BESHOCK Ramen & Sake Bar Expands To North County

The East Village mainstay, BESHOCK Ramen & Sake Bar, is expanding its award-winning concept to North County. Soft opened to the public last Monday, February 10th, with Grand Opening set on March 1st, the newest location is within The Shoppes at Carlsbad, and is situated next to diverse hospitality tenants, including Pluck and Lucha Libre Tacos.

Co-owners and childhood friends, Masaki Yamauchi and Ayaka Ito, launched their flagship concept in 2016 after nearly three years of research, recipe development and sake mastery. With an international sister restaurant in Ayaka’s hometown Nagoya, Japan, the Carlsbad location marks BESHOCK’s third outpost.

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DESIGN

With a background in commercial and residential design, BESHOCK co-founder Masaki Yamauchi worked alongside Japanese architect team Nonstyle to create the 1750-square-foot venue.

Inspired by industrial modern aesthetics, the space is stylishly accented with bare brick and exposed metal pipes. Staying true to that edgy ambiance, Masaki applied a special paint technique to imitate distressed graffiti art. A metallic mod-deco backsplash accentuates the 10-seat bar that showcases suspended shelving stocked with intricate bottles of imported sake. With comfortable booth seating and two separate bars, the space can accommodate 40 guests inside in addition to 10 guests on the patio.

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The latest BESHOCK eatery will hone in on the ramen program, offering a versatile lineup traditional, fusion and vegan bowls. With over 25 years of expertise, Executive Chef Jason Tsuji is passionate about creating nostalgic Japanese comfort food. His culinary authority, coupled with Masaki and Ayaka’s years of ramen research, has procured an award-winning recipe.

BESHOCK’s signature Tonkatsu ramen yields a lighter broth by simmering pork, chicken and seasonal vegetables for over ten hours, which is then poured over custom-ordered noodles that meet a specific thickness, texture and length. The menu at BESHOCK Carlsbad will introduce East Village favorites like the Spicy Miso Ramen and Tonkatsu Black Ramen, as well as BESHOCK Buns, Koji Chicken Karaage, and other popular appetizers.

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SAKE PROGRAM

In 2014, Ayaka achieved the prestigious kikizakeshi certification – similar to a sommelier of sake. Few hold this title of sake master, and only a small group of females have ascended to the level of expertise needed to be a kikizakeshi. Ayaka’s years of study and tasting have led to her extreme knowledge, which she leverages to curate a roster of premium selections for BESHOCK’s new location.

The sake program, while pared down from East Village’s extensive bar menu, allows Ito to refine the collection and hand-select each bottle for a specific purpose. Among her favorite ‘nihonshu’ varietals is the Junmai Ginjo Wa from Houraisen Brewery- an ideal pick for sake beginners, “Wa,” which translates to harmony, balances notes of sweetness and refreshing acidity.

Ayaka has also acquired Jyozen Nigori for the new location, which is a rich, floral aperitif recommended for a pre-meal drink. For the sake novice, there will also be flights available for sipping and sampling.

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TO COME

The sake craze is only in its genesis here in the United States, and Ayaka Ito is on a mission to impart her passion for this libation. A true pioneer in the modern sake landscape, Ayaka will begin brewing and branding her own sake, beginning with pilgrimages to sake breweries in Hawaii and Japan this spring, where she will work alongside brewmasters to perfect a proprietary recipe for BESHOCK.

In addition, BESHOCK’s East Village location is gearing up to launch San Diego’s first sake-driven retail boutique, offering a range of sake and artisanal drinkware to take home. More details to come soon on Ayaka’s impending sake and the retail store launch.