In September 2023, beloved Montclair sushi spot Daikichi officially closed its doors after 35 years in town. The closure came as a surprise for locals, who favored the eatery for its extensive menu of Japanese cuisine. Since then, members of the team have embarked on new ventures — former Daikichi chef Kenny Mar launched a sushi bar inside Montclair restaurant De Novo — but the 608 Valley Road space has remained virtually unclaimed. As of February 2024, a new ramen and omakase sushi restaurant duo, from the chef behind SLA Thai, is moving in. Say “hello” to Minoru Ramen and Jonetsu Omakase, the newest restaurant duo coming to 608 Valley Road in Montclair.
What We Know
Though the front door at 608 Valley Road still bears Daikichi’s name, signage outside indicates that a new restaurant duo is “Coming Soon.” The details on the banner are sparse, but telling enough: two food concepts, a ramen restaurant (Minoru Ramen) and an omakase sushi experience (Jonestu Omakase), will live under one roof.
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A little Instagram digging revealed that the forthcoming project is the work of established Montclair chef, Kamonthip “Meiji” Pattamasingcha, who co-owns SLA Thai just down the road. On December 27th, Meiji took to her personal Instagram to announce the project. See the post below.
View this post on Instagram
There are individual Instagram accounts for both Jonetsu Omakase and Minoru Ramen, but neither of have shared any more than a “Coming Soon” announcement. Meiji shared with The Montclair Girl that the eatery will take up both floors of the building: Jonetsu Omakase on the first floor, and Minoru Ramen on the second. Right now, the project is still very much in the works — but the SLA Thai team shared that details will be solidified by April of this year.
About SLA Thai
SLA Thai opened at 596 Valley Road in 2015 with a promise to serve simple and authentic food made with love. Since opening, the family-owned restaurant has won the hearts of locals and critics alike with its expansive menu of Northern Thai cuisine, where both head chefs are from.
Per NJ Digest, Meiji’s brother Yanin, and her husband, Wanat, both share the role of chef with her. The culmination of their experiences migrating to America resulted in a culinary endeavor that both honors their roots and blazes the path of their future.
In English, SLA is an acronym for “simple, authentic, love,” but it takes on a different meaning in Northern Thai: “an expert, knowledgeable, and a specialist.” The focus is on balancing salty, sweet, sour, and spice in each dish, and based on what’s coming out of the kitchen, the team is consistently achieving that goal. There are familiar Thai dishes like the pad thai or pad see ew, which are both made with rice noodles. If you’re really looking to immerse yourself, though, try the nam thok pla tod— a whole fish fried until crispy, and worth the journey.
See More: New Omakase-Sushi Spot ‘Nigiri by Honshu’ Opens in Jersey City
As details unfold surrounding Minoru Ramen and Jonetsu Omakase, we’ll be sure to keep you updated. For now, follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram + TikTok for all the latest North Jersey happenings, and sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
