After a two-year run as an invite-only pop-up in several cities, pastaRAMEN is debuting its first brick-and-mortar restaurant, a 65-seat locale that will open shortly in Montclair, N.J. The 1800-square-foot marries Japanese and Italian cuisines in a style called “Wafu-Italian.”
“The response we received from our pop-ups in Seattle, Jersey City, Miami and Los Angeles was overwhelmingly positive, so when it became clear that there was an appetite for pastaRAMEN and this new type of cuisine, we knew we wanted to give the restaurant a permanent home in Montclair, New Jersey,” Co-Founder and Chef-Partner Robbie Felice said in a news release.
pastaRAMEN is part of Montclair Hospitality Group, a chef-driven, global hospitality company focused on curating unique restaurant brands and experiences. The concept is a partnership between James Beard Rising Star Chef semifinalist Felice, and Luck Sarabhayavanija, MHG’s Founder, who recently added CEO Joey Simons to his team. (Simons previously worked at sbe and Blue Ribbon Restaurants.)
“Our team at MHG has plans for explosive growth and rapid expansion throughout 2023,” Simons said. “As an incubator of chef-driven concepts, pastaRAMEN Montclair is the first of many new openings and chef partnerships that MHG has planned this year. We will be announcing additional pastaRAMEN restaurants and pop-ups in the coming months, along with exciting new MHG restaurant concepts as we continue to partner with the world’s leading chefs.”
Envisioned by local design firm Gidich + Sepulveda Architecture, the restaurant’s edgy interior brings a modern feel to the otherwise historic building. Walking through the wood-paneled entrance, guests are greeted by a vibrant, pop-art graffitied wall by local artist Victoria Poplaski, with playful nods to the team’s other restaurant concepts woven throughout its imagery. A second mural, by Juan David Henao, pays homage to the streets of Tokyo. Black leather booths, natural wood textures, dim-lit ambiance and an open kitchen create dimension while staying true to pastaRAMEN’s desired speakeasy-style roots.