Ronin Kitchen, a newly minted pop up, takes its cues from around the globe
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Alejandro A. Alvarez
While Ryo Igarashi’s roots are firmly Japanese, his approach to cooking is global.
“These days culinary culture is always moving,” Igarashi explains.
Sitting in the tiny dining room of Tokio, a former sushi spot on Lombard Street that’s now home to Ronin Kitchen, Igarashi’s newly minted pop up, he talks about the Westernization of Asian food and, in turn, the Asian-ization of Western food.
“A good example is McDonalds. In Japan, they serve katsu, a chicken cutlet and sunny-side up eggs with teriyaki sauce,” says Igarashi. “They’ve been doing it for a long time.”
With years of Japanese-restaurant experience, Igarashi’s worldview at Ronin Kitchen is markedly more inclusive. Three nights a week (Thursday to Saturday), he puts together a six-course menu that takes its cues from Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Korean culinary traditions as well as more Western techniques and flavors. This, of course, is the benefit of a culinary resume that includes everything from sushi and hibachi to pastry. With Ronin, Igarashi is finally able to embrace all of the skills that he’s learned from working with some of the city’s most talented chefs, including Jose Garces at Amada and Distrito. Igarashi says that while Garces’ restaurant empire includes influences from many different countries, there’s a consistency in taste. “Even though the ethnicity is different, the flavors themselves are similar,” says Igarashi. “They’re tasty, and that’s the bottom line.”
Tastiness is also Igarashi’s bottom line, as is evident after sampling his congee topped with crispy duck breast, a six-minute egg and youtiao (Chinese crullers).
The dinner menu changes weekly, using a constantly evolving roster of ingredients and influences. This week’s menu, Volume 4, begins with an aperitif of shochu, key lime and basil, and includes a play on the Chinese restaurant classic, shrimp toast; ma-po tofu with grass-fed beef; and a savory shao bing (a baked Chinese-style sesame bread) with John Dory, coconut, curry and basil.
RONIN KITCHEN | 124 Lombard St., roninkitchen.com. Thu.-Sat., 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. seatings. Six course prix fixe (reserve online), $53.
