In Japan, the best sushi is often found in unexpected places: on the 7th floor of an office building, for example, or, famously, in an underground hallway leading to a subway station. Who would think the same could be said for Connecticut, where one of the state’s most outstanding omakases is located beneath an overpass connecting to New Haven’s Temple Street Garage?
Otaru Sushi Bar, which Chef Sunny Cheng and his wife Kathy opened in 2018, is serving up some of the most sophisticated yet playful bites of sushi on the Eastern Seaboard, without a hint of the austere service that marks many sushi restaurants of a similar caliber across the Pacific. Rather, Sunny employs a diner-first attitude in his joyful omakase, featuring a diverse symphony of flavors, textures, and, of course, top-quality fish. When we requested no squid or abalone in our omakase, he immediately understood: “no chewy, no problem.” And when neighboring diners inquired about the fish that created the glistening bites in front of them, Sunny whipped out a dog-eared sushi guidebook to provide an informative visual reference while narrating his take.
The lights and decorations are up, the presents are wrapped, and the only thing left to do is figure out what to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There are a ton of unique traditions around these two days – dinner at 2:00 in the afternoon, Feast of the Seven Fish, brunch with mimosas – and you may choose to cook at home or head out to one of the state’s many fine restaurants. And, if you choose to stay at home but want to take some of the work out of prepping Christmas Dinner, several restaurants and markets are offering meals to-go.
If you’re in that second category, this guide will be a helpful tool in determining what restaurants are going to be open for the holiday! Not every business will be open on Sunday, December 24, or Monday, December 25, but the ones that are will typically offer special brunches, lunches, or dinners to celebrate Christmas. We’ve broken this guide up by county to make it easier to find a restaurant near you – Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, New London, Middlesex, and Windham. Simply scroll down to the region of the state you live in (or the region of the state you’re visiting family!) and check out which restaurants are open on December 24 or 25. Happy holidays!
Back in January did you proclaim 2023 the year when you make things a little easier for yourself? Do you aim to make holidays and events memorable without stretching yourself to your breaking point? Read on and make it happen. Connecticut is overflowing with culinary talent and experts who know how to throw a party to remember, trust us! From setting the tone and creating swoon-worthy atmosphere to creating delicious, unique food and drink that your guests will be thinking about long after the event, these caterers will have you enjoying your event as well as making life just that extra bit more fabulous. Here are 15 of our favorite caterers in CT.
Why go through the hassle of finding a bar that caters to your exact needs when the bar can come right to your door? Mobile bars have exploded in popularity over the years, especially when it comes to special events. Weddings, birthdays, and even corporate events have begun to incorporate mobile bars into the list of vendors. And why wouldn’t they? What could be better than a beautifully restored and retrofitted vintage pickup truck or Volkswagen bus equipped with tap handles and a full set of bartender mixing tools?
Whether you’re looking for a mobile bar to add to your next event, or you want to keep your eyes peeled for a new and unique way to enjoy your favorite beverage and the next food festival you attend, mobile bars are the way to go – and there’s plenty of options across the state!
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Yuki’s Kitchen, a charming Korean, Japanese and Chinese culinary haven that left me utterly impressed and thoroughly satisfied. From the moment I stepped in to this primarily take-out spot, the quaint friendly ambiance and attentive service set the stage for a memorable gastronomic experience. Ken and Yuki Piao, a husband and wife team, have been in the Fairfield/Westport area for more than +10 years and decided in November of 2022 to open a lovely tiny haven of authentically excellent Asian food. We also had the pleasure of enjoying some special dishes prepared by Yuki’s mother visiting from Korea for 2 months.
Autumn is almost here and the Jewish holidays are a central part of this time for many in our community. Time spent with family and delicious food is what good memories are made of! Rosh Hashanah (Sept 15-17) and Yom Kippur (Sept. 24–25) are coming up quickly, so we offer you this listing of markets and caterers so that you may fill your table with traditional and new favorite dishes to mark the occasion. Shanah Tovah!
Parkville Market, a hub of international cuisine, has graced Hartford with four new vendors. Taiwan Night Market, the Taste of Portugal and KOJI2GO have opened, and we hear that Flor do Mar has launched since we visited with a completely gluten free menu, each adding new, exciting, flavorful dishes to an already highly tasty market.
Parkville opened during the height of the pandemic in May of 2020, starting with only five vendors, all take-out. Now, three years later, the market is vibrant.
“Now being at 21 vendors we’ve really rounded out the different, uniqueness to the food that we offer,” Matt Sousa, Vice President of Operations at Parkville said. “If we’re lacking something then we go out and try to find whatever it is.”
Summer in Connecticut can look like a lot of different things: hometown parades, trips to the beach, and of course, lobster rolls. Seafood is a quintessential part of dining in New England, so much so that there are heated debates over how to properly prepare a lobster roll, with hot meat with melted butter being the traditional Connecticut style and cold meat with mayonnaise originating out of Maine. It is no surprise, then, that there is a plethora of lobster shacks around the state, with most of them concentrated along the shoreline.
These ‘lobster shacks’ or ‘clam shacks’ have everything that you could want in a great seafood dinner without any added frills. If you are looking for more of a restaurant vibe, there are many seafood-centric businesses in the state that serve great lobster rolls. Another New England tradition that pops up each summer is the clambake. These events are usually centered around some sort of special occasion and involve steaming a medley of ingredients like clams, crab, scallops, lobster, and mussels together. There are several businesses in Connecticut that will help cater your next clambake, which are included in this guide as well.
We are all rolling, rolling, rolling into the summer months-Yay! Between parties, vacations, and just plain ol’ exploring, the warm and sunny months have us on the move. And what better info to have in your back pocket than plans for where to eat-trucks offering food of all kinds, whether you’re stopping mid-trip or renting for your next party! We have broken down this behemoth of a list by categories so you can high-tail it to the foods that interest you: Pizza, Tacos/Mexican, BBQ, Ethnic, Lobster & Seafood, All-American, Plant-Based/Alternative Diet, Ice Cream & Sweets, Cocktails & Beer and Coffee & Tea. Happy summer, everyone, roll on!
Your search for the perfect party has finally arrived. Connecticut now has a mobile Hibachi caterer who is ready to roll into your house and create the ultimate custom Hibachi party…just for you.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of “Hibachi “it’s a type of cuisine that was first introduced to Japan, a meal typically including meat, vegetables and seafood, cooked over very hot metal plates. The word “hibachi” comes from Japanese meaning "fire bowl."
Just like your favorite local Hibachi spot, Mr Hibachi pulls out all the stops for a hands on, interactive culinary experience. Guests (including kids) can take over the grill, score a cooking lesson, and learn some serious spatula skills. And then, of course, there is the time honored game of chefs throwing food into guest's mouths, and a REALLY fun twist, the Mr Hibachi SAKE GUN!! (a crowd favorite) Diners can “shoot” Sake at each other….or just enjoy some for themselves. Good times all around.
If you don’t know about Chef Jin yet, you owe it to your taste buds to step into one of his now numerous restaurants across Connecticut. Perhaps you are familiar with Tomo 68 in Naugatuck or Natural Kitchen in Milford – and most recently, Ramen & Bao in Oxford. Those are all thanks to Chef Jin, and now you can check out Ji Bei Chuan in Orange, which has its official grand opening on May 9th.
Ji Bei Chuan is a widely popular dining establishment in China, with over 400 locations overseas. Here in the United States, there are only 40, with this Orange location the first in the state. As you step inside, your eyes are immediately drawn to its noodle bar: a beautiful dark-stained natural wood countertop where guests can dive head-first into one of the many noodle or soup dishes on the menu.
Fans ofHachiroku Shokudo & Sake bar, which quietly opened in New Haven 2022, will be excited to hear that this team has expanded their portfolio of outstanding Japanese eateries with a NEW restaurant in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven. The new spot is called Hachiroku Handroll Bar & Tapas, and much like the original, you will not find a sign outside….ya just have to know. Hachiroku Handroll Bar features a few highlights from Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake bar, but while the OG delivers a traditional izakaya menu with a few uber-fresh cuts of sushi, the new spot leans in on expertly executed, positively mouthwatering handrolls. And make no mistake, while the flavor profiles you will find here are not strictly “traditional,” the dining room looks and feels like a traditional sushi bar. With roughly 16 seats highlighting the artists/ sushi chefs in the center, dining here exudes the austere reverence that these handrolls deserve.
Sluuuuuurp. Siiiip! Sip! Just a few of the sounds you might hear when consuming a steaming hot bathtub-sized bowl of delicious, noodlicious ramen. Whether you’ve got a simpler bowl of noodles and broth on the brain or one brimming with a myriad of toppers, not much is more satisfying than slurping to your heart’s content. To take the chill off these end-of-winter days, we’ve got the consummate listing for your next craving. Dive on in, the slurping is good!
Here are 25 Spots for great ramen in Connecticut.
If we missed a Ramen spot you love, please contact us.
When you enter Ramen & Bao, the latest culinary addition to Oxford’s Quarry Walk, there is no question that you are in for a memorable experience. Right away, you are greeted by the tranquil sounds of water trickling from a fountain as you turn the corner, signaling that it is time to kick back, relax, and enjoy some delicious ramen, dumplings, steamed baos, or whatever may strike your fancy.
Chef Jin is no stranger to opening up successful restaurants in Connecticut, as Ramen & Bao is a sister restaurant to Natural Kitchen in Milford and Tomo 68 in Naugatuck. So we knew we were in for a treat when we sat down at a carefully presented place setting, complete with ornate soup spoons, bowls, and chopsticks. Needless to say, we were ready to dive in.
You’re probably still recovering from the seasonal avalanche of candy corn, but the “other” holidays are now peeking around the corner-and it’s always better to be ready for them when they jump out at you. Whether for cozy and familial Thanksgiving gatherings, spirited and sparkly holiday parties, a Let’s-Get-2023-Right New Year’s celebration or any of your special events and holidays next year, these caterers will help you feast and fete with panache. Best part about this listing is that many of these caterers work throughout the entire state of Connecticut and even the tri-state area. Go forth and celebrate! Here are 18 Connecticut Caterers who will make your next event a stress-free delicious success!
When your editor says “it’s one of the best Japanese spots I’ve ever been to,” you quickly look at your calendar and figure out how to get there. Folks: You too, have to get there.
Most of us can’t claim to be experts in Japanese cuisine and yet those of us who spend our days dreaming about food, know good food; we know passion when we see it, and we know when a chef’s world revolves around creating with the best ingredients and when those ingredients are treated with the utmost respect. Not only was our time at Hachiroku unforgettable with every sense turned up a notch, but before we exited the building, we were dreaming of our next visit.
The group behind Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake bar, which opened in May, are no newcomers to the food business. Owners Yuta Kamori and his wife Sanae, along with partners Gen Hashimoto and Hiroyuki Fuji Yuta started several years ago with Brooklyn Ramen, then branched out to a successful bento box business and Japanese sushi stores tied to the Maruichi grocery establishment throughout CT and Boston. According to our server extraordinaire, Tim Bang, “their bento business really blossomed during the pandemic which gave them the opportunity to open Hachiroku with Chef Yutaka here in New Haven.”
Holiday time is family time and good food is a central part of these celebrations! With Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 25-27) and Yom Kippur (Oct. 4-5) coming into focus, we have a handy listing of markets, caterers, and restaurants for you so that you may fill your table with traditional and new favorite dishes to mark the occasion. Our wish is that your holidays be happy and, of course, delicious. Shanah Tovah!
If you appreciate good food, and you live in the state of Connecticut, you’ve likely spent some time at Chef Bill Taibe’s Japanese izakaya spot in Westport, Kawa Ni. This small cozy culinary gem, bathed in warm woods, vintage Japanese posters and that perfect restaurant buzz, has hosted many a night for sake bombs (gong ringing included), tofu pockets, chicken karaage, Szechuan pork dumplings and a bowl of spicy miso ramen just for good measure.
As a frequent Kawa Ni diner, the only downside of being a guest at this popular Japanese style pub is scoring a reservation. Sure, they welcome walk-ins, and their very friendly staff always does their best to find a way to seat you a seat at the bar, or up on the rooftop patio if the season is right. However, historically, if you had an urgent last minute crazing for their pork rib confit, landing a table without some advanced planning, wasn’t the easiest task.
I lived in Japan for four years in the early 2000s. I spent much time eating my way around Tokyo and the Kanto sprawl. Surely much has changed in those 20 years since I left. Still, I long for the food I left behind. Not the flashy foods of trendy restaurants I visited (and loved). I miss the fried chicken skewers from 7-11, Circle K egg salad sandos, and the noodles of all the quick-bite ramen shops without chairs, for none of which I remember names. Yoshinoya, Pot & Pot, and sushi go-rounds that didn’t serve elaborate rolls. I miss all the places in the cavernous Shinjuku Station underground with their window displays of plastic katsu curry and oyaku-don.
Yeah. It’s the love the Japanese food culture places into even it’s fast(ish) food that I’ve sought since coming back to the states. Occasionally, some of my old friends who were there with me will send pics of some gem they found in a strip mall. I do the same. But of the handful of places that I found, none takes me back there like Menya Gumi.
Angel Cheng opened Menya Gumi in March 2020, right as the pandemic hit the U.S. Menya survived to deliver an upgraded touch to the food of my past. Cheng works somewhere between Japanese tradition and American food crazes.
Sometimes where you live is just where you sleep. Maybe the area has a bit of feel, or maybe some real estate conglomerate slapped it together like processed-cheese-food, named it The Crossing At The Shops At The Superfund Site, and well, at least the commute is short and everyone can understand the urge to show I-95 your personal taillights.
In Connecticut’s old – let's be kind and call them historic – cities, there are still to be found that most nostalgic living situation: The Actual Neighborhood. New Haven’s East Rock is one of the latter, and lately, what’s old is new again.
East Rock Market opened this November in a space which rubs shoulders with East Rock Brewing Company, and close enough to the in-building gym to borrow a neighborly cup of protein powder. By Thanksgiving of 2021, the Market’s large, bright space housed five concepts: RAW Bowls & Juice, Panciale pasta and pizza, Nicoll Street Gelato, Rick’s Bar, and Rockfish sushi. Developer Rishi Narang has named the former WWI-era Marlin Arms factory East Rock Center, and market, brewery, and gym are all contained within the massive footprint in a sort of indulgence/repentance love triangle.
