Yonaka’s Chef Ramir DeCastro Returns With Chinatown’s Robata En

The chef behind local favorite Yonaka Modern Japanese and Henderson casual restaurant Purple Potato is almost ready for the grand opening of his latest Asian fusion restaurant, self-described as “honest, gutsy, and often unexpected.”

Now accepting reservations for daily dinner service, Ramir DeCastro’s Robata En replaces the shuttered 24-hour Vietnamese and Chinese-inspired Lee’s Noodle House at Spring Mountain Road’s Shan Tau Square, close to Arville Street and a few steps from Bank Atcharawan’s Thai-focused Lamaii.

Still developing the seasonal menu, DeCastro describes Robata En’s mission as serving “beautifully sophisticated,” plus “homely and comfortable” dishes, currently translated as elegantly designed small plates, sushi, nigiri, and sashimi, plus adventurous tasting menus and omakase selections.

For starters, diners can order crispy Brussels sprouts, a perennial must-try at Yonaka, shoyu deviled eggs, quail karaage, and sake steamed mussels, plus “cool plates” of wagyu tartare, toro and yuzu, and sea urchin with Hokkaido scallops. The robata char-grill is powered by natural oak charcoal, cooking skewered foie gras, A5 Kobe beef, and grilled ground duck.

Entrees include miso marinated black cod, live Japanese scallops and grilled baby chicken on flatbread. Eight- and 12-course tasting menus comprise a mix of cold, hot, and savory chef selections, plus house-prepared desserts.

Robata En, 4480 Spring Mountain Road, 702-331-0619. Open daily from 5.30 to 10 p.m. and closing at midnight on Friday and Saturday.

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