Famed chef to bring Cuban cafe, Japanese restaurant to downtown Allentown

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Famed chef Jose Garces announced Tuesday he will open two restaurants downtown this spring.

Garces, who won the second season of Food Network’s “Iron Chef” competition in 2009, will adapt two of his most popular casual-restaurant concepts, Rosa Blanca and Okatshe, for locations in Allentown’s Downtown West district, developers City Center said in release.

Rosa Blanca, a Cuban café and rum bar, will open in the first quarter of 2025 on the ground floor of The Nines apartment building at 950 Hamilton St., the release said.

Garces expects to open Okatshe, his modern take on traditional Japanese izakaya, in the second quarter of 2025 at an undisclosed location downtown.

Garces, who is known for helping to build Philadelphia’s restaurant scene in the early 2000s, said he was attracted to downtown Allentown by “the city’s continued revitalization and the placemaking efforts of City Center Group, the downtown’s most prolific real estate developer,” the release said.

“This harkens back to when I first got to Philadelphia in 2001 and saw an opportunity to create special dining experiences for a market that I felt was right,” Garces said.

“I believe in what City Center Group has been doing to make downtown Allentown a strong destination for food, entertainment, and live-work-play, and I share a passion for that mission.

“I’m excited to invest in downtown Allentown and particularly to be aligned with the Moxy hotel and Archer Music Hall opening this spring.”

'Where culture and innovation thrive'

City Center Group Vice President Jill Wheeler said that, "for Chef José Garces to choose downtown Allentown for his two newest restaurants is a testament to our city's incredible transformation and success.”

“Attracting a restaurateur of his caliber shows that downtown Allentown is a place where culture and innovation can thrive,” Wheeler said.

“Garces’ restaurants promise to provide not only memorable dining experiences but also vibrant gathering places that increase the energy we're working to build with the opening of Archer Music Hall and the Moxy hotel nearby."

Allentown’s Rosa Blanca “will flow from a breezy café offering classic Cuban coffee and pastries by day to a tropical rum bar serving mixed drinks by night,” the release said.

The lunch and dinner menu will offer hearty Cuban specialties and comfort food, including soups, salads, empanadas, sandwiches, and entrees, all served with Garces’ signature Latin-style hospitality.

Rosa Blanca’s interior by dash design of New York City will feature “Art Deco style, lush greenery, and an emphasis on glamour to produce Cuba’s Golden Age aesthetic in the heart of Allentown’s Downtown West neighborhood,” the release said.

The 1,500-square-foot restaurant will seat about 40 guests indoors among the bar and tables. Sidewalk seating will accommodate around 30 additional guests and a to-go window on Hamilton Street will offer walk-up service.

Garces, a James Beard Award-winning chef and Iron Chef, is known for his exceptional ability to merge tradition with innovation.

With more than two decades of experience in the culinary world, Garces is celebrated for his authentic Latin dishes, each one a testament to his Ecuadorian roots and culinary mastery.

Garces first was executive chef at Alma de Cuba in Philadelphia in 2001.

He opened his first restaurant, Amada, in 2005 — naming it after his grandmother. That was followed by restaurants in Chicago, Arizona,New Jersey, Palm Springs,Washington, D.C., and New York City.

Growing Downtown West

Over the past five years, Allentown’s Downtown West neighborhood has emerged as the city’s hottest location for entertainment and apartment living.

The district, from 9th to 12th streets and Walnut to Linden streets, recently welcomed five new City Center Residential communities, including Cityplace, The Nines, The Gallery, Walnut View and 1010 Apartments.

Also in Downtown West, City Center Group opened a boutique Marriott hotel, the Moxy Allentown Downtown, in January and plans to open a state-of-the-art concert hall run by Live Nation, Archer Music Hall, in March.

“An exciting mix of shopping and dining is emerging in the district, where recent improvements include widened sidewalks, upgraded lighting, public art and murals, trees and landscaping, and a new 1,100-space parking deck,” according to the release.

“Downtown West offers walkable access to hockey games and concerts at PPL Center arena, the brand-new Da Vinci Science Center, parks, nightlife and the arts.”