The cowboy has arrived: Soy Cowboy, the Pan-Asian concept that will serve as the signature restaurant of Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center, will after much anticipation open on June 27.
Soy Cowboy anchors the ground level of the new Loews Arlington Hotel, at 888 Nolan Ryan Expwy., fortuitously situated between two sports stadiums and connected to the new Loews Arlington Convention Center.
The name may be slightly iffy but is said to give a nod to a buzzy street in Bangkok, Thailand called Soi Cowboy. The concept is from Houston-based restaurateur Benjamin Berg, a New York native who founded Berg Hospitality Group, a culinary group responsible for B&B Butchers & Restaurant in Houston and Fort Worth, plus 13 more concepts in Houston.
"With Soy Cowboy, we're bringing a fresh Pan-Asian concept to Arlington that blends bold flavors from across the continent with a playful Texas twist,” Berg says in a statement. “Our goal is to create a vibrant dining experience that captures the energy of Asia while incorporating ingredients sourced locally."
"From sizzling woks to creative cocktails, we want Soy Cowboy to be a place where guests can escape to and explore exciting tastes in a lively, welcoming atmosphere," Berg says.
Food
Soy Cowboy is an upscale and sophisticated Pan-Asian concept that incorporates the flavors of China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. The menu includes shareable plates exploring classic Asian cooking techniques including sushi, tempura, wok, robatayaki, hibachi, and teppanyaki, as well as Korean barbeque.
As with Berg’s original concept, B&B Butchers & Restaurant, attention is paid to butchering, aging, preparing, and grilling meat: from beef to game to seafood, with items like A5 Kobe Beef and an Australian Wagyu Tomahawk and NY Strip or Wagyu Beef Tsukune.
The restaurant also boasts a Dim Sum menu with items like Lobster Wontons, Wagyu Gyoza, Nigiri, Sashimi, Omakase, and caviar; plus innovative cocktails, wine, and sake.
Soy Cowboy’s lead chef is Berg Hospitality Group Regional Culinary Director Alisher Yallaev, who comes fresh off the opening of Berg’s Houston restaurant, Prime 131. Born and raised in Uzbekistan, Yallaev left home at 19 working his way up from dishwasher to stage at eight Michelin Star concepts to top Miami kitchens and kitchens across the U.S.
Soy Cowboy interiorSoy Cowboy
Decor
Soy Cowboy’s interiors were designed by Gail McCleese of Houston-based design firm sensitori, in collaboration with iCrave. The design features an immersive experience evoking natural settings found in China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan: a dark forest setting with preserved bamboo, a ceiling filled with fiber optic stars, custom-designed lighting beneath a glass floor to evoke the color and texture of flowing water, and so on.
A color scheme of green, gold, merlot, and dark hues integrate with varying textures to represent the different cultural influences across Asia. The bar and indoor patio feature a custom-painted red trellis and teak furnishings. A separate outdoor patio, sushi bar, and teppanyaki bar contribute three additional dining areas.
At the heart of the formal dining room, a water vapor installation is suspended above Soy Cowboy’s flame emblem.
In all, the restaurant has 12,770 square feet of interior space and 2,145 square feet of exterior space.
