NY Times Reviewer: Westport's Kawa Ni Restaurant 'a Gem'

Being rated “very good” by a New York Times reviewer is very good indeed. Being called “a gem” by the critic is even better.

That was dining critic Patricia Brooks’ verdict last Friday on Kawa Ni, a Japanese/Asian restaurant as interpreted by owner/chef William Taibe and his brother Jeff Taibe (also a chef). Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes are on the menu, as well, but the restaurant is meant to be something like a Japanese pub, with 15 to 20 small plates, Brooks wrote in her Times review.

Bill Taibe’s restaurant ventures (he previously opened Le Farm and The Whelk in Westport) rely on fresh ingredients from farms relatively close by, and Brooks wrote, adding that at least nine local growers supply Kawa Ni. Brooks said she especially likes the peekytoe crab Rangoon, scallop pancakes and chicken meatballs in eel sauce, but she liked the barbecue eel best of all.

“Kawa Ni is a gem, unique in its creativity,” Brooks concluded. “May it sparkle and shine for a long time.”

Hours and Contact Information

Kawa Ni is located at The restaurant’s website says it’s open for lunch Wednesday through Saturday beginning at 12 noon and, for dinner, Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 4 p.m.

The restaurant is located by the Saugatuck Bridge at 19A Bridge Square

Phone: 203-557-8775

Fax: 203-557-3702

E-Mail: info@kawaniwestport.com

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What They’re Saying Elsehwere

• Yelp reviewers (29 of them) rate it 4.5 stars out of a possible 5.
• Urbanspoon reviewers (26 of them) rate it 4 out of 5.
• TripAdvisor reviewers (7 of them) rate it 4.5 out of 5.

Image from Kawa Ni’s website Home page