▼ Café | CHOW BELLA | Pacific Palates Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at these Phoenix restaurants. BY MER NORWOOD F ood always brought us together. I grew up in a Filipino household, so not only was there always food in the fridge, but Mom was always asking, “Did you eat? Are you hungry?” When I moved to Phoenix after living in New York and Los Angeles, I realized quickly that here, good food is very accessible, and you don’t have to spend your whole paycheck to eat at some of the best places in the country. And just like when I was growing up, Pyro Pyromania ‘American fare with Japanese flavor:’ An izakaya-style bistro will open in Arcadia. BY AMY YOUNG W hile the center of the city is booming, not all new restaurant construction is reserved for down- town Phoenix. The intersection of 44th Street and Camelback Road will soon pick up some new spots of its own. The Grove — a mixed-use destination from Red Development, the crew that brought multipurpose spot CityScape to downtown Phoenix — is being erected. Roughly 4,200 square feet of this new place will house Pyro, a Japanese izakaya- style bistro. The new restaurant is the latest of a host of Valley locations from the Flagship Restaurant Group. They opened Ghost Donkey, Cham Pang Lanes, and Palma in downtown Phoenix, and their concepts aren’t tied to one idea or style. American bar and grill, sushi, brunch, and seafood are among the themes of their current restaurants. Flagship’s CEO and co-founder, Nick Hogan shared some details about what to expect at Pyro. While the company has eateries around the U.S., Hogan is a Phoenix resident and he is beyond excited about Pyro’s location. “Not only do I enjoy dining in that area, I also know the potential of the intersec- tion. We wanted to do something unique that fits the neighborhood, and that’s where the concept of Pyro was born,” he says. “There are great steakhouses and seafood restaurants in the area,” Hogan says. “We didn’t want to go toe-to-toe with any of them. The idea for Pyro is an American bistro that meets Japanese izakaya — American fare with Japanese flavor profiles.” He explained the food menu will be accompanied by a “refined” cocktail program as well. In Japan, izakaya joints serve drinks and snacks in a warm, comfy, and casual environment. That’s the pervasive idea for Pyro’s vibe. “Everything we’ve ever built over the last 20 years; we have wanted to have the atmosphere that everyone is comfortable in — from people dressed for a business lunch to those casually dressed in T-shirts and shorts. We want to appeal to everyone.” The place will also offer a patio with a relaxed atmosphere for drinking and dining. The design, Hogan says, will be full of “refined finishes with every part Pyro, a new Japanese bistro is coming to Phoenix. well-thought-out, from the atmosphere to the acoustics and lighting.” As for the food, Hogan explained an effort toward using local ingredients. “We’ll have a hearth that will be used for live-fire cooking visible to indoor diners. It’s an exciting piece of equipment that our chefs can use to do a lot of different techniques — they’re geeking about all the things they want to do,” Hogan says. Sustainability is also front of mind, he says. “Flagship as a whole runs a very large sustainability program. All the proteins we use are sourced sustainably — we have a partnership with Monterey Bay Aquarium. We learned their program and procedures to ensure that we are running a sustainable program — not just with seafood but all animal proteins. So, typically, our restau- rants will run a program that is first and foremost sustainable.” Opening day for Pyro was pushed back from its original schedule, but Hogan hopes to welcome customers within the year. “We plan to start construction by July 1,” Hogan says. “COVID, of course, affected construction, but we will try our hardest to open at the end of the year or the first of 2023. We’d love to have people celebrating New Year’s Eve there.” Stay tuned to Flagship Restaurant Group’s website for further details. food is community. May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which celebrates the histories and heritages of those whose roots are founded across the Asian continent and within Pacific Islands including Fiji, Hawaii, Guam, and Samoa to name a few. The list of cultures is inherently diverse, and with that list comes an exciting and massive range of ingredi- ents, flavors, and dishes. The Federal Asian Pacific American Council declared this year’s theme for the month to be “Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration.” True to this theme, we’ve rounded up the movers and shakers of Phoenix’s Asian and Pacific Island-inspired cuisine. Though we could not cover all culi- nary innovators, this select list of restau- rants and small businesses have been bringing innovation to their dishes and championing culture and community in the Valley. From purple rice and sushi burritos to Hong Kong-style desserts and Filipino lechon, these restaurants deserve a shoutout for their culinary prowess and ideas that have brought an array of Asian flavors to the Valley. Together, they form a culinary commu- nity that is Phoenix’s own. Harumi Sushi & Sake 114 West Adams Street 602-258-0131 harumisushiaz.com Harumi Sushi & Sake first gained distinction because of the purple rice it brought to its dishes. Black rice turns purple when cooked, and >>p 30 29 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES MAY 19TH– MAY 25TH, 2022
