Pace & Blossom, Jomon Japanese Barbecue bring new Asian cuisines to Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- When Pace & Blossom officially launched at 36th and Market Streets in October, the line stretched down the block and around the corner for the opening day deal of a $1 Bento Box.

The Bento is a big part of the restaurant's lunch menu, focused on good food made fast. You can choose from four proteins, like Karaage chicken or hamburger, and it's served with a side salad, Californian roll and house-made gyozas.

Chef Nori Yasutake, an award-winning sushi master, helped develop the Japanese fusion menu.

There are also veggie spring rolls, salt -baked wings, and a hangar steak cooked medium rare and served on a bed of wasabi mashed potatoes.

Pace & Blossom is both a restaurant serving lunch and dinner and a booming nightclub after hours.

Pace & Blossom | |Website | Facebook |Instagram

3601 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

267-353-8922

The new Jomon Japanese Barbecue in Midtown is like a carnivore's castle, with a staircase full of meat that you cook at your own tabletop grill.

The signature staircase is loaded with 12 meats, from lamb chops, skirt steak and short ribs to jumbo shrimp, spicy chicken, and calamari with white wine sauce. At the bottom of the staircase, there's a collection of fruits and vegetables too.

And if you really want to splurge, order the treasure box. It's filled with A5 Wagyu, one of the most expensive cuts of beef you can find. Known for its heavy marbling and buttery texture, it cooks on the tabletop grill in just 30 seconds.

Jomon is the creation of Tom Lau, who named it for the earliest era of Japanese history.

He says he fell in love with Japanese barbecue on a trip to Japan several years ago.

And at Jomon, Lau adds pizzazz to the presentation to give people "the wow factor."

You'll find Tom's son, co-owner Randy Lau, shaking things up behind the bar, creating sweet and light cocktails to pair with the heavy meat menu.

The most popular is the Lychee Martini, made with house vodka, cranberry and lychee juice.

The vodka-based Geisha is a big seller too with orange juice, mango syrup, and grenadine.

There are a variety of Japanese sakes and South Korean sojus. The Soju Tower is the show stopper. Designed for a group of four or five people, it's 2 bottles of Soju, 2 bottles of beer, a mini yogurt drink and a can of Sprite. The whole concoction is poured into a keg-like tower where it's ready to pour.

With its menu and decor, the father and son want the restaurant to offer an authentic taste of Japanese culture. There's a party room upstairs that seats 32, and they're already getting lots of bookings for the holidays.

Jomon Japanese BBQ | Facebook |Instagram

1310 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107

267-519-8016