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Friday, April 15, 2016

Ramen, robata restaurant coming to downtown Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Business Times writes about restauranteur Teejay Li and his plans to bring Yuzu Kitchen to 409 Wood Street downtown:
[Yuzu Kitchen is] a restaurant focused on a menu of ramen dishes and robata grill items.

It’s a mix expected to also include tapas-style appetizers and a full bar that Li is optimistic will offer a cuisine available nowhere else in central business district.

“I do believe there’s a big need for this kind of restaurant downtown,” said Li. “There’s no competition for my concept."

Against a popular perception of it consisting of cheap instant noodles often eaten by college students, Ramen noodle dishes have become a hot food trend elsewhere based on ingredients focused on a rich broth base and a range of toppings that include pork belly, poached eggs, scallions and a host of others.
. . .
Li added he expects the robata grill component, a traditional cooking method in which meats are served on skewers, to have strong appeal with downtown residents living in high-rise buildings that don’t have the opportunity to grill. With the restaurant’s central location, he also sees potential for Yuzu Kitchen to be a destination draw for the city’s growing Asian population who can access downtown on public transportation for a cuisine hard to find elsewhere.

He is shooting to get his full approvals and renovate the property for use as a two-level restaurant and open in September. If all goes as planned, he hopes to expand it elsewhere as well.