DINING FEATURE Airi Poke&Ramen Local restaurateur brings taste of Japan to Cypress G rowing up in Fuzhou, China, Leo Cai noticed a trend in his hometown. “A lot of people were doing restaurants in America,” Cai said. “Right now, if you go to any Chinese restaurant or Japanese restaurant, [the owners] are mostly frommy hometown.” Following in their footsteps, Cai can now count himself among the Fuzhou natives who ventured to the states to start their own business; Cai moved to the U.S. in 2010 and opened Airi Poke & Ramen in New Caney in 2018. Two years later, he opened a second location in Cypress, and he also plans to open a third in Baytown in February. The restaurant features traditional Japanese and Asian-inspired dishes, all of which are prepared entirely in-house with fresh ingredients, Cai said. Despite opening three restaurants in less than four years, however, Cai said the restaurant busi- ness has not come without its challenges. “A lot of customers complained, ‘Hey, your food is no good. I don’t like it,’’’ Cai said. Taking that criticism to heart, Cai went to Japan to study the intricacies of preparing ramen from scratch. He said it did not take long for his cus- tomers to notice the di erence in quality, which prompted Cai to return to Japan the following year to focus on appetizers. Today, some patron favorites are the spicy tuna poke bowl, miso soup and beef ramen, Cai said. Like most restaurants, Cai said Airi Poke & Ramen was hit hard by COVID-19; however, he said it also opened his eyes and his heart to the community. “COVID let me know that if you want to do good business, you need to be there for your [commu- nity],” he said, noting he sets aside 1% of sales each month to donate to local nonpro ts. “[The commu- nity] is almost your family. You are here. You are a member. If they do something for us, we need to do something for them.” BY WESLEY GARDNER
3DISHES TOTRY
General Tso’sChicken ($12.95): A staple of Asian cuisine, this dish is servedwith steamed rice. (Courtesy Airi Poke &Ramen)
ChickenYaki Udon ($11.95): This avorful stir-fry dish is servedwith fresh vegetables. (Courtesy Airi Poke &Ramen)
TonkotsuRamen ($12.95): Pork broth, pork chashu, seasoned sh, bamboo shoots, sweet corn, green onion and dried seaweed combine to create this traditional Japanese dish. (Courtesy Airi Poke & Ramen)
BOWL BREAKDOWN The Wasabi Shrimp Poke ($13.45) is among four poke bowls on the menu.
Cucumber Sweet corn Avocado Boiled shrimp Edamame Cherry tomatoes
Leo Cai moved to the U.S. in 2010 and opened Airi Poke & Ramen in Cypress in 2020. (Wesley Gardner/Community Impact Newspaper)
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Airi Poke&Ramen 28404 Hwy. 290, Ste. G19, Cypress 832-653-7548 www.airiramen.com Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight
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CY FAIR EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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