Jan NorrisPlus: New theme will replace Sassafras; Tryst to return to south county; and El Segundo tacos are coming to Palm Beach Gardens.
There’s a reboot afoot at the former Kapow! Noodle Bar on Clematis Street.
It is now Shanghai’d, but still owned by Rodney Mayo. He’s head of Subculture Group — a major player in the hospitality scene in Palm Beach County. In just a brief conversation, it’s clear Mayo, the man who ran for mayor of West Palm Beach before a court stopped his candidacy over his residency, is a constant mover with many irons in the fire.
Starting with Shanghai’d. “We’re just rebranding, and adding new menu items, bringing back favorites,” Mayo said.
He parted ways with a partner in the modern Asian boite to settle “creative differences,” as he put it.
Under the new contract, Mayo retains the physical restaurant. Former partner Jamie Day keeps the original Kapow! in Boca Raton, and one in Delray Beach, along with the name.
The latest partnership was formed after original co-owner Vaughan Dugan moved to North Carolina.
A changing menu
Mayo will keep versions of current favorites on the menu, bring back some of the original Kapow! menu, and add Szechuan and Cantonese dishes.
“We’re putting on traditional New York-style Chinese things like moo goo gai pan, General Tso’s chicken, beef and broccoli — things people ask for. And we’ll have fire at the tables,” he said, describing tableside cooking for some foods.
The new menu and a sign will debut at the grand reopening planned for Aug. 14.
“We’re having a big party, bringing in the Chinese drummers, and a DJ,” Mayo said.
Other Subculture restaurants in downtown West Palm Beach include social media favorite Hullabaloo and Subculture Coffee, and clubs Respectable Street and Voltaire’s Lair, all in the 500 block of Clematis.
Progress on Clematis food hall
Mayo’s plans for this year include Hacienda, a food hall that’s been in the works since 2024 across the street from Shanghai’d. Mayo said he’s aiming for a late fall opening there — “just say before season” — with a dozen restaurant stalls and shops, along with performance art and entertainment.
To the east in downtown, Subculture owns Camelot, a nightclub, and the recently closed Southern-inspired restaurant Sassafras, on Narcissus. A new Indian concept developed with another partner will replace it, Mayo said.
South of downtown, Howley’s diner celebrates 75 years of business this year.
A new El Segundo
El Segundo is on Georgia Avenue next to the Southern Boulevard bridge. The casual Mexican-themed restaurant will soon have a sister location in Palm Beach Gardens in the Donald Ross Village plaza.
About moving north, he said, “I love Pushkar (Marathe) at Ela, and Tim (Lipman) at Coolinary. They’re great neighbors. It’s a great area.” He plans the new El Segundo opening “possibly by fall.”
Penelope to become Tryst
He’s excited about a rebranding in south county. “We’re bringing back Tryst.”
He said the Delray Beach gastro pub was a fan favorite and closed on East Atlantic Avenue only after losing its lease.
“We’re swapping it out with Penelope’s in Mizner,” he said. The New Orleans-themed restaurant recently closed in Boca Raton and is planned to rebrand as the chef-driven gastro pub Tryst by late fall.
Another restaurant in Mizner Park, Shaker and Pie, may also get a new name, Mayo said.
In Lake Worth Beach, Subculture is still working on Man Ray on Lucerne Avenue in the old C.W.S. Bar + Kitchen spot. “It’s similar to Dada; chef-driven,” he said. “We’re looking for a chef for it now.”
Jan’s a journalist covering the South Florida dining scene for 30-plus years. (She knows where the bones and onion peels are buried.) She’s a Florida native, remembers the state pre-Disney, and travels frequently to visit family and friends from the Keys to the Panhandle.
