At the Michelin-starred Cyrus in Geyserville, diners pay $325 to embark on a theatrical and progressive tasting menu through multiple rooms, including a secret dessert closet. But later this month, the restaurant will launch a significantly more casual and affordable option: ramen.
Cyrus is debuting Kisetsu Ramen as a seasonal popup in its front Bubbles Lounge space, which previously served a glass of Champagne and a trio of small bites for $95. Kisetsu, the Japanese word for “season,” opens Jan. 29 and will serve three courses for $75. Offered Thursday through Saturday, the popup will seat only 12 diners at a time, and reservations will open every Sunday for the coming week.
The Kisetsu menu will feature three Japanese starters: chawanmushi, a silky egg custard; tsukemono, a pickle plate; and okonomiyaki, a savory pancake. Next, guests will choose from three ramen options — lobster tail and kimchi in a spicy broth, pork shoulder cooked for 36 hours in a classic shoyu broth, or white miso and vegetarian dashi with winter vegetables — and then finish with ube profiteroles for dessert. “The idea was to completely differentiate the lounge as a separate concept,” said Douglas Keane, chef-owner of Cyrus, noting that until now, “it was more an extension of the restaurant.”
At Cyrus’ original location in Healdsburg, guests would often pop into the lounge to kick off their evening. So Keane wanted to create a similar, dedicated space when he relaunched Cyrus in 2022. But Keane found that it didn’t translate as well to the sleepy unincorporated town of Geyserville. “It’s not like you’re going to pop into the lounge and then three other restaurants,” Keane said. “We learned that early on.”…