Name: Michael Anthony Arrastia
Restaurant: The Hangover Pub / Broth Ramen Bar
Town: Worcester, Ma
Background:
I was Born and raised in Southbridge, Ma . I am mainly Puerto Rican and Italian . My wife is Ashley Arrastia and son Logan and Hazel. I Learned to cook growing up from my mom, because I was always near the stove dipping bread in the sauce or scooping a bite of rice, curious and hungry. We didn’t grow up with alot and food was very central and important to us. Most of my early years in kitchens we’re Italian restaurants . I Worked as Chef at a few places in central mass and metrowest before being offered this bacon gastro pub chef job in late 2015 and the rest was history .
Q1 What is your first or best memory of cooking and who was it with?
Majority of my food memories are with my mom , but I have one specific memory with my father. Him and I cooked dinner together and for some that’s normal but for us it was not . I hadn’t seen him in years and that’s kind of how life was with him, in and out of our lives. We cooked white Rice with red beans and some crispy pork chops . We fried some salt pork up for the beans but we made extra as snacks for ourselves . We kept eating those little fried crispy pork bites and I don’t remember what we talked about but I know i cherished it, and I think about that day often. Shortly after that he ended up leaving again and we were very sad but I often think about the pure joy of being with him and the tastes and smells of that day in my cooking still.
Q2 What is your most popular dish?
I’m lucky enough to say there is a few , the ramen dishes are pretty exclusive , but I would say probably the kimchi bacon rice balls , The duck Ramen , and our brunch pizza are top 3 contenders sales wise .
Q3 What is your favorite dish to make?
My favorite dishes to make right now is anything Sichuan. I’m heavily focused on that style and spice in my spare time and at the restaurant. I plan on bringing that into my next menu.
Q4 What do you eat when you are not working/ favorite thing to eat?
Honestly the last few years it’s been Asian dominant and or soup of any kind . I even have two different ramen bowls tattooed. Pho, Ramen, and Hot Pot that’s my go to!
Q5 Person you would most like to cook for?
My favorite is not exactly one person it’s my family.
Cooking for them gives me something that i cant describe. It’s more fulfilling then anything else . I could care less about cooking for a famous person .
Q6 If you weren’t cooking, what would you do for a living?
Through my years I have been hyper focused at different times on art or music so if I could be paid to do either one of those that would be a dream. Then of course I would chef it up for friends and family . Whatever it is, it would be based on being creative .
Q7 Not your own spot, what is your favorite restaurant?
Number one favorite restaurant ….. Red pepper Webster square Worcester , Ma nothing touches it.
A few additional MUST TRY items according to Taste of Massachusetts:
