Noodles, dumplings, ribs and more served in a stunning atmosphere at Bad Hat in Marlboro

"It's Asian chaos."

That's how owner Jon Barbely described his new restaurant, Bad Hat Dumplings & Cocktails — and we couldn't have said it better.

The upscale Asian Fusion restaurant and lounge opened Dec. 19 inside Barbely's current establishment Fireside Grill & Bar, which opened in 2011. The two venues share an entry way, but nothing else.

“You see a lot of similar concepts next to each other, but you don’t usually see a sports bar next to an upscale Asian restaurant,” Barbely said.

Once you walk inside, you'll see Bad Hat's logo to the right, perched atop a dimly lit hallway marked with art reminiscent of the famous Japanese painting "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" — but with edgy colors and depictions of wild cats, samurais and cherry blossoms.

Once you enter the main lounge area, you'll see an even dimmer space with murals depicting geishas and war scenes on the walls by Mural Makers Studio of Toms River. There are also movie posters for "Godzilla" and the 1968 Japanese horror film "Kuroneko."

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Tucked behind the Japanese/Korean vibe you'll find the more well-lit Garden Room, with 45 seats, botanical decorations and spiked crystal chandeliers.

Thanks to Barbely's passion for culture, and his wife Jennifer's Korean family, this fantastical space came to life.

“Papa Chung,” Jennifer’s father, was a big inspiration for the restaurant. After studying chemistry in Korea, Chung and his family came to America in the late 1980s. Since then, he has owned many restaurants.

Through his background, experience and home cooking, Chung has created dozens of recipes. Some can be found on the menu, like Papa Chung's grilled short ribs.

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“Our coconut curry mussels are based on a sauce my wife makes as a soup, a Japanese-style curry with coconut and butternut squash,” Barbely said, adding that much of the menu is rooted in family.

Mike Simko, a long-time friend of Barbely and a former operating partner at Colts Neck Stillhouse, helped bring the idea to life as Bad Hat's head mixologist and creative director.

"We basically took a little bit of each Asian culture — Japanese, Thai, Indian, Korean … — (and) interpreted (it) our way,” Barbely said. “My wife Jennifer, who was born and raised in Korea, was a big inspiration because she eats Asian food differently, as an Asian-American.

“We’ll make a beef curry dish, and have it traditionally over rice," he added. "The next day, I’ll see her eating it over spaghetti.”

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The name Bad Hat seemed like a good fit for Simko and Barbley.

“We (were) kind of troublemakers, and the concept we did here is troublemaking,” Barbely said. “We’re making Asian food but in a different way, so Mike joked that we’re kind of a ‘bad hat’ (British slang for a rascal).

“There’s a lot of British influence in Asian culture, so it just made sense."

Fireside was originally an over-300-seat sports bar, but Barbely realized the extra space could be used for so much more.

The restaurants have two separate kitchens. All the food, including dumplings, noodles, sauces and bases, are made from scratch by Chef Vincent Mezzapella, who is trained in Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese cuisine.

There is no take out, as the experience is nearly as important as the food.

“Everything is very shareable …," Barbely said. "You can order a couple things and everyone tries some.

One suggestion is Stretched Noodles with Char Siu pork, scallions, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, Koji, garlic, chives, long bean and peanuts. Or try dumplings like the Shiitakiyaki, with shiitake, almond, trumpet mushroom mix, shallots, thyme, chives, ginger, garlic, teriyaki and Ponzu sauce.

The restaurant also has small plates, desserts and cocktails.

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All the drinks are made with Asian-sourced spirits. I Knew a Khai, Once is a remix on a classic gin and tonic with pink peppercorn syrup, strawberry syrup, Filipino citrus liqueur, Vietnamese floral gin, and dry Indian tonic. It's then re-carbonated for that added fizz, and poured over cucumber ice spears.

Another cocktail, Master & Commander, is served in imported Masu wooden boxes meant to take you on a "19th- century oceanic voyage" with a slight wood essence, sun dried kelp, blended Japanese whisky, ice cubes thawed in cedar smoke, dry Bermutto, black sesame seed syrup, topped with Sakura and Umami bitters.

There are countless sakes, wines, liquors — and a special collaboration beer with Source Brewing of Colts Neck called Saku Saku. The Japanese rice lager has notes of sweet barley grain, puffed jasmine rice, white cracker, lemon mist, zested yuzu and white flowers.

While the intimate venue seats about 75, there are plans to add an additional dining room in the future.

“We want to create an experience, something that’s different,” Barbely said. “We’re not a Chinese restaurant. We’re not a sushi bar. We’re Bad Hat.”

Go: 133 S. Main St., Unit 2, Marlboro; 732-858-6855, badhatnj.com.

Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA Today Network New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore restaurants: Bad Hat brings Asian Fusion to Marlboro