Vibrant Caribbean fine dining w/ interactive counter seating & soca beats. Elevated island flavors from a culinary legend. A fun, must-try culinary journey.
Bryan Kim reviews Kabawa, a Caribbean-inspired restaurant in the East Village, praising its fun atmosphere and unique fine dining approach with dishes like jerk duck sausage and braised goat.
Sonal Shah reviews Bar Kabawa, an East Village spot where rum cocktails and Caribbean patties fuel a lively party atmosphere, praising its creative drinks and flavorful snacks.
This East Village gem offers a unique fine dining experience with a Caribbean twist, helmed by Chef Paul Carmichael. Guests can expect an interactive atmosphere around a U-shaped counter, lively soca music, and an innovative tasting menu that elevates traditional island flavors. From the exceptional roti platter to standout dishes like jerk duck sausage and braised goat, each course is crafted with precision and flair. It's a fun, energetic, and highly recommended culinary journey.
Kabawa offers a unique Caribbean fine dining experience. The tasting menu has received widespread praise for its innovative dishes such as the roti platter, jerk duck sausage, and braised goat. While most reviews are positive, one diner found the Chuleta Can Can excessively fatty, advising others to avoid it. Another found some dishes like shrimp and mushrooms not to their taste, though praised others. The restaurant is known for its elevated take on traditional island flavors.
"The roti platter is highly praised as an exceptional start. Other recommended dishes include the jerk duck sausage and the braised goat, with the Chuleta Can Can receiving both praise and criticism for its fattiness."
Customers generally express high satisfaction, praising the innovative Caribbean cuisine, engaging atmosphere, and the culinary artistry of Chef Paul Carmichael. While some find it pricey, most agree the experience and food quality justify the cost.
Important Note
Some diners found the Chuleta Can Can dish to be excessively fatty. While generally praised for quality, the restaurant can be considered pricey by some.
"Kabawa is highly recommended after the user had dinner there, praising its great food and large portions at $149/person. It was considered the best among several highly-rated restaurants."
Positive"Kabawa is suggested as a good fit for a date night, offering an interesting concept and great food without being stuffy."
Positive"Kabawa offers a fun experience at either the bar or the main dining area, with delicious food and kind service. Its memorable Caribbean cuisine is a unique option for tourists."
Positive"Kabawa was listed as a recommendation for a special dinner."
Neutral"The commenter mentioned goat from Kabawa."
Positive"Kabawa is mentioned as a potential dining option."
Neutral"This detailed review covers Kabawa's coursing, including a flavorful bread course with multiple dips, an interesting mushroom pastel appetizer, and a delicious main with various sides. The duck sausage is highlighted as intense and exceptionally well-cooked. The dessert 'matrimony' was light and citrusy, fitting for a full stomach. The Akasan drink was also praised. Overall, the chef is seen as prioritizing deliciousness with different experiences for each side."
Positive"This commenter has not tried the food at Kabawa but recalls the open kitchen at its previous iteration (Momofuku KO) as dazzling. They found the bar experience less enjoyable."
Neutral"This user found Kabawa to be excessively overpriced, particularly the chuletas main course, which they felt offered poor value. While the food was good, it wasn't exceptional enough to justify the cost, describing it as 'highway robbery'."
Negative"This user confirms Kabawa serves a lot of food and highlights some dishes. While the shrimp dish was grainy and the mushrooms unpalatable, the cobia had great flavor and the goat was delicious. They also praised the 'bread' course and rice, and found the drink pairings enjoyable."
Neutral"Kabawa is described as serving a lot of excellent food, including a bread course, salad, and dips, with terrific service. The bar menu offers snacks, but not a full meal, and the daiquiris were enjoyable though costly."
Positive"This user enthusiastically states that Kabawa is incredibly good on both sides, expressing high satisfaction with the restaurant."
Positive"This user suggests that Kabawa and Bar Kabawa offer different but complementary experiences. They recommend having drinks at Bar Kabawa before dinner at Kabawa, noting that Kabawa's dinner is incredible and offers a chance to try multiple dishes if dining with someone else."
Positive"This comment mentions that Kabawa's prix fixe includes snacks and substantial portions, suggesting a filling meal. It references Ryan Sutton's review for this information."
Neutral"The commenter notes that Kabawa's pastrami suya was $86 when they visited last year."
Neutral"The commenter asks if the original poster has tried Kabawa."
Neutral"The commenter welcomes the user to Flatbush and recommends Mrs. Vee's and de hot pot for rotis, stating they are better than those had in the Caribbean."
Positive"The commenter simply recommends Kabawa."
Neutral"The commenter simply recommends Kabawa."
Neutral"The commenter expressed strong positive feelings about Kabawa, stating they loved it."
Positive
