Food may be fuel, but dining out should be an experience. At least that’s how chef Robbie Felice sees it, which is why he developed pastaRAMEN, a pop-up Japanese-Italian fusion dining concept that comes to Bar Zazu inside Resorts World Las Vegas for a month starting May 15.
The concept originated as an invite-only omakase experience that would spring up in nonconventional venues like hair salons and other hole-in-the-wall spaces, which intentionally created a bit of uncertainty, exclusivity and adventure before diners even sat down.
“We’re building up that feeling inside you before you even meet me, before you even hear about the food, before anything, you already have this feeling in you that we were able to create,” says Felice. “That’s really what I wanted to do. So then taking a step further as I didn’t want you to be showing up at a restaurant … I wanted people to be like ‘Yo, why is it saying I’m going to a hair salon?’ Why? Because I’m actually feeding you at a second-story hair salon in Soho in New York City.”
Felice categorizes his food as “Wafu-Italian,” which is not necessarily a new concept, as the fusion cuisine was popularized by chefs in Japan who sought to create classic Italian dishes with traditional Japanese ingredients and techniques. Felice, though, is largely responsible for popularizing these blended bites in the States.
“When I was in culinary school, I told myself I will never dabble in any sort of Asian cuisine. I thought it was so intimidating between the language barrier, and all the new ingredients and all the new styles of cooking,” he says. “But obviously wanting to become something bigger than I already was, I knew I had to go into it. I did a lot of training and teaching myself.”
Felice’s meals quickly grew popular with exclusive engagements in cities like Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle and Montclair, N.J., with reservations becoming coveted opportunities for foodies. With high demand came the opportunity to expand, and Las Vegas quickly became the perfect market for such a venture.
“I have such a love in my heart for Las Vegas. I feel like it’s like where I really found myself, culinary-wise,” Felice says. “I really got introduced to the whole food scene … and Nicole Brisson was like my culinary mom.”
Brisson, executive chef for Bar Zazu, attended a Montclair pop-up and quickly regarded the meal as “the best of 2024,” inviting Felice to bring his talents to her home turf.
“We’re not just going there to do the omakase again,” Felice says. “We’re doing a full restaurant pop-up, and to have a space as cool as Bar Zazu, it kind of blows my mind every day that it’s the space that we’re doing it in because I think it fits pastaRAMEN so well.”
Photo by: Courtesy of HEAVENSAKE
Pair It!
Paired with pastaRAMEN’s delicious dishes, HEAVENSAKE honors the pop-up’s spirit of fusion by featuring blends that have been composed by French cellar master Regis Camus in collaboration with well-respected Japanese sake breweries. You’ll try the brand’s Orange Label that Camus created with Urakasumi brewery, the Label Azur, a junmai ginjo, and other delights.
Pro tip: You don’t have to be a master chef to enjoy an Italian-Japanese mashup at home. HEAVENSAKE general manager Zachary Gross loves to enjoy sake with pizza. “HEAVENSAKE pairs naturally with pizza thanks to its clean acidity, balanced umami and smooth texture, which complements everything from the richness of cheese to the depth of tomato sauce,” he says.
Resorts World. pastaramen.com
Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week, you’ll find plenty of great, money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, properties and more! And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.
