Yamato Ramen House’s Yang hopeful for Nov. 1 opening
Although facing construction delays, Allen Yang, a partner in Yamato Ramen House & Poke Bowl, said he is hoping to open the restaurant Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 11527 Parkside Drive in Farragut.
“We’re still waiting for the sign,” Yang said. “I don’t know how many weeks they still need to get the sign put up. Everything has to pass inspection, then we can put up the sign … and hire staff.
“If we can’t open Nov. 1, we may have to wait until next year,” he added.
Once open, though, Yamato Ramen House will offer ramen noodles, hibachi and poke bowls.
Yang explained ramen noodles are in a soup and pointed out they are not those one would find in a grocery store.
“That’s totally different,” he said. “Ramen noodles (in the) soup is soup tasting.”
“You have to put in a
soup bone or chicken broth. Sometimes you need to cook it for four or five hours,” Yang added.
The soups consist of a base: tonkotsu or spicy tomkotsu, miso or spicy miso, vegan soy or seafood; a protein such as pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, crab meat, tofu or vegetable; and noodles such as soba, ramen, udon or egg noodles.
Besides the ramen noodle soups, Yamato also carries poke bowls — starting with a choice of sushi, white or brown rice or spring mix — a choice of vegetables, proteins, toppings and a sauce.
Yamato also prepares hibachi dinners, such as chicken, salmon, steak or jumbo shrimp, or a mix, such as chicken and shrimp or steak and shrimp.
The menu also includes appetizers: pork bun, gyoza (fried Japanese pork dumpling), edamame (boiled soy bean) haru maki (fried Japanese spring roll), deep-fried calamari (squid) with tempura sauce, sweet potato fries and cheese wontons. Customers also can purchase milk/bubble tea, smoothies, the Yamato house drink, sodas or beer.
Yang, who immigrated to the United States from South China in 1999, has been in the restaurant business for more than 15 years, starting in Dyersburg in West Tennessee. He then moved to Tullahoma — and “now I’m here,” he said.
“I’ve been searching this market, and more and more people like ramen noodles, and they prefer seafood right now in their poke bowls,” Yang said.
As a result, “I decided to put (a restaurant) in here.”
Yamato will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
For more information, call 865-288-3181 or e-mail to yamatofarragut11527@gmail.com
