pastaRAMEN Comes to Vegas. So What Is it?

Score a reservation — while you can. pastaRAMEN comes to Las Vegas, taking over the Bar Zazu space at Resorts World for a one-month, pop-up culinary residency, from May 15 to June 14.

🍜 What is pastaRAMEN All About?

Guests enjoy an inventive combination of Italian and Japanese cuisine, served over multiple courses in an intimate setting. Chef and founder Robbie Felice interacts with the room and discusses each dish as it’s served. The concept began as an underground tasting experience to stay busy during the pandemic. ”We would literally sneak people in the back door,” Felice says. “We'd close the blinds. I was 100% not allowed to be doing it.”

pastaRAMEN toured the country, appearing in Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, the Hamptons, and New York, typically in a secret location that was revealed a day in advance via text message, drawing celebrity guests like Adele, Halsey, and Michael Strahan.

😋 What Can Guests Expect?

The menu is subject to change each night, but may include pastaRAMEN favorites like temomi ramen shrimp scampi, cacio e pepe gyoza, porchetta bao buns, Japanese-Italian calamari, and a mochi ramen carbonara with the sauce prepared tableside.

“Bar Zazu is very 'Alice in Wonderland'-esque,” Felice says. “So it fits our fun, funky vibe.”

You’ll also see the chef use ultra high-end ingredients like Carabinero prawns, wild bluefin tuna, and 120-day, dry-aged Japanese A5 Wagyu in unique presentations.

🎰 Vegas Connection

Felice previously worked in Las Vegas for B&B Ristorante at the Venetian, where he was in charge of charcuterie presentations. He learned under the mentorship of Nicole Brisson, who now runs Brezza (Bar Zazu’s sister restaurant) and is collaborating on the Las Vegas pastaRAMEN menu.

🤔 Is it … Fusion?

The chef prefers to describe his food as Wafu Italian, which is Italian recipes done in a Japanese style. “If I let you try a dish and put you on the spot and say, ‘Is it Japanese or Italian?’ and you pause for four or five seconds, I did my job,” Felice explains. “Because that means you're confused, and that confusion is exactly what Wafu Italian is all about.”