Robbie Felice's Wafu-Italian Dining Experience Is Headed To Las Vegas
Las Vegas is known for its casinos, late night scene, and of course, its endless dining options. Well, add another one to the list this spring as pastaRAMEN, the innovative Wafu-Italian dining concept from James Beard-nominated chef Robbie Felice and Montclair Hospitality Group, makes its way to Resorts World Las Vegas for a highly anticipated one-month pop-up.
Set to launch on Tuesday, May 15, the delicious experience will be hosted at Bar Zazu, featuring an all-new menu with exclusive sake offerings from HeavenSake.
'Every time we bring pastaRAMEN back on the road to a new location or city I try to have parts of the menu really lean into that place,' says Felice of the Las Vegas menu. 'I try my best to use the freshest local ingredients, but also really get a feel for the city and create a menu that fits that city and the people in it.' He adds that there will be special menu items that will never be seen outside of this location.
pastaRAMEN got its start as a pop-up omakase experience during the pandemic with appearances in New York City, Miami, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Now, for the first time, Las Vegas diners will have the opportunity to experience Chef Robbie Felice's boundary-pushing approach to Japanese Italian cuisine in an intimate, immersive setting.
Japanese Italian cuisine
When asked to explain Wafu-Italian, Felice says that's the golden question. In order to picture what this unique cuisine entails he says to imagine you are in Japan sitting at an Italian restaurant having a Japanese chef cook you Italian food. 'If I served you a dish that I said was Wafu-Italian and then put you on the spot and immediately after you tasted it asked you, "Is it Japanese or is it Italian?" The slightest confusion before answering the question is all I need,' says Felice of the cuisine. 'Those few seconds before answering is the exact confusion or uncertainty that is Wafu-Italian cuisine.'
Acknowledging Vegas is a city filled with great restaurants from other designations, Felice is confident pastaRAMEN will be embraced. 'I love the restaurant scene out here. It's diverse and pastaRAMEN truly fits the Vegas scene.'
The journey to Las Vegas is a homecoming for Felice, who spent his formative years in Sin City honing his craft. Following his time at Babbo in New York City, Felice worked for four and a half years at B&B Ristorante in Las Vegas, eventually rising to the role of Sous Chef and overseeing the Salumi Program for multiple Las Vegas locations.
Felice says it feels amazing to make his way back to Las Vegas, this time with his own concept. 'I always knew I would come back in some way shape or form,' says Felice. 'I just never knew how or when. A pastaRAMEN popup is the absolute best way to be coming back out to one of my favorite cities in the US. The best part is it is a full restaurant pastaRAMEN pop up which is our first time ever doing it as a full service restaurant.'
The pop-up featuring Felice's signature Japanese-Italian cuisine will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm to 10pm. Seating is limited to 100 guests per night, and reservations are available via Resy.
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