When Penny Mohr immigrated to the United States in 2011, she knew she required to be in a kitchen.
Her cousin experienced not too long ago opened many Japanese places to eat in Chicago, so she acquired to do the job helping him and understanding each and every achievable job – server, host, cook dinner, dishwasher, manager and, 11 years later on, operator.
Penny and her husband, Chris Mohr, opened Tomo Japanese Road Meals in Evanston on April 19, with a line stretching down Sherman Avenue. They have been perfecting their ramen recipe via the yrs, beginning at the Discussion board55 Food Hall in Chicago in 2018. Owing to COVID-19, the food items hall shut down, and the Mohrs designed the conclusion to open their personal place.
Penny Mohr, who is Thai, claims her next-most loved food (Thai being initially, of system) is Japanese. She has been cooking unique varieties of Asian delicacies due to the fact she was 11 years aged, but she said she’s normally been drawn to Japanese culture and meals. After she and Chris took a vacation to Japan prior to the pandemic, they both equally agreed they wished to create a cafe identical to the Japanese road food items they loved while abroad.
“We just wished to have one thing additional casual, just a location to arrive and get your ramen and look at Ability Rangers or anime,” Chris Mohr claimed.
When choosing to open up Tomo at 1726 Shermann Ave., Chris mentioned he and Penny intently watched the foot targeted visitors in the Evanston restaurant scene. They struggled to come across a everyday to-go put in the vicinity of Northwestern College that was open after 7 p.m., so they resolved they would rent the empty location on Sherman Avenue future door to Kilwins and tap into the Northwestern pupil audience.
Chris mentioned Tomo hopes to get a liquor license and host karaoke as very well. The menu will be expanding as they employ the service of and teach far more workforce, as will the hours, which are now 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. but improve to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting on Might 1.
They say their karaage curry rice (a curry rice bowl topped with fried hen), lava takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings topped with spicy mayo and masago) and curry udon (udon noodles with homemade beef curry) have been between the most well-known menu goods.
Even though summer months is quickly approaching, Penny Mohr stated she’s positive their property-produced ramen will get above as the most popular merchandise when temperatures fall in the tumble.
Even while there is nevertheless far more do the job to do, Penny Mohr stated her lifelong aspiration of opening up her individual cafe feels a bit much less demanding now.
“It’s not easy to get the job done in a restaurant and I was stressed with this site,” she said. “After the initially working day and all of the individuals that came, I have no strain.”
