Japanese street food comes to Evanston

When Penny Mohr immigrated to the United States in 2011, she realized she wanted to be in a kitchen.

Her cousin had just lately opened various Japanese dining places in Chicago, so she got to do the job assisting him and mastering each individual probable job – server, host, cook dinner, dishwasher, manager and, 11 yrs later, operator.

Penny and her spouse, Chris Mohr, opened Tomo Japanese Street Foodstuff in Evanston on April 19, with a line stretching down Sherman Avenue. They have been perfecting their ramen recipe through the many years, beginning at the Forum55 Meals Hall in Chicago in 2018. Because of to COVID-19, the food stuff hall shut down, and the Mohrs built the choice to open up their very own area.

Penny Mohr, who is Thai, suggests her 2nd-preferred foods (Thai remaining initially, of system) is Japanese. She has been cooking distinctive varieties of Asian cuisine considering that she was 11 several years previous, but she stated she’s constantly been drawn to Japanese society and food. Immediately after she and Chris took a vacation to Japan prior to the pandemic, they both equally agreed they preferred to build a restaurant very similar to the Japanese road foodstuff they relished though abroad.

“We just wanted to have a little something far more everyday, just a put to arrive and get your ramen and check out Electricity Rangers or anime,” Chris Mohr said.

When selecting to open up Tomo at 1726 Shermann Ave., Chris claimed he and Penny intently viewed the foot targeted traffic in the Evanston restaurant scene. They struggled to discover a everyday to-go area close to Northwestern College that was open up following 7 p.m., so they decided they would rent the empty location on Sherman Avenue future door to Kilwins and faucet into the Northwestern student audience.

Chris claimed Tomo hopes to get a liquor license and host karaoke as properly. The menu will be expanding as they retain the services of and train much more workers, as will the several hours, which are currently 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. but transform to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. commencing on May well 1.

They say their karaage curry rice (a curry rice bowl topped with fried rooster), lava takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings topped with spicy mayo and masago) and curry udon (udon noodles with homemade beef curry) have been among the the most common menu merchandise.