Kabawa

At Kabawa, fine dining gets a revamp with soca and birthday flan - Review - New York - The Infatuation

"Kabawa doesn't stick to the usual fine dining template. It’s fun and loose, and you won’t need a sandwich after. The Caribbean-inspired restaurant in the old East Village home of Momofuku Ko serves a three-course prix fixe with more than enough food and charisma to justify its $145 price tag. Around a U-shaped counter, roughly 20 stools face an open kitchen where cooks in tie-dye aprons pan-fry chuletas while soca bounces off the walls. The meal kicks off with a roti platter that puts most table bread to shame, then, depending on your choices, it might veer into cassava dumplings, jerk duck sausage, or, ideally, a slab of braised goat that cuts as easily as the accompanying side of sweet potato. Finish with a brick of funfetti flan, and stop by offshoot Bar Kabawa next door if you need a daiquiri to wind down." - Bryan Kim