Asiatic Cuisine Chef Roy Villacrusis Opening Nitrogen in Jupiter

Do you know about Asiatic cuisine? If you're a Roy Villacrusis fan, you do.

If you miss the days of Kubo -- Villacrusis' Palm Beach Gardens restaurant offering his namesake Asian-slash-fusion cuisine -- lament no more. Palm Beach County's local superstar chef recently announced he will be opening a new private venture establishment in Jupiter early next year.

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For the past several years Villacrusis has been a roaming chef, traveling across Asia to hone his skill and hosting pop-up restaurants at various establishments across Palm Beach County.

Most recently he's been cooking at Aah Loi, his pop-up kitchen in partnership with Palm Beach Gardens Talay Thai owner Charlie Soo. At Aah Loi, the chef-driven menu rotates depending on what's in store at the local Asian markets, best sampled as part of Villacrusis' famous chef's tasting menu.

Villacrusis said his new concept, dubbed Nitrogen, will be much different: an Asian-style gastropub with an innovative sushi bar and speakeasy lounge. The restaurant is in partnership with a local investor, and one of Villacrusis' longtime friends.

"The heart of the menu will be my Asiatic cuisine, but there will also be a full bar where I will be doing a sort of 20's speakeasy theme with old-world, traditional cocktails," said Villacrusis.

Expect Villacrusis' usual out-of-the-box presentation with specialty rolls and sushi, as well. Rather than a large a la carte menu of rolls, the chef said he plans on having a rotating list of 8-10 items that change as ingredients are sourced. Likewise, sushi and sashimi will be treated as entree-style dishes, 5-7 pieces each presented with their own sauce and accoutrements. Think salmon sushi with a ginger aioli, or tuna with foie gras.

"My loyalty is always to food first," said Villacrusis. "This is exactly what I've been wanting to do for a long time. This partnership is 15 years in the making, and I'm finally doing what I want. I very excited."

Nitrogen will be located at 6779 W Indiantown Road in Jupiter. Visit nitrogen.com.

Nicole Danna is a food blogger covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.