Italian-style ramen restaurant set for Montclair debut (updated)

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PastaRamen, an Italian-style ramen restaurant concept by James Beard Award-nominated chef Robbie Felice, is getting ready to open its doors in Montclair.

Located at 6 S. Fullerton Ave., the 1,800-square-foot, 65-seat restaurant is scheduled to hold its grand opening Jan. 28 and will be open daily for dinner.

A partnership between Felice – the chef-owner of Viaggio Ristorante in Wayne and Osteria Crescendo in Westwood – and Montclair Hospitality Group founder Luck Sarabhayavanija, PastaRamen is the first-ever ramen shop that marries Japanese and Italian cuisines in a style called “Wafu-Italian,” blending ingredients, textures and techniques from both worlds.

Its menu includes cacio e pepe gyoza, a hand-folded, deep-fried dumpling filled with imported parmigiano reggiano and fresh cracked black pepper; mochi ramen carbonara tsukemen, a signature standout delicately balanced with limone, sesame, togarashi, parmigiano and egg yolk; tonkotsu ramen with porchetta; and the crowd-favorite udon alla amatriciana, which combines guanciale, tomato, miso, black pepper, chili, scallion and pecorino romano.

The BYOB restaurant does not charge a corkage fee and offers an extensive craft mocktail list.

Originally launched during the pandemic as an exclusive, invite-only pop-up in Jersey City, Montclair, Miami and Los Angeles, PastaRamen received such a positive response that Felice said it was clear “that there was an appetite for … this new type of cuisine [and] we knew we wanted to give the restaurant a permanent home in New Jersey.”

Felice said, “As a chef, it’s incredibly rewarding to get to be creative and give people a dining experience they’ve never had before.”

PastaRamen will be open Monday to Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information or to make reservations, click here. 

In addition to PastaRamen, Montclair Hospitality Group is the parent company of doughnut concept Mochinut, Asian fusion eatery Ani Ramen House, and Thai restaurant Kai Yang.

With plans for continued expansion, Montclair Hospitality Group recently named industry veteran Joey Simons to serve as its new chief executive officer. In addition to leading the group’s business units, Simons will oversee development, growth and strategy on company operations.

Previously, Simon was chief operating officer of Los Angeles-based SBE, the parent to brands that include Umami Burger, Katsuya, Casa Dani and virtual brands such as Krispy Rice and Sam’s Crispy Chicken. Before that, he was director of operations at Blue Ribbon Restaurant Group, overseeing a $75 million restaurant portfolio.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:33 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2023, to remove a reference to a restaurant not owned by Montclair Hospitality Group.