Ok-Yaki! Coming to the Patriarch

Traditional yakitori made with chicken breast. Ok-Yaki!, a new restaurant set to open in the shack on the patio at local Edmond bar, the Patriarch, will serve traditional yakitori by Oklahoma chef Jonathan Stranger. (Provided/WikimediaCommons)

This March, local Edmond bar, the Patriarch, is opening the shack on its patio to an Oklahoma chef and his new Japanese-style restaurant, Ok-Yaki!.

Chef Jonathon Stranger, owner of restaurants such as En Croute, Saint Mark Chop Room and Prairie Wolf Spirits and graduate of culinary arts at New York University said he got the idea when he visited the Patriarch and saw the shack.
“I went up to Brad Mullenix and asked what they were doing with the shack. When I approached him with the idea of Ok-Yaki!, he was interested.” Stranger said.
The shack was previously the back bar for the Patriarch with eight additional taps available but is being renovated to have a full kitchen for the new restaurant instead.
“It was a no brainer to have a notable chef come in and create Ok-Yaki!,” said Patriarch co-owner Brad Mullenix.
Ok-Yaki!’s menu consists of food created on a specific grill called yakitori. This method of grilling consists of taking meat or veggies and marinating them.
This grilling method consists of marinating meat or veggies in tare, which is made with soy, sake and mirin. The tare is never changed, allowing it to age and let the restaurant to use the same tare as long as it is in operation.
“Some of the best restaurants in Japan have tare over 70 years old,” said Stranger. “It can be added, but never changed.”
The tare Stranger plans to use has been barrel-aging for eight months.
The menu will also include sliders and a dish called karaage, a version of chicken nuggets.
Food from Ok-Yaki! and beer from the Patriarch will share the same tab. Customers can order from the shack or from the bar inside.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for the customers,” Stranger said.
Stranger plans to add a 6-7 foot awning to the front of Ok-Yaki! for additional seating underneath.
Ok-Yaki! will have a soft-opening for practice and a grand-opening when everything is ready to go.
“Pay attention to our social media because the very first day [of the soft opening] the food will be free,” Stranger said.
Currently, there is no set date for the soft or grand opening. However, both the Patriarch and Ok-Yaki! expect it to open mid-March. The Patriarch is ending their food truck program that began in May 2015 when Ok-Yaki opens to make the restaurant their official food source.
“I am thrilled to work with Jonathon and am excited to have Ok-Yaki! as a part of the Patriarch.” Mullenix said.