Japanese barbecue franchise Gyu-Kaku, which is growing more quickly in Asia than McDonald”™s, recently opened its first Westchester location at 169 Main St. in White Plains.
Gyu-Kaku, with three outposts in Manhattan and more than 800 locations in Asia and the U.S., enters a White Plains market plugged into a large Japanese population but with few Japanese dining options.
Gyu-Kaku, which is near a Japanese boarding school and several Japanese-owned corporate offices, is the first Japanese barbecue restaurant in the county.
The menu has options diverse enough that customers can get away with eating American food with a Japanese twist, said Marie Floro, restaurant manager. The newest item on the menu is the Gyu Dog, a hot dog using sausage made from black Berkshire pork with Japanese slaw made from teriyaki mayo. Appetizers include the orange chicken wings, which are covered in ginger sauce. Customers will find the typical sides of French fries and onion rings, but the condiments are unique: pesto mayo and mango ketchup.
The main courses vary from grilled meats to Japanese food with a Korean twist, including Korean kalbi short rib tare, bistro harami hanger steak miso and sukiyaki bibimbap, or mixed rice with vegetables, egg and meat in a hot stone pot.
Although business was slow at first, more people are finding out about Gyu-Kaku through its Groupon deals, Floro said.
“It was only recognized by Japanese people in Westchester who were thrilled they didn”™t have to go to the city to eat at Gyu-Kaku,” Floro said. “Now we”™re getting a lot of American locals who know it”™s too cold to grill outside in the winter time and are looking for an indoor place to cook meat.”
Restaurant owner Ivan Zhu from China said he first moved to the states seven years ago and studied economics at Queens College. He said he never dreamed of opening his own restaurant until he started working at a Gyu-Kaku franchise in Manhattan and met employees who lived in Westchester and talked about the growing Japanese population and the need for more Japanese cuisines.
When Zhu first visited the building where Gyu-Kaku is now located, it was a 3,000-square-foot printing shop. He noticed the “big open space,” which he said was perfect for accommodating several booths and private party rooms seating anywhere between 12 and 20 people.
He bought the space and hired Japanese architect Aki Miyazono to redesign the restaurant space so that it appeared “modern and sleek” and “family friendly.”
The $1.5 million renovation project covered everything from building out the kitchen and bathrooms to installing the grills and gas pipes.
All that was left was attracting customers.
“The focus of our restaurant is grilling your own food,” Zhu said. “Most people have never cooked outside of their house, so cooking at a restaurant is a new experience.”
Each table has a central grill and the meats come pre-cut to make them easier to cook.
“You don”™t need a fork or knife to cut the meat,” Floro said. “It”™s different from a steakhouse where they cook the meat and bring it out to you. The idea is that the food goes straight from the grill to your plate.”
