‘Top Chef’ Katsuji Tanabe Shares Details on Mexican Restaurant A’Verde in Cary | Eater Carolinas

"Set to open at 2300 Walnut Street in Cary before spring 2022, A'Verde Cocina and Tequila Library will showcase modern Mexican cooking through the lens of Tanabe's Mexican-Japanese upbringing; he says he's not trying to make a fusion but will use Japanese techniques and ingredients—soy sauce, fish sauce, togarashi—to build layers of umami balanced with Mexican limes, chiles, and spices. Menu highlights include corn esquites with chilies, nori, sesame seeds, and orange peel, octopus tacos, enchiladas, and vegetable-forward plates using local okra and butternut squash; Tanabe expects 90% of orders to be inspired by his father, mother, and grandmother, and predicts his grandmother's very sweet, buttery, cheesy cornbread with fresh corn will be a runaway hit. The 5,500-square-foot, 250–300-seat space will also feature a massive tequila selection that the team believes may be the largest in the Triangle or even the state." - Erin Perkins