Darwin Beyer, owner of Meiji Japanese Cuisine, was born and raised in Kansas City. He was al- ways passionate about food.
As a bachelor, though, he wasn’t cooking up American cuisine. He was making Ramen in a whole dif- ferent way.
“The noodles are not dehydrated like the typical packaged ramen — they are made fresh and then frozen,” he
said. Beyer has easily dug his hands
into the Fayetteville soil while keeping his heart on the coast of Japan. He has revisited every year or two throughout his 34 years. Beyer has a long commitment to finding work that fulfills more
than the lining of his wallet. He is a laborer that
fell in love with food. He previously worked as a strip-
er — painting stripes on parking lots — and he’s also done some landscaping. For lack of one qual- ity, he was an average American boy growing up in Kansas City. That great difference became a golden ticket when Beyer learned to marry his cultural heritage with his culinary skills and open his
own restaurant. Meiji (pronounced
may-jee) offers seri- ous sushi with Japanese
specialties. It is in the Signature Plaza on Crossover Road (Arkan- sas 265) in northeast Fayetteville.
“At Meiji, we specialize in au- thentic sushi and family recipes with a fresh, modern flair,” ac- cording to its website at meijinwa. com. ”We use the freshest ingre- dients, including sashimi-grade fish flown in twice a week and vegetables and herbs from local farmers. You’ll also find a little something unexpected — our intimate dining room features a projection screen playing vintage samurai movies. We are a small family business ... you can expect attentive service and exquisite su- shi.”
As owner and sushi chef, Beyer is involved with many aspects of the business. Recent renovations tripled the space, and a new sake lounge was added. The lounge has an 8-foot, L-shaped wooden bar with leather stools. Sake takes the place of coveted wine lists or tequila selections. The artwork breathes an Asian, minimalistic, Zen vibe. Japanese characters of the word Meiji hang behind the bar.
“It means enlightened rule,” Beyer said.
Like many names, the defini- tion or meaning can vary within different cultures. Through a stream-of-consciousness explana- tion, Beyer said it regards a time in Japan called the Meiji era, lasting from 1868 to 1912. It reflects the tradition of Japan in its modern form.
Beyer has traveled around the United States as well, and as a young professional succeeded
gracefully in finding his niche. The food prepared at Meiji is as fresh as any offered in Northwest
Arkansas. “With new fish come new spe-
cials and also new menu ideas,”
Beyer remarked. With complements such as
mango aioli and flavors of cucum- ber, wasabi and mint, old favor- ites and new experiments are a delightful experience at Meiji.