Sunday, March 29, 2015

We Need More Chefs Like Richie Nakano, Not Less


That was my first thought when I heard the news that Chef Richie Nakano was fired and would no longer be a part of Hapa Ramen, as reported by Inside Scoop.  Hapa Ramen is Richie, it is his brainchild, his blood and guts have gone in to creating an amazing brand and ultimately, a beautiful, brick-and-mortar restaurant.  His journey had been one that many chefs have had to go through - seemingly more downs than ups, but Richie has constantly maintained his focus and never let his beliefs in what he was doing be compromised.  It’s what made Hapa Ramen so real for so many people.

I remember the first time I had a Hapa bowl.  It was at a pop-up at what is now St. Vincent (I believe it was called Heart Bar back then).  That bowl of ramen was a revelation for me.  There was a complexity to it that I hadn’t quite seen in other bowls of ramen. It had me intrigued.  Could we get away from the thought that ramen was some cheap food that poor college kids eat, that comes in packs of 6 for $1, that have just one plain, bland flavor?  I knew it could be the start of something...

I followed the progression of Hapa Ramen through each incarnation, from pop-up to Ferry Building, to Fillmore Street and the Kickstarter campaign, back to pop-up and finally the Mission.  I got a chance to get to know Richie and he never lost faith in what he was doing.  His passion never wavered and in fact, his ideas kept growing.  As more and more ramen shops opened in the Bay Area, serving just okay bowls, Richie pushed the envelope, with different ingredients, different broths, and a whole different attitude to how ramen should be - bold, unique flavors and fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.  Even with many saying ramen is dead in this country, I have hope for its future when I see what Richie is doing and the folks at Ramen Shop in Oakland.

I stopped by his brick-and-mortar probably 3-4 times.  I wanted to see how those plastic-lid bowls at the Ferry Building translated to an actual restaurant and what the rest of his menu might look like.  The evolution of his ramen was breathtaking!  And it was just beginning.  When reading the Chronicle review about the ramen, I let out a loud laugh.  The consistency of Hapa Ramen was only getting better and better.  The noodles, the broth, the ingredients, the imagination.  Richie is doing it the right way.  He is taking us out of that $8-10 bowl of ramen that we are so used to, that oversalted bowl of tonkotsu broth, the baseless toppings that lack no imagination, and giving it a place nearer a fine dining experience.  Why should ramen be any different than any other cuisine?  Richie got that, understood that, and tried to take it further, which was greatly appreciated by many who love great food.


I won’t get into the firing or the business side of things because I don’t know the whole story.  The only thing I will say is that for any investor to give a business four months to turn a profit is ludicrous, particularly a restaurant.  That’s the exact time period where a chef is just starting to figure everything out, from staffing, to food, to cutting costs here and there, what is working and what isn’t.  If you’re already worried about profits and cost-cutting, why bother investing in the business?  Menu changes are anticipated, but drastic changes after several positive reviews just seems ludicrous.  To cheapen a product, to try to dumb down the food - that means you’re trying to hoodwink customers and with the way the food world works in the Bay Area, that would never, ever work.  I give Richie credit for maintaining his values and wanting to put out the best product he could, finding the best ingredients and having faith that that is what people want - because judging from the reaction, it really is what people wanted, a great dining experience and great bowl of ramen.




As for Richie’s Twitter persona, that’s who he is folks.  Love it or hate it, he is opinionated and doesn’t tweet the same boring, PR-driven BS that you might see from other restaurants.  And that’s what people loved about him and Hapa Ramen - Richie was 100% real, from start to finish.  We need more chefs that hold to their beliefs, that fight for their creativity, that don’t put the same items on their menu each season to impress one or two “important” people.  Yes, sometimes Richie was crass or outwardly rude, but how would you react if someone is anonymously trying to piss on your business, your dream, what you love to do?  Chef you have the support of many in the food community including me and we all can’t wait to see what’s next!

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