Jerk chicken, oxtail and curried goat are among the savory selections on offer at Kool Breeze, a new “Jamerican” eatery now open for business at 1400 Whalley Ave.
Mayor Toni N. Harp stopped by Thursday morning to cut the ceremonial ribbon at the restaurant, which occupies the former Spooner’s space in Westville.
Owner Andrea Stone knows a thing or two about Jamaican cuisine — she grew up on the island before coming to the U.S. at age 14. While working as a medical assistant at Yale-New Haven Hospital, she planned the new restaurant as the fulfillment of a “lifelong dream,” she said.
“I love to cook,” said Stone. “To see the smiles on everyone’s faces makes my heart warm.” Maybe not as warm as the jerk chicken, but still warm.
Kool Breeze, Stone said, is New Haven’s only sit-down Jamaican eatery. She has a staff of seven (including her mother, in the kitchen), 1,600 square feet of space (“Go big or gome home,” she said) and, according to Harp, “a world of promise.”
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Night fare on Elm Street
Its original name when it opened two decades ago, Ivy Noodle, may more accurately describe the eatery’s signature fare. But when owner Coreen Guo decided four years ago to update the kitchen at 316 Elm Street and expand her menu from mostly noodle-based offerings to a broader spectrum of Chinese and Cantonese dishes, she thought Ivy Wok was more reflective of her offerings.
And no one’s complaining. Guo and her landlord, Yale University Properties, celebrated Ivy Wok’s 20th birthday Thursday morning with a special promotion feature General Tso’s chicken and bubble tea.
Ivy Wok offers more than 75 meals for lunch and dinner that cost between $6 and $10. That budget price point — along with insomniac-friendly hours (open ‘til midnight daily except Sunday) have made it a fave with students and other downtown denizens.
For Guo, running the show is all in the family. The Singapore native is a third-generation restaurant owner who prepares several recipes that have been passed down to her from her great-grandfather, such as her popular oversized hand-made dumplings.
“We are delighted to join Ivy Wok in celebrating this wonderful milestone,” said Lauren Zucker, Yale’s associate vice president for New Haven affairs and University Properties. “It’s gratifying to see Ivy Wok continue to fill seats as it fills our stomachs.”
