The Mercury News & East Bay Times: JINYA Ramen founder joining today’s Pleasanton opening
The founder of Japan’s acclaimed Jinya Ramen Bar will greet customers at today’s opening in Pleasanton — the company’s second Bay Area restaurant
Tomonari Takahashi has flown from Tokyo for the festivities at the Pacific Pearl center, which will include meet-and-greets with customers when Jinya opens to the public at 2 p.m. The first 50 guests will be treated to a free ramen meal.
The son of a restaurateur who operated an izakaya in Japan, Takahashi launched the first of his seven Tokyo restaurants, Sabakuro Ebisu, in 2000 and his first Jinya Ramen Bar in the United States in 2010. In early 2017, San Jose’s Oakridge Mall became Jinya’s inaugural entry into the Northern California market. There are now 33 in the United States and Canada.
Jinya’s signature dish is Tonkotsu Black, a pork-based broth with pork chashu, kikurage (wood ear mushrooms), dried nori, seasoned egg, garlic chips, garlic oil and spicy sauce. It’s served with thin noodles.
Other popular offerings include the Spicy Chicken Ramen, the Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen and Brussels Sprouts Tempura with white truffle oil. New to the menu is the Slurp Up Cilantro bowl with chicken broth, chicken, kikurage, seasoned egg and plenty of the leafy green herb.
All of the ramen broths are simmered for 10 hours, and the noodles are aged in-house for three days.
Libations include sake, wine, craft beers and lychee tini cocktails.
Details: Jinya Pleasanton will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Pacific pearl, which is located at Stoneridge Drive and Fallon Road, south of Interstate 580. www.jinya-ramenbar.com