Two restaurants celebrated their openings side-by-side in New Haven’s Hill neighborhood on Tuesday, both spotlighting the vibrant flavors of the Caribbean. Patty’s Caribbean Cuisine and International Taste Buds debuted in a joint ribbon-cutting with Mayor Toni Harp at 554 and 560 Congress Ave.
The only Guyanese restaurant currently in the state, International Taste Buds offers dishes like oxtail, jerk chicken, Guyanese beef patties and Guyanese fried rice. Co-owner Dawn Poindexter and chef Marcia Kemp hope to introduce New Haven diners to the flavors of Guyana’s diverse cuisine.
Patricia DeRoche, owner of Patty’s Caribbean Cuisine, serves up the specialties of Trinidad, an island known for its blend of African, European, Indian, Asian and indigenous cultures. Dinner entrées include a Trinidadian take on jerk chicken, curry goat, roti and banana punch.
Both restaurants benefited from a city small-business improvement program that helped fund interior renovations, Harp said. “We’re delighted to supplement your considerable financial commitment to this project,” the mayor told the owners at the ribbon-cutting event. “We’re eager to witness your success.”
The two restaurants will likely be competitive with their similar menus but benefit from creating a Caribbean dining destination on Congress Avenue, said Steve Fontana, deputy economic development director for the city of New Haven. “There’s room enough for everyone,” Fontana said.
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The secret to great ramen — the popular Japanese noodle soup dish — is the broth, and the chefs at brand-new Kuro Shiro at 128 Crown St. downtown simmer their magic potion for at least eight hours before serving. Eight hours is just for the chicken broth; their signature pork broth bubbles away for 11 hours, according to chef Kenny Kim. “Every day we make it fresh,” Kim said. Kuro Shiro’s ramen chefs don’t use any prepared bases or stocks, he added. “We make everything here.”
Start your meal at Kuro Shiro with small plates of Japanese pickles, octopus with wasabi or spicy edamame soybeans. Four versions of pork-bone-broth tonkatsu ramen are offered, in original ($11), soy sauce ($11), spicy ($12) and spicy miso ($13) variations. Chicken-broth ramen and vegetarian and vegan broth versions are also available.
The dozen varieties of sake range from unfiltered Sho Chiku Bai nigori to premium Tengumai Yamahai ($50 for a 720 ml bottle).
Kim and his partners worked at a ramen restaurant in New York before opening up shop in New Haven. There are several Asian noodle shops in New Haven, he said, but none that offer the authentically simmered Japanese-style broth. That’s Kuro Shiro’s main attraction, along with a range of sakes. By the time of their grand opening, Kuro Shiro will have more than a dozen bottles of the delicate Japanese rice wine available, Kim said.
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A catering company has opened a storefront in Cheshire to sell prepared meals for online ordering and quick pickup. Perfectly Prepared Gourmet to Go, at 1410 Highland Ave., hosted a grand-opening event on Oct. 25 and recently extended its hours to 7 p.m. most nights for commuters.
The kitchen at Perfectly Prepared is run by Riverhouse Hospitality, operator of restaurants including the Riverhouse in Haddam and the Society Room of Hartford and catering at the New Britain Museum of American Art.
On offer at the Cheshire location is a full range of entrées, side dishes, pastas and desserts both in individual and larger portions. Diners can order online and by phone from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; the store is open until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sunday. Prices range from $7.99 to $10.99 for entrées and up to $129 for a full Thanksgiving dinner with a 12-pound whole turkey and all the sides.
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