Ruhe152's young chef Sidney Gongwer is focused on flavor
NAPPANEE — Executive chef Sidney Gongwer has collaborated on menus in other restaurants as he’s cooked in Hollywood, Nashville and on an Alaskan cruise ship.
The menu that is coming at Ruhe152, however, is his first as a head chef.
“I’ve never had one that’s truly my own,” he said.
Gongwer oversees the kitchen at the 8-month-old restaurant in downtown Nappanee. Soon after the restaurant opened on June 18, 2019, he was there making sushi. Transitions in the kitchen led to him taking over soon after the opening. Since then, he’s been adding his stamp to the menu he inherited.
“He gave it flavor,” said co-owner Kami Tuttle.
Gongwer was born in Los Angeles and he came to love cooking. He finished high school early and headed to culinary school and then a range of stops before landing in southern Elkhart County. Though he was born in California, his family has roots here. Gongwer family members started and operate Nelson’s, which makes the area’s most ubiquitous grilled chicken.
He was actually here talking with Tuttle and her husband, Scott, before they opened the restaurant at 152 W. Market St. It was just a concept then.
“They definitely undersold this place,” he said.
No one realized he’d become the head chef, bringing what he calls “modern contemporary fare with cultural fusion.”
The new menu that will be unveiled the first week of March at the bistro, brewery and distillery includes a banh mi sandwich with lemongrass grilled pork, pickled radish and carrot, other vegetables and herbs and Kewpie mayonnaise (a Japanese mayo with monosodium glutamate) on a french roll. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure it’s the first time a banh mi has been offered in Nappanee, Indiana.
That’s the beauty of Ruhe152. It’s a young restaurant with big aspirations of bringing trends from the coasts to the Midwest. The significant investment by the owners resulted in a beautiful, two-story space. Their goal from the beginning was to create a restaurant in downtown Nappanee that would echo those in more hip, urban places. They regularly hear from people in the dining room how much people feel like they’re in Chicago or New York.
About half the items on the new menu were created by Gongwer over the past months, joining items from the opening menu. The tempura deviled eggs, Bruhe Tots with peanut butter and jelly and an array of burgers are all still offered. The popular pan-fried lake perch will be a feature on Thursdays, but not on the full menu.
What’s coming to the full menu is a reuben sandwich made with blackened mahi mahi fish and Asian slaw. The popular bao bun made with lobster salad will be joined by one made with pork belly braised Taiwanese style. Because pasta dishes have sold well on special, Ruhe152 will offer pappardelle bolognese with fresh pasta made in-house.
When the restaurant opened, it relied heavily on sous vide to prepare its meats, startling some customers. Gongwer has pulled back from that to focus on grilling, searing and pan-frying. The first draft of the new menu had fewer new items and the owners urged Gongwer to add more.
They’re trying to offer an experience and food that harnesses Nappanee’s hospitality while adding a broader range of flavors.
“We’re trying to attract the masses from out of this area,” Kami Tuttle said, noting that the rental of the upstairs private dining room or balcony is strong and it’s often by people who don’t live in Nappanee.
Tuttle said she’s pleased with how well the staff is doing at creating the experiences they want customers to have. Head brewer Dave Michael’s beer has been solid since the beginning and he recently won the South Bend Brew Fest. Now, they hope to build business on Gongwer’s food, Michael’s beer and the bar offerings created by bar manager Justin Geddes.
Gongwer stayed in the area because of the opportunity at Ruhe152 and is eager to offer bold flavors. The food from his kitchen that I’ve had recently is very good and debuting this new menu is a big step both for him and the restaurant, but also the city.
The new menu offers a nice range of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, entrees, desserts and sushi, as well as beverages. That’s a mouthful for any restaurant, but I don’t think it’s too much to chew for Ruhe152.
I’m hungry. Let’s eat.