Is it possible for the city of Philadelphia to officially adopt Kosuke and Tomomi Chujo?
The Tokyo couple have made their rounds around town this week for their special Philly trip. They’ve visited Citizens Bank Park, City Hall, the PHL airport and dined at beloved neighborhood eats.
The Chujos have shown their passion for Philly, and we have given it right back, coming out in droves for their cheesesteak pop-ups. The first at Fishtown’s Liberty Kitchen was so popular that the line spanned multiple blocks, and they sold out of their Philly-inspired classic cheesesteak.
The second, which we checked out Monday night at Yanaga Kappo Izakaya, was also a huge success.
“It was wild,” said Michael Ego, the managing partner of the bar. “We had the line for Nihonbashi down to Spring Garden. Outside was a madhouse – so many people, so many great neighbors, so many great chefs came down. I think chef Yanagi and I looked at each other in passing and just smiled.”
The vibe
The evening didn’t involve people merely standing in a big line for Nihonbashi cheesesteaks. It was also part of the bar’s neighborhood night, monthly chef takeover and first birthday celebration. Outside, the block was full of music, bubble machines, artwork, food vendors and beer tents. Parents walked around with their children, and multiple people brought dogs.
“So exciting! Amazing,” Kosuke said as he looked around the packed party outside of Yanaga Kappo Izakaya. In addition to Nihonbashi Philly, the bar brought in favorites like Mawn, Neighborhood Ramen and Zama to make special dishes.
The event began slightly drizzly, but cleared up as the night went on. It also served to honor the memory of the late chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka, who passed away last year. Each chef who participated in the party had a relationship with Zama.
“It’s kind of kismet that everybody came together,” Ego said. “And, you know, we always joke that he’s there looking over all of us in some way.”
The wait
Russ Morris was the very first in line for the pop-up, with his husband Aaron Israel right behind him. Both are Philly natives and self-proclaimed foodies. The couple showed up about three hours early for the 5 p.m. start time. They tried to get a Nihonbashi Philly cheesesteak last week and were about 20 feet from the door when they ran out.
“We showed up super early for this one, just to make sure that we got in line,” Morris said. “I was so excited to find out that not only would I actually have a chance to get the food, but also that I was going to be one of the first people with a ticket to get one.”
While standing for so long for a cheesesteak may seem excessive to some, to Israel the choice was actually quite economical.
“Waiting in line for three hours is much cheaper than flying to Japan,” he explained. “While the Japan trip sounds awesome and I’d love to go, it’s a lot cheaper to wait three hours.”
Guests were handed numbered tickets showing their spot in line beginning at 4 p.m. Then, they could roam around outside and order food and drinks at the neighborhood party, which included tents from Yard’s Brewing and Human Robot. At 5 p.m., numbers were called and diners were invited inside.
Instead of a recreation of the Nihonbashi Philly sandwich for this pop-up, Kosuke and Tomomi experimented with something new – two Japanese-inspired cheesesteaks: one with ribeye sukiyaki style, the other with chicken teriyaki and egg. It was the first time the couple had sold them.
The taste
You would think that outsiders coming into the city with new ideas about how to improve a cheesesteak would get laughed out of town.
Tomomi and Kosuke, however, have shown such reverence and care for Philly’s staple dish that their ideas are more than welcome. After all, they’ve done their due diligence trying and studying local spots, and Kosuke even has multiple Philly-inspired tattoos. The result is a cheesesteak that may be foreign, but feels simple, beautiful and authentic.
“I would probably say it’s the best cheesesteak I’ve had,” Israel said, referring to the ribeye selection. “He did a really good job using sugar in his beef, which is typical for sukiyaki. And the way that he was able to get the cheese to coat the beef really well stood out to me.”
For those not in the know, sukiyaki is a Japanese dish typically made from thinly sliced beef, slow-cooked and served in a pot with soy sauce, sugar and mirin. A raw egg mixture is added at the end and veggies are mixed in.
On a freshly baked Del Rossi roll, the steak was unbelievably moist and melted in your mouth. The onions and peppers were expertly folded into the sliced Wagyu ribeye. And the Cooper Sharp cheese distribution was, as Israel noted, impressively even throughout.
Sitting at the Izakaya bar, I watched as neighbors took their first bites. Heads nodded, and the sounds of “mmmms” rang throughout. The steak was chopped finer and more tender than a typical cheesesteak.
The chicken cheesesteak was both unique and tasty. Usually a teriyaki chicken cheesesteak is super sweet, coated in sauce and way too heavy. But this sandwich, which came with egg and scallions, was delicate, light and well-balanced. The teriyaki flavor was certainly there, but not overpowering and the egg gave it a nice, savory twist.
“It is such a cool fusion,” said my barmate Kwaku Owusu, who was third in line. “It has the Cooper Sharp cheese, the onions, of course. But they have a little egg in there, so it gives it that really creamy bite.”
While the Chujos were definitely the draw for the night, there were multiple celebratory dishes on the menu. Mawn made a special “Hot Dog” and Neighborhood Ramen had an Al Pastor Mazemen for Cinco de Mayo. Zama was serving a Philly-style amuse bouche that came complimentary for every guest.
By the end of the night, every single cheesesteak had sold out.
“We ended up selling out pretty quickly,” Ego said. “By like, 8 o’clock, we were completely out. And we staggered inside every 20 people, every 20 minutes. So it was fast.”
As for the Chujos, they spent the night both in the kitchen and walking around the block party, enjoying themselves. Guests were excited to meet them and they returned the favor by chatting with everyone and taking pictures.
The sandwiches did not feel like a one-time gimmick, but rather cheesesteaks the city could embrace as a permanent fixture. Unfortunately, for us, the couple is heading back to Japan on Friday.
“We have to say thank you to everyone who came here,” Tomomi said, acknowledging the widespread support they’ve felt on their visit. “I love you Philadelphia. I cannot find the words.”
