

According to a release, the restaurant will occupy a 3,000-square-foot space at 625 High Market Rd., where it will serve 13 signature bowls with 20-plus toppings in vegetarian, chicken, or pork/tonkatsu broth. The menu will also include rice and curry bowls and a variety of Japanese-inspired small plates.

Raised in Japan by a family of restaurateurs, founder Tomo Takahashi opened the first Jinya in Tokyo in 2000. After launching six restaurants in Japan, he brought his ramen expertise to the United States, opening the first U.S. location in 2010 in Studio City. The brand has since expanded across the U.S. and Canada.

There are locations in Houston and Austin, and another is planned for Irving in 2019.

Jinya serves an authentic rendition of ramen in a casual, trendy atmosphere. Popular bowls include the Sprouting Up Ramen (pork & chicken broth, pork chashu, kikurage, spicy bean sprouts, green onion, half seasoned egg, crispy Brussels sprouts, black pepper, ginger, thick noodles); the Tonkotsu Black (pork broth, pork chashu, kikurage, geen onion, nori dried seaweed, seasoned egg, garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion, spicy sauce, thin noodles); and vegetarian/vegan options including Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen (vegetable broth, tofu, onion, green onion, spinach, crispy onion, garlic chips, garlic oil, chili oil, sesame seeds, thick noodles).

You can customize your ramen with varying spice levels, a kale noodle option, and 20-plus add-on toppings such as chicken wontons, cheese & tomato, Brussels sprouts, and beef sukiyaki.

Shareable small plates such as Caramelized Cauliflower (caramelized cauliflower with toasted pine nuts, crispy mint leaves, lime sauce); Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura (tossed in Jinya’s original spicy mayonnaise prepared “ebi-mayo” style); and Mini Tacos (salmon poke, spicy tuna or pork chashu & kimchee served in a crispy wonton shell), round out the menu.

openings

Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

downtown