Kabawa
Caribbean restaurant · East Village
8 Extra Pl, New York, NY 10003
Highlights
Elevated Caribbean dining with creative dishes like pepper shrimp and goat
Elevated Caribbean dining with creative dishes like pepper shrimp and goat
"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." - team infatuation
"A Caribbean tasting-menu spot from Momofuku vet Paul Carmichael that has been snapping up accolades left and right since its spring debut. Inspectors wrote, "From its elegant dark green dining room with subtle regional references to its sophisticated three-course tasting menu, expect an elevated take on the tropics." - Erika Adams
"Chef Paul Carmichael pens a deeply personal love letter to the Caribbean with Kabawa. From its elegant dark green dining room with subtle regional references to its sophisticated three-course tasting menu, expect an elevated take on the tropics. Meals begin with bread service comprised of roti served with curry chickpeas and eggplant, as well as butter. Then, fried sweet plantain is topped with crispy salt cod and sided by soft scrambled eggs with caviar for a memorable first course. Main dishes like seared black bass with yellow curry are served with sides like pineapple-glazed sweet potato and stewed pink beans before sweet send-offs like a coconut turnover. The cocktail list is packed with enticing selections." - Michelin Inspector
"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
"A three-course prix fixe Caribbean tasting format priced at $145 offering dishes such as pepper shrimp spiked with sorrel, scotch bonnet, and thyme; cassava dumplings stewed in a Creole sauce; and cream cheese turnovers for dessert. The format is intimate and chef-driven, connected to an adjacent bar sibling." - Nadia Chaudhury
