Change is a constant these days in Michael Cardenas’ Little Tokyo restaurant empire. Two months ago, the owner curiously “grand re-opened” his one-and-a-half-year-old Aburiya Toranoku and tonight he will shutter his Japanese curry and pasta restaurant The Fat Spoon after Friday service. Eater learns that the owner may relocate the concept to the Westside. But despite a shared lean towards noodles, the pairing of Italian and Asian dishes under one roof has so far failed to really launch, considering expired examples like Korean-Italian Erbe Matte and Japanese-Italian Bella Pasta, though Livello at L’Ermitage was attempting something similar last we looked. The Fat Spoon space could fall into the hands of Sin City’s Martin Koloff, who is thinking of trying his hand with an udon spot here in January. Hopefully he keeps carbonara away from his Kagawa-style noodles.
Around the corner from Fat Spoon, Cardenas is bringing Patina veteran and former Palate Food + Wine chef Octavio Becerra in as a consultant on the menu at his Lazy Ox Canteen, dashing the Spanish accent found under its recently departed chef, Perfecto Rocher, for more of a local feel under Seattle chef Travis Chase, who has taken the executive chef mantle.
