GOWANUS — The Whole Foods slated to open next month in Gowanus is looking to lure foodier-than-thou shoppers with an in-store ramen bar and exclusive craft beer.
Trend-chasing Brooklynites should feel right at home in the new store on Third Street and Third Avenue, where Yuji Ramen will have a counter peddling its "mazemen"-style noodles, and beer from "experimental" brewer Evil Twin Brewing.
The "cult-favorite" ramen is served with little or no broth, but "there's no shortage when it comes to flavor," wrote New York magazine, which named Yuji's now-closed Williamsburg pop-up shop a critic's pick. Yuji's noodles are served with offbeat toppings such as bacon and eggs, as well as spicy tuna and uni (sea urchin.)
Yuji also runs a pop-up counter at the Whole Foods on the Bowery. It will soon become a permanent feature in the store "due to popular demand from shoppers and ramen enthusiasts," the gourmet grocer said in a statement.
The Gowanus Whole Foods will also boast its own line of chocolate-infused craft beers, store representatives announced recently.
Chocolatier Chocopologie and craft beer maker Evil Twin Brewing have teamed up to create Evil Twin Smoked Chocolate Chestnut Stout, which will in turn be used to produce a line of beer-infused chocolate truffles. Both the stout and the chocolates will first be sold exclusively at the new Gowanus Whole Foods, before moving into other Whole Foods locations.
Evil Twin is headed by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, who's been called a "gypsy brewer" because he doesn't have his own facility, but travels around the world creating quirky beers at other breweries.
The ramen and specialty beer are among several features at the Gowanus Whole Foods aimed at a Brooklyn audience.
The store has repeatedly vowed to showcase locally made products, such as Brooklyn Brine pickles. The 52,000-square-foot grocery will also have a rooftop bar serving local beers, as well as a 20,000-square-foot greenhouse for growing pesticide-free veggies.
