SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City's food scene is seeing a surge of Japanese influence from food to design, and Momomaru and Ten Coffee on 200 West are two of the newest spots leading the way.
"Momo is peach in Japanese, it symbolizes good fortune and good energy," said Yong Jang, chef and manager at Momomaru. "Maru means round in Japanese, but it can also mean, in Korean, a common space."
Momomaru is a handroll sushi bar that uses simple, but fresh ingredients to create big flavors. Handrolls have been popular in Japan for decades but have recently seen a surge in the United States.
"Because the handrolls on the outside are more simple, we only use seaweed, rice, and the fish are the contents of the inside; every component has to be perfect," Jang said.
He says he feels immense pride seeing Asian-inspired cuisines getting more attention in the city's food scene.
"I think the culinary scene in Salt Lake City is expanding in the past few years, and I think it's attracting people from all over the world to join and come try the food here," he said.
Just behind Momomaru, in a shared building space, Ten Coffee brings the calm and minimalism of Japanese cafes to Salt Lake.
"When I was in Japan, I didn't expect to be so captivated by the spaces and by the peacefulness and the relaxation, and just sort of the ability to unwind and really appreciate what you were consuming," said Ten owner Nick Price.
Ten is known for their specialty coffees, but their high-quality matcha — a green tea from Japan — is drawing attention too.
"I think matcha is really coming to the states in a big way right now," Price said. "I wanted to bring a really proper, beautiful way for matcha."
From perfectly crafted handrolls to mindful cups of matcha, Japanese-inspired food and intentional spaces are bringing people together here on 200 West in Salt Lake City.
"I just hope it's like a big community space where everyone is just activated and having fun," Price said.
