Ma Der Lao Kitchen (formerly Goro)

[Pete]

They now serve lunch on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11AM.

[Eddie1]

Is the second story an apartment that is being rented out? Same question re: The Mule.

[dankrutka]

I think the second story of The Mule building is rented as offices. Not sure about the Goro building...

[Pete]

Is the second story an apartment that is being rented out? Same question re: The Mule.

Yes, offices including the parent company of Goro, Empire and Revolucion.

[thetophologist]

I spoke with Rachel Chanchaleune at Goro last week and they plan to start opening for lunch on weekdays beginning January 9th.

[Pete]

Press release:

****************



84 Hospitality Announces Opening of Tori Tori! in Former Goro Ramen Space
Goro Ramen and Gun Izakaya To Combine into One Concept

Oklahoma City, OK (August 12, 2020) – 84 Hospitality, the Oklahoma City-based restaurant group known for creating unique hangouts that nurture possibility and community, announced today that their popular Japanese-inspired concepts Goro Ramen and Gun Izakaya, will be merging into one concept named Goro Ramen & Izakaya, while a new Asian-American concept, Tori Tori! will open in the former Goro Ramen space.

Goro Ramen’s last day of service in their current location in the Plaza District will be Monday, August 31. The space will then be transformed into 84 Hospitality’s new fast-casual Asian-American concept, Tori Tori!, or “Chicken Chicken!” in Japanese. Menu highlights include Chicken Kara-age, soy-marinated chicken thigh nuggies served with dipping sauce of your choice, Tokyo Hot Sandwich with soy-marinated fried chicken with charred Negi mayo, red cabbage & picked cucumbers sandwiched in a toasted bun, and Tebasaki, Japanese style fried chicken wings tossed with flavor of your choice. Tori Tori! will open early October for to go and counter service.

“Our mentality has been not only to survive the present circumstances, but to plan for the future and stay profitable for our staff and business. It became apparent that to save two concepts, we needed to combine them into one. Goro Ramen & Izakaya or “Goro 2.0” (as we have nicknamed it) will feature the best of Goro and Gun menus, as well as lunch, dinner, and to go service seven days week. For us, the concepts have come full circle and will now represent what our original vision was for Goro when it opened in 2016— a ramen shop AND Izakaya,” says 84 Hospitality Founder and CEO, Rachel Cope.

Goro Ramen and Izakaya will open for to go and patio dining (due to the pandemic) in the current Gun Izakaya location in the Paseo Arts District on Tuesday, September 8.

With Chef Jeff Chanchaleune at the helm, the Goro Ramen and Izakaya’s menu will include a combination of favorites from both concepts including Spicy Miso Ramen with rich chicken broth, roasted garlic miso, pork meatballs, corn, menma, ajitama, goma and negi, Katsu Sando with house-made milk bread, panko-fried smoked pork sausage, bulldog sauces, roasted garlic ailo, and Catfish Kara-age with fried koji-marinated catfish and yuzu kosho tartar sauce, along with curated sake, beer, and the state’s only highball cocktail machine.

[TheTravellers]

Nice way to do things, we'll definitely be there when we start eating out in person again. We've been to Tamashii a few times, but never got to Goro or Izakaya, be good to have the variety all in one restaurant.

Nuggies? lol...

[Timshel]

Incredibly bummed but understandable. Look forward to trying Tori Tori and will make the extra half mile or so trek to Gun/Goro 2.0 for ramen.

[Ginkasa]

That is interesting because the couple of times I've tried to go to Goro recently they have been JAM PACKED. We ended up going to other places (which was fine and my bad for not getting reservations). Haven't been in the Gun spot. Is it bigger? Was Gun not working out so they're shoring it up with Goro?

[Pete]

It seems that restaurant group is moving to more counter-service type places: Burger Punk, Empire Slice Shop in NH, Tori Tori.

They own the Gun building and spent a fortune on build-out, so they pretty much have to stick with table-service there.


I'm sure everyone is worried about traditional dine-in restaurants for at least the next couple of years.

[dankrutka]

I'll miss Goro. It had a dense city vibe inside that I really liked.

[king183]

I agree the current Goro location had that true city vibe--almost like the Lower East Side in NYC--and that made it great. I went to Gun a couple times and didn't understand how they would stay in businesses with their limited (frankly, not really interesting) menu and not many people ever in there, so I think this is a smart move.

I'm worried what the transition to fast casual may to do the Plaza, as Goro was constantly overflowing with people dining in and waiting for a table. I guess the Plaza has evolved several times since it was revitalized, though.

[BoulderSooner]

I agree the current Goro location had that true city vibe--almost like the Lower East Side in NYC--and that made it great. I went to Gun a couple times and didn't understand how they would stay in businesses with their limited (frankly, not really interesting) menu and not many people ever in there, so I think this is a smart move.

I'm worried what the transition to fast casual may to do the Plaza, as Goro was constantly overflowing with people dining in and waiting for a table. I guess the Plaza has evolved several times since it was revitalized, though.

i think this change has much more to do with this restaurant operators willingness/unwillingness to be open with Covid still out there ..

[Libbymin]

I agree the current Goro location had that true city vibe--almost like the Lower East Side in NYC--and that made it great. I went to Gun a couple times and didn't understand how they would stay in businesses with their limited (frankly, not really interesting) menu and not many people ever in there, so I think this is a smart move.

I'm worried what the transition to fast casual may to do the Plaza, as Goro was constantly overflowing with people dining in and waiting for a table. I guess the Plaza has evolved several times since it was revitalized, though.

This might be just me but I actually really liked Gun's menu and thought Tamashii's ramen was a little better than Goro's. Hope they find something good to go in their old spot though. That's a big loss for the Plaza.

[TheTravellers]

This might be just me but I actually really liked Gun's menu and thought Tamashii's ramen was a little better than Goro's. Hope they find something good to go in their old spot though. That's a big loss for the Plaza.

From the press release Pete posted above:

... a new Asian-American concept, Tori Tori! will open in the former Goro Ramen space.

[Libbymin]

Oh I completely misread that then. Sounds like this will be a win-win then!

[Pete]

Tori Tori opened yesterday.

Hours 11am-10pm SUN-TH and 11am-11pm F-SAT.

Menu:
https://www.toritoriokc.com/menu

[Thomas Vu]

Huh, no more ramen?

[Pete]

Huh, no more ramen?

Goro moved to the Paseo in what was the Gun space.

[Thomas Vu]

Goro moved to the Paseo in what was the Gun space.

Ah. Thanks for the info. The revised title had me confused on which space was which.

[Teo9969]

Anyone know why the switcharoo?

I know that Gun's space has more capacity so maybe the thought was Goro would be able to fill up better/quicker post-pandemic because it already has a name?

I do like that Goro will be in the Paseo from a district feel perspective. Goro, I'm guessing, will be the more casual feeling of the 2 concepts.

[king183]

I went to Tori Tori and I’m worried about it’s long term prospects. It’s a very limited menu and the chicken is quite bland. I was surprised, but perhaps my expectations were off. I had the Tokyo Hot Chicken and it wasn’t hot/spicy at all. Most of the taste came from the slaw. There are much better chicken sandwiches elsewhere. I also had the chicken “nuggies.” They were also pretty bland, but better than the sandwich. I gave my feedback to the waiter and it sounds like they’re still trying to get the recipes right, so hopefully it improves. Still, with only a few items on the menu, this concept seems better suited for a food truck or small walk up place.

[BoulderSooner]

Anyone know why the switcharoo?

I know that Gun's space has more capacity so maybe the thought was Goro would be able to fill up better/quicker post-pandemic because it already has a name?

I do like that Goro will be in the Paseo from a district feel perspective. Goro, I'm guessing, will be the more casual feeling of the 2 concepts.

i think the switch had a lot to do with this restaurant group very much not wanting to be open for dine in seating do to Covid-19

[Libbymin]

I went to Tori Tori and I’m worried about it’s long term prospects. It’s a very limited menu and the chicken is quite bland. I was surprised, but perhaps my expectations were off. I had the Tokyo Hot Chicken and it wasn’t hot/spicy at all. Most of the taste came from the slaw. There are much better chicken sandwiches elsewhere. I also had the chicken “nuggies.” They were also pretty bland, but better than the sandwich. I gave my feedback to the waiter and it sounds like they’re still trying to get the recipes right, so hopefully it improves. Still, with only a few items on the menu, this concept seems better suited for a food truck or small walk up place.

I quite liked my wings but to each his own I guess.

[Pete]

This spot will become Ma Der Lao Kitchen and feature Laotian food.

Will be the same chef (Jeff Chanchaleune) as Goro and the short-lived Tori Tori.

https://maderlaokitchen.com/