Chef Brings New Creole Restaurant And Special Brunch To Jersey City: See Menu

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Just in time for Mardi Gras, a co-owner of the popular Ani Ramen group of restaurants has debuted a new eatery in a growing Jersey City neighborhood.

Israel Jiles — who grew up in New Orleans — has brought Creole food to the city's Bergen-Lafayette section, near Liberty State Park.

The new restaurant, Po Boy Riche, features classic po' boy sandwiches with fried seafood or meat (oysters, shrimp, catfish, chicken), as well as jambalaya, shrimp, grits, and salads.

Weekends bring "Bayou Brunch," including Hummingbird French Toast (which has banana cream cheese and caramelized pineapple), and a scrambled eggs po' boy.

"We opened Ani Ramen in 2017," Jiles said in an interview last week. "I understood the environment. I understood the multicultural nature of the city. I felt like if there was any place that could digest, understand, and embrace the concept, it was Jersey City."

More than 40 percent of Jersey City residents were born in other countries, according to the U.S. Census.

"The sociology and diversity made it a no-brainer for me," Jiles said.

Jiles said that chef Darrell Raymond makes dishes to order.

The bread is flown up from Leidenheimer French bakery in New Orleans, he said.

"It has a different humidity level [than other bread]," he said. "There's less water in their bread. It's flakier, less dense."

Po Boy Riche is located at 89 Monitor St.

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