has been narrowed to six candidates, each of whom will shop for

ingredients and cook for the partners next week in the final interview

round for the executive chef position at Kapow! Noodle Bar.

"We're

especially excited about this restaurant opening because it's the first chef-driven concept in our collective restaurants," said Lazar. "So finding

the right person who will take ownership of the concept and the menu is

really important."

Asian fusion dictates the current draft of the

menu, which will include pork buns, Korean-style volcano rock shrimp,

dumplings, ramen, udon noodles, and chow fun. Items will be locally

sourced; a handful will accommodate those with gluten allergies and

"Cross-Fit freaks on paleo-type diets," said Lazar.

The

candidate who lands the position will accompany the partners on their next

food-scouting trip to New York, which will, naturally, include trips to

restaurants in the David Chang empire.

As a cocktail consultant, Kapow! Noodle House has hired Freddy Diaz, who will draw up a drink menu and guide the

restaurant in recipes for house-made elixirs, including bitters. The

partners snagged plots from the soon-to-open Boca Raton community garden

to grow herbs for cocktails and dishes.

The partners designed

the 1,600-square-foot space using reclaimed wood, energy-sustaining appliances,

and other eco-friendly measures, says Lazar. "It means a lot to us to

leave a small footprint on the environment."

Lazar said he

embraced the chance to work with the "visionary" Mayo and Frielich pair:

"Not only are they passionate and laid-back, but nine out of nine

times, they have the focus and the resources to see things through. And

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that can be rare in the restaurant industry."

Kapow! Noodle Bar is scheduled to open November 1.

Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter. Follow me @melissamccart.