Shimuja Ramen Bar Pops Up Inside Baby Jane

Shortly after Ariete, an intimate Coconut Grove eatery, successfully opened at the beginning of 2016, owners Jason Odio and Michael Beltran immediately began concentrating on their next venture: Baby Jane. The Brickell space, which is both a bar/lounge and restaurant, opened in May with a cocktail-centered menu, along with small bites such as kale oysters Rockefeller doused in a garlic-Parmesan sauce, and wings tossed in a house-made jerk seasoning.

In the months that followed, Baby Jane became a go-to neighborhood gastrobar, whipping up eclectic drinks paired with fare to curb late-night hunger. Now the dimly lit bar is ready to put its food back in the spotlight.

Beginning this Friday, December 16, Baby Jane will host Shimuja, an Asian ramen bar pop-up from Japanese chef Keiichi Maemura.

"I fell in love with ramen on a recent trip to Japan," Odio says. "Shimuja was introduced to us by a mutual friend. We never really planned to do any pop-ups until now, but we loved the concept and love the idea of bringing something new, fresh, and exciting to Miami."
Unlike traditional ramen, often made in a thin and light broth, Maemura serves ramen tonkotsu-style, which features a milky broth cooked from scratch using pork and pork bones. Besides offering ramen ($15 to $20), the menu includes pork dumplings in shiro shoyu soup with scallions, sesame seeds, and spicy sesame oil; agedashi tofu, a traditional way to serve hot, fried tofu in Japan; and Japanese-style fried chicken.

Expect a few Miami-inspired dishes too, including mozzarella mentaiko harumaki, which is a fancy way of saying spring rolls packed with gooey mozzarella; and the poke avo tofu, filled with fresh avocado.

Odio crafted two new cocktails for the menu too, including the True Colors, a sake blend with pomegranate juice and syrup infused with yellow bell peppers.

During Shimuja's grand celebration this Friday, diners will receive a complimentary mini bottle of sake with each ramen order.

Shimuja is open for lunch daily from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m. As of now, there is no end date for the pop-up.

Follow Clarissa Buch on Instagram and Twitter.