Japanese food such as ramen noodles and pork belly bao buns will be coming to Longmont later this month. Parkway Food Hall on Ken Pratt Blvd. will be open Memorial Day weekend, showcasing eight food concepts under his one roof.
“It’s like opening eight new restaurants at once…but you don’t have to go to a million different places,” Lisa Balcomb said.
Lisa, along with her husband Patrick Balcomb, is the culinary creator behind two food hall concepts: Baahachi and Pie Dog.
Pie Dog started life as a ghost kitchen inside brick-and-mortar restaurant Farrow in Niwot, but Baahachi, a casual Japanese street food spot, is a new concept. Balcom said there is little Japanese food in Longmont, making it an untapped market.
Baahachi's menu includes traditional Japanese dishes such as vermicelli, tonkotsu ramen, and cabbage pancakes.
“We're going to use our culinary abilities and knowledge to create really high-quality food…to create a more approachable, casual style of food,” Balcomb said.
Balcom said the concept is being led by chef Adam Chan, who grew up in Hong Kong and is well versed in Asian cuisine. His mother ran a street food shop for many years and passed on her knowledge to Chan.
“He has worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants and is trying to serve really great food without pretentiousness or fuss,” Balcomb said.
The highly anticipated food hall will also offer Longmont residents traditional barbecue, Indian cuisine, burgers and Mediterranean cuisine.
“It was just a big empty shell, and now it's really starting to take shape. I think Longmont is ready to do something a little different like this,” Balcomb said.