Sneak a Peek at the Dishes in the Works at Much-Anticipated Japanese Restaurant Salaryman

In the works for more than a year, the most-anticipated new restaurant in Dallas is Salaryman, former Lucia chef Justin Holt’s forthcoming Japanese eatery. Even though he’s hosted multiple RSVP-only dinner services in recent weeks, the restaurant hasn’t officially kicked open the doors full-time just yet.

But that hasn’t stopped Holt from teasing a number of dishes that will be on the menu at Salaryman, and they’re all worth taking a look at.

Yakitori skewers

Grilled over binchotan charcoal, Holt fans might recognize these skewers from the chef’s wildly popular ramen pop-ups. He’s shown off a number of meats-on-sticks on the ‘gram, including succulent yakitori, sausages, and asparagus skewers with bacon.

Ramen

Not surprisingly, Salaryman will also offer multiple ramen options, including a tonkotsu bowl with soured corn, rayu (Japanese chili oil), and chicken. He’s also shown off a bowl of tsukemen, or dipping ramen, that’s served with an indulgent “gravy” made with chicken stock, morita chili, Sichuan pepper, and pork fatback.

Hamburg steak

Arguably one of the most decadent dishes that Holt’s teased from Salaryman, this gravy-and-mushroom smothered steak is topped with truffles and served with soft potatoes slathered in butter spiked with amazake (a fermented rice drink) and showered with flakes of dried aonori (seaweed).

The Old Dragon

Okay, it’s not a dish, but this drink is destined for cocktail glory. A mix of Japanese whisky, kokuto (brown sugar), citrus oils, and Sichuan pepper, this sip’s most compelling feature is the fact that it comes garnished with a toy dragon that you can keep. Who can resist that?

Soft-Serve Ice Cream

Considering that there’s so much savory goodness in the works at Salaryman, it’s going to be hard to save room for dessert. But the restaurant’s Mexican vanilla ice cream has already earned raves from the few lucky folks that have been able to try it so far. Swirled into a cake cone, diners can also opt to dip their cones in a crunchy chocolate shell.

Holt still hasn’t committed to an opening date for Salaryman just yet, and he’s used the phrases “coming soonish” and “whenever we’re ready” to describe the current timeline. Stay tuned for more details on when Salaryman will be open for good.

• A Massively Popular Ramen and Yakitori Pop-Up Is Getting a Permanent Home [EDFW]