Transport to Tokyo in a new Atascadero ramen spot

Neon signs and lanterns electrify Momotaro Ramen and Izakaya. Visually, it feels different than most Japanese restaurants, which are usually filled with bright white lights and clean, modern edges.

“It’s definitely darker. It’s a little more moody,” co-owner and chef Mateo Rogers told New Times. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Dimming the restaurant is one way Rogers and his partner of more than a decade, Brittney Yracheta, offer a sense of escapism to Central Coast diners. An invitation awaits to transport guests from downtown Atascadero to the alleyways of Japan, lined with food stalls and raw, urban flare.

In early July, the couple debuted Momotaro’s larger location in Atascadero and will celebrate with the community during a grand opening event on Aug. 8. Their old lease in Paso Robles was up, and after five years there, they felt they’d outgrown the space. 

“We only had limited refrigeration, so we couldn’t really expand the menu more than what we had there,” Rogers said. “Whereas in our new location, obviously we have more refrigeration, so we’re able to really focus a lot on multiple types of Japanese dishes.”

With ramen in the name, Momotaro’s specialty is no secret. Rogers said there are five crucial elements to the dish: broth, aromatic oil, noodles, tare (flavoring), and toppings.

Unlike sushi, which requires extreme precision, ramen presents a playful opportunity. Chefs can do whatever they want with ramen, and because of this, Rogers refers to it as the “punk rock of Japan.”

His most popular is tonkotsu ramen, followed by the more traditional shoyu and shio. 

Surprisingly, the real “flavor bomb” is technically vegetarian, but guests can add meat if they choose.

“That broth in there is so packed with umami. It’s ridiculous,” Rogers said of the yasai ramen. “We were originally going to call it the vegetarian ramen, but we want to make sure that people have the ability to try and not be afraid to try something.”

Momotaro’s broths are all made in-house, and if they had the space, Rogers said they’d be making noodles, too. 

For starter plates, Kogeta Cabbage is a top choice. A cabbage wedge is caramelized and served in brown butter with a side of miso mustard sauce. It melts in guests’ mouths.

     “They never knew cabbage could taste so good,” Rogers described. 

     Another unskippable dish is crispy rice and spicy tuna. It’s a recipe inspired by Rogers’ time in LA studying under master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi, creator of the popular crispy rice, who passed away recently. 

     “We have that on the menu here, exactly the way he made it, and it’s kind of like our homage to him, of all the stuff I learned,” Rogers said.

     Momotaro also pays homage to Rogers’ grandmother, who was originally from the Japanese island of Okinawa. She read him the story of Momotaro when he was a child. The tale about a young boy on a quest to fight demons always stuck with him and became the name of the ramen shop.

     As the co-owners decorated their new space, they knew photos of Rogers’ family would be prominent. Right when guests walk in, they’re greeted by a bamboo fountain, koi pond, and a family photo wall.

     The expression of family heritage is one of the reasons why Momotaro feels like an easy atmosphere to breathe in. Yracheta said the environment has a lived-in vibe, even though it’s only about 1 month old.

She’s excited to bring a dedicated ramen restaurant to Atascadero. Japanese food had always been on Yracheta’s radar, dating back to childhood memories of sushi with her family on Friday nights, but her connection with the cuisine grew as she got closer to Rogers.

“Our link is definitely through food,” Yracheta said.

At any given time, visitors will likely find one of them behind the line and the other at the front of house. Rogers and Yracheta work well as a pair despite spending 24/7 together. Even after inevitable tiffs, they find ways to build each other up again.

A similar philosophy drives the feeling they cultivate at Momotaro: Sitting together at the table to eat should be about building connection.

The beauty is that their izakaya, or pub, welcomes individuals who want a bowl of ramen, families looking for shareable plates, and friends grabbing a drink after the workday. 

Momotaro stocks a variety of Japanese craft beer and selections from a knowledgeable “sake somm” that pair well with the food. She said she wants the sake list to be unlike any other Japanese restaurant in the county.

“We go along with him throughout our menu to see what he thinks would be really fun to have. We have some really unique sakes,” Yracheta said. “We have one that’s actually a dry hop sake, so it’s a perfect bridge for people that maybe want to explore more sake but generally only drink beer.”

Also on the beverages list is what’s known as chūhai, a shōchū highball cocktail. The Momotaro team makes syrups for refreshing flavor combos including yuzu, strawberry, and lime.

“Our weather temperature right now has been pretty hot, and they’re definitely something that’s easy to drink,” Yracheta said. “It cools you down, and it’s very satisfying.”

Drinking or not, she wants Momotaro to become a community hub for a diverse customer base. The couple put their blood, sweat, and tears into reopening their business and want the aesthetics to look as enticing as the dishes they plate up. Yracheta and Rogers constructed much of the interior themselves. If the stools ever break, they joked, they’ll know how to repair them. 

“A big thing for us is we are serving our community at the end of the day, and it obviously feels really good to us to do so,” Yracheta said. “We eat with our eyes, we eat with our heart, but everything with food a lot of the time can invoke some type of emotion, and so in turn, we are creating those connections. We’re happy to be here, to be open.”

     When they aren’t too busy running the restaurant, there’s a good chance Rogers and Yracheta are spending time with their two English bulldogs in their Paso Robles home or taking their classic 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air out for a spin. 

Odds are, they’re planning a trip to Japan, too. ∆ 

Reach Sun Staff Writer Madison White, from New Times’ sister paper, at mwhite@santamariasun.com.

This article appears in July 30- August 6, 2026.