Ryo Igarashi Announces His “For Ryol” Pop-Up


Ryo Igarashi had a rough 2012. Early in the year he hit his head on the corner of a prep table at his restaurant, Tokio (which was the offshoot of his Maru Global, which caught fire in 2011 and forced him to relocate and re-concept), and ended up with internal bleeding that resulted in him needing brain surgery. The recovery took a long time, which forced him to close Tokio (which was a tragedy for all fans of his octopus balls–and yes, I know how weird that sounds so shut up). And while things seemed to be looking up when he scored the truck once used by Honest Tom’s Tacos (with the intention of turning it into some kind of mobile version of Maru), even that plan fell through sue to some personal problems which left ownership of the truck in the hands of his (now ex) wife Nicole.

But hey, nothing keeps a good cook down. And now, a fully recovered Ryo is getting back in the game with a pop-up scheduled for Monday, February 25, at Headhouse Cafe on Lombard (not far from where he had Tokio). He’s calling it For Ryol (“For Real,” get it?) and says that the menu will be 7 courses of izakaya-inspired food (including one ramen course) with a full bar. Seats are going for $65 and he’s only doing 30 covers for the night so, you know, be quick.

More information on the event can be found at forryol.com. That’s where you can get tickets, too. And check out the full menu after the jump.

For Ryol Pop-Up

Headhouse Cafe, February 25

ginger cucumber cocktail
stoli, ginger, cucumber

kamamoto oyster
lime, soy, sake, ginger

scallop
bonito, grape seed oil, uzura

octopus
avocado, yuzu, arugula, konbu

tsukune
shiso, miso, konbu, sansho

pork belly
romaine, hoisin, mirin, soy

ramen
miso, chicken, naruto, kikurage, chaschu, gyoza

azuki bean
azuki bean, cream

For Ryol [Official]