Get excited: JINYA Ramen Bar is coming to Downtown Tulsa!
(Big thanks to this post’s sponsor, Hayes Custom Homes — a builder of custom luxury homes in Tulsa, OK. Check out some of the great looking homes they’ve built in the Tulsa area here.)
When I hear about a new restaurant opening up in Downtown Tulsa, I tend to get excited — even before I know anything about what kind of food they serve or who is running the restaurant. Why? Because Tulsa restaurateurs don’t typically put a bunch of money into renovating a downtown space or opening a new concept restaurant without having a lot of faith in the success of said restaurant.
Earlier this year, Dave Soparkdithapong announced that he would be opening a JINYA Ramen Bar franchise location on 2nd Street; next to Fleet Feet and Dilly Diner.
When I heard that JINYA was a franchise, my curiosity was piqued. I’ve never been to a ramen bar and as a matter of fact, I’d be lying if I said I had ever heard anything more than passé jokes about people paying $10-12 for a $.20 packet of Maruchan ramen noodles. So I started looking into JINYA and how they’ve been received in the 20 or so franchise locations operating in North America (these include a handful of locations in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary.)
JINYA’s success in other major markets
For starters, I wanted to see what people were saying about their franchise locations in some of the more competitive U.S. markets. Los Angeles seemed like a good candidate, with 5 locations in operation in the L.A. metro and one more under construction in downtown L.A.
LA Weekly article staffer Besha Rodell spoke with JINYA founder Tomo Takahashi about how he is changing the perception of ramen in Southern California by incorporating higher end ingredients in limited availability. In one example, Takahashi discusses testing the incorporation of truffles and lobster. Only 10 bowls of JINYA’s lobster ramen would be available every day at two of their L.A. locations.
Timeout.com writer Erin Kuschner mentions that this Lobster Ramen, in particular, is the noodle dish that L.A. residents need to try this year. Sounds pretty good to me.
This blurb on Zagat.com mentions a must-try Takoyaki — “a fried ball of batter flecked with octopus; spicy chicken ramen; tonkotsu black ramen” — as one of the D.C.’s under-the-radar restaurants that they recommend people try. Zagat writer Rina Rapuano mentions that JINYA’s D.C. metro (technically in Fairfax, VA) offers gyoza (a wanton, fried or baked, stuffed with pork and cabbage — I absolutely love them) and Asian-inspired cocktails, beer, and sake.
Good times ahead
Tulsa World Scene writer Scott Cherry’s interview with Tulsa JINYA owner Dave Soparkdithapong mentioned that local craft beers, Japanese beers, and even tapas are in the plans for the new Blue Dome location. This will definitely help JINYA establish itself as a popular downtown happy hour or dinner destination.
In the same Tulsa World article, Soparkdithapong that the local popularity of ramen bars in Houston has seen diners waiting 40 minutes or more on any given evening. Will Tulsa see the same trend? It’s quite possible.
Roppongi: Downtown Tulsa’s next ramen restaurant
In another Tulsa World article from June 2016, local restaurateur Libby Billings (owner of The Vault and Elote — two of the Deco District’s most awesome restaurants) announced that she was planning to open a ramen bar at LaSalle’s New Orleans Deli former location — 601 S. Boston. If you’re familiar with Billings’s other restaurants, you’re probably already excited for this one, too. She’s no slouch at running a restaurant.
The Waiting Game
It almost goes without saying: JINYA is going to be immensely popular when it opens. Will it have the staying power, though? I think that when the dust settles and the new wears off of this place, JINYA is very likely to remain a downtown dinner and happy hour fixture. Of course, that’s just my speculation after reading up on how the JINYA franchise has been received in other markets. We’ll have to see how the quality of food and service end up when JINYA opens its doors this year.
Let’s all wish the Tulsa JINYA crew good success in their new downtown endeavor.
Cheers, Tulsa!