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Niwa Restaurant Dallas, TX USA |
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Food Lover, Jimmy Niwa Opens the First Japanese BBQ Restaurant in Dallas! |
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| The store has a simple-yet-elegant design. No matter where one sits, customers are able to be opposite their friends, and the place is always filled with laughter and warm conversation. With its high ceilings, the restaurant embodies the spirit of 'nagomi,' which in Japanese means harmony. The food at Niwa seems to satisfy people on a very deep level. |
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The condiments give the restaurant the home cooked goodness
that was taught to Jimmy by his mother.
The 'secret sauce' is not provided by Ajinimoto, rather by Jimmy's 'Nagomi sauce,'
which is the restaurants secret seasoning. |
To become a number one restaurant in an area, you do not need to have an artisan chef who has been trained for many years. Rather Niwa's success comes from a sense of youthful energy, and being able to share home-inspired dishes taught by his mother and shared with friends. This is the winning combination.
At the age of 11, Jimmy lost his father and spent many meals eating fast food while she was away at work. "I got bored and asked my mother to teach me how to make some basic dishes like fried pork cutlet, croquettes, omelets with rice, spaghetti, curry rice, and braised pork.
"When I became a high school student, I would invite friends over and cook for them. I would do it once or twice a month. My meals were very well received, and my friends set up a 'dining club by contribution' for me." At that point, Jimmy fell in love with cooking and and knew that he could make his friends happy with his culinary skills.
"I didn't really like the program at vocational school. It took me almost a year to find out that I was really best suited for the restaurant industry. After dropping out, I went to culinary school and became a manager at an Italian restaurant, a Japanese restaurant, and a Chinese restaurant for three years. After graduating, I gained experience in various restaurants, and opened my own place in Dallas four years ago."
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"I found the LA and NY markets too crowded and competitive, with a lot of start-ups. Dallas, on the other hand, has many medical and IT industries, and had a need for high quality Japanese cuisine. There was a wide-open market for Japanese-style BBQ. In Texas, people have been growing tired of traditional steaks. Japanese BBQ, on the other hand, has an appeal that people never get tired of. I am convinced that this trend will continue to grow," said Jimmy. As proof, sales have increased by 30% every year.
"It's great to see employees of the US headquarters of Toyota moved from LA and other Japanese businessmen come to my place to celebrate their important events, such as business parties and other occasions. There are also a lot of people in the oil industry town of Dallas who appreciate the taste of rustic Japanese home cooking,” said Jimmy.
What started as a small flower, Niwa has flourished in the largest city in Texas (which itself has evolved from oil to IT, to advanced medical care), and has found acceptance by a steak-loving culture. Jimmy's dream is to spread the flowers of Niwa's success to the other major cities of Texas. It is clear that the 'secret sauce' of nagomi, taught by his mother 20 years ago, will blossom into a truly big flower.
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Photo 1: Owner/chef/manager Jimmy Niwa. Photo 2: The front entrance is understated. It lies in contrast to the flashy designs and high coloring of its neighbors, and gives the impression of the samurai era. Photo 3: An increasing number of customers are able to enjoy varieties of steak which they have not previously experienced in this setting. (From left to right) New York, Hanging Tender (sagari), Ribeye, Short Rib (calbi), Miso Skirt (harami), Sirloin, and Beef Belly (gyu bara), Photo 4: Also popular on the menu are tongue and lamb chops which are being appreciated by the citizenry of Dallas in addition to steak.
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