The former The Noble building at 704 S. 2nd St. will soon be vacant. In fact, a new concept called Cute Robot Japanese Kitchen will occupy both floors of the building and is scheduled to open in late July.
The family-owned restaurant is led by Janet Bottner, who grew up in the restaurant industry. Her family worked at Izumi under both her original owner and subsequent Fujiko Yamauchi. And Bottner herself ran Konohana Japanese Restaurant on Brady Street in the early 2000s.
Bottner runs Cute Robots with her husband, Mark Bottner, and her brother, Michael O'Boyle, handles front of house operations.
Boettner says “Cute Robot” is a homage to his mother, a native of Okinawa, who passed away in 2014.
“She always believed in me and said she knew I would be successful if I started my own restaurant,” Bottner said, adding that Cute Robot's menu is inspired by the Western dishes she ate as a child. He pointed out that he was inspired by Japanese cuisine (Japanese cuisine with a Western twist).
“The food she cooked for us was amazing,” she says, “and I truly believe others will enjoy it as much.”
These dishes include comforting favourites like sweet and savoury Japanese curries, okonomiyaki and omurice, which features fried rice wrapped in a thin egg.
Another feature is Okinawa soba, a variation of ramen that features thick, chewy noodles. The soup, made from both dashi and pork, is also offered with toppings such as kamaboko, pork belly, green onions, and pickled ginger.
While Cute Robot won't be serving sushi, Bottner said it will offer Japanese rice balls with a variety of fillings, some of which may mimic the taste of maki rolls.
Bottner said he also hopes to offer a Japanese-style Friday night fish fry, like he used to do at Izumi.
The cute robots will occupy both the first and second floors of the building, and on the first floor there will be a “curry counter” where customers can enjoy curry in the same way they would at a ramen restaurant in Japan.
The upper level will feature additional seating and a full bar serving beer, wine, sake and specialty cocktails. They also hope to introduce an area with tatami-mat seating.
As for the aesthetic, Bottner says they will incorporate both anime themes and elements of vintage Japanese pop culture from the 1970s.
“Overall, it's going to be colorful, cozy and a lot of fun,” Bottner said.
Once open, Cute Robot plans to offer both lunch and dinner service.
