Kawa Ni

Kawa Ni opened at the tail of 2023 to high remarks. It took me awhile to make my way there.On paper, it has the making of another overhyped and overpriced restaurant in a trendy neighborhood that misses the mark. However, that couldn't be further from the reality of the overall execution of their services and dishes. Yes, it's trendy, it's hip, there's a who's who crowd in attendance, but if you're a fan of Japanese izakayas, Kawa Ni has done its research and passes every test if you ask me!This is one of those restaurants you want to bring not only a big eater with you, but an adventurous one. Luckily I had both with my coworker in town who knows what's up. We ordered an array of dishes and we were extremely content with our choices. Though upon my next visit there are a few others I would try!+Addictive Cabbage ($11) // sesame, wasabi, yuzu. Cold, crisp and crunchy. Using the adjective "addictive" sets a high bar, but I really enjoyed the pallette cleansing textures and flavors of this dish.+Scallop Crudo ($23) // peach + pepper jus, anise hyssop. A seasonal take on crudo. Maybe my least favorite dish of the evening, though still very good. Innovative spin with the seasonal peaches, just too sweet for my liking.+Szechuan Dumplings ($16) // ponzu, garlic hot oil. Dumplings smothered in hot oil, what's not to love? Could've (and probably should've) ordered another round of these. Savory, tender, and cooked perfectly.+Den Gaku Tofu ($14) // grilled tofu, salted squash, ginger, burnt sesame garlic oil. The most surprising dish of the night. One of the better tofu dishes I've ever had. It had a unique texture and lots of umami flavors.+Spicy Lamb Dan Dan ($22) // goma, peanuts, gochujang, bok choy, miso noodles. Rich, a little spicy, depth of flavor kind of gone wild. I described this to my friend as a Japanese bolognese. Noodle pull was on point. Delicious!A fun take on Japanese cuisine. Well executed, hot and cold dishes, beautifully decorated restaurant, stellar bar program, welcoming service, etc. I'm a fan and I'll be back again! Kudos, Kawa Ni.

Calling all Denver foodies! Kawa Ni, that unconventional izakaya in a converted firehouse (you heard that right!), just landed a spot in the MICHELIN Guide. That means some seriously delicious Japanese eats are waiting for you, with a Denver twist, of course. We visited Kawa Ni for lunch, and it was amazing - everything that we had, we would order again. We arrived at Kawa Ni and were seated in the main dining room. Our server, Matt was fabulous. He was knowledgeable & attentive and made sure we had everything we needed while we dined.For Korudo (cold dishes) we had the Cucumbers seasoned with karikari ume, kelp, sunflower, & shiso. The cucumbers were bright with great snap. They had with bursts of sour & salty flavors.The Hamachi was served in saikyo miso, citrus kosho, & topped with sesame. The Hamachi was a gorgeous shade of ombre pink and made up of generous slices - fresh AF. The saikyo miso paste gave the Hamachi a savory, slightly sweet flavor. The fish was smooth and cool with citrus coming in from the kosho & a nutty crunch from the sesame.The Szechuan Dumplings were served in ponzu and garlic hot oil. The Szechuan dumplings were so juicy & savory. The garlic hot oil was a flavorful infuser that coated the dumplings in garlic and chili peppers, adding a spicy and garlicky kick.The Peekytoe Crab Rangoons were served alongside ginger-kosho dressing. The bite size rangoons were golden crisp and filled with a fluffy cream cheese, crab filling.For Sandoitchi we had the Biang Biang Chicken Bao made with hot honey chicken, yuzu goma, & pickles. Where are my hot chicken lovers? These bao buns are for you. This fresh take on traditional bao used hot honey and a tangy pickle. The juicy, golden chicken contrasted well in texture with the soft, fluffy bao bun that enveloped it.The Crab Fried Rice was made with bacon, corn, kani, & egg. The fluffy rice stir-fried with the crispy bacon bits added a salty, smoky punch. The sweet corn kernels were a touch of freshness and the shredded kani brought in that oh-so-satisfying seafood flavor. The dish was topped off with a sunnyside-up egg that bound everything together with a creamy richness.For 'Men' (noodles, no broth) we had the Spicy Lamb Dan Dan made with miso noodles, sesame, peanuts, gochujang, & bok choy. Bury me in these noodles - the dan dan noodles stayed true to authentic Sichuan flavor with freshly boiled noodles generously coated in a savory, spicy sauce. Spice tingled onto our taste buds and left us craving more.

Drop everything and make a reservation here! One of my favorite meals in Denver in a long time. Crab fried rice, tuna temaki, and shaved broccoli are MUST orders. Amazing taste, quality of ingredients, and very generous portion sizes for price. This is a fun spot to bring out of towners or a date night that isn't too fancy or pricey with amazing food and still great ambiance. Can't wait to try more food here!

Food:Overall, the food was fresh and flavorful. Nothing that I was personally in love with but it was still good(1) Happy hour half order of the crab fried rice: happy hour prices are actually a deal here so that was nice! Regular half order was $18, happy hour pricing is $12. Overall this was my least favorite dish. Honestly didn't have much flavor and the flavors it did have tasted almost stale to me(2) Pork and garlic ramen: A nice, rush broth. Pork belly was tasty. Would have prefer just a tiny bit of spice but overall good(3) HAMACHI: This was the best dish we had! The ponzu sauce was to die for and the fish was phenomenal. (4) SZECHUAN DUMPLINGS: super good. I'm not usually a dumbing person but these were delicious. Super spicy though so beware!(5) RED CABBAGE + SUBARASHII PEAR: this was surprisingly good. Fresh tasting, a nice palette cleanser but nothing I would need a second time.(6) Mochi: they have this to us for free for our birthday so that was very sweet. Comes with three and they have three flavors; matcha, strawberry, and mongoService was great. Nothing to complain about.Ambience is cute. Well decorated. Their two person booth tables were actually more comfortable than they looked. They have a hook for hanging stuff off the side of the booth which was a nice touch. They bang a big gong when someone gets sake bombs. It was quite loud but it's fun.Happy hour is from 4-5. Super short window but they actually had good deals.Overall, I had a good time and the food was good but nothing stood out enough to me to want to come back. That's just my opinion but definitely recommend going once

Hidden amidst the towering apartment buildings is Kawa Ni, a beautiful izakaya style restaurant with the most charming and warm interior, serving a delicious array of dishes that are sure to satisfy and surprise. Once inside, I couldn't help but feel like I was hanging out in someone's cabin in the Japanese forest. It could've been the soft green hues and cozy hinoki wood accents or the characters parading through a mystical setting in the Ghibli anime playing, but I was definitely transported and loved every minute. We enjoyed dinner at the bar and the bartender was a fabulous host and guide. She knew each dish and drink, describing them with precision, which helped us make our selections. The beverage menu is substantial and intriguing. Izakayas are technically pubs, and this one clearly has that spirit at hear with so many exceptional choices from sake to superb cocktails and even a delightful bunch of curated NA options as well. I enjoyed their take on a negroni, Green T Negroni, but there were SO many more I wanted to try. For dinner we endeavored to enjoy something from each section of the menu, starting with the cucumbers and the addictive cabbage, both light but rich with flavor. We then stepped lightly into the nama (raw) category with the summery scallop dish, followed by the szechuan dumplings, dan dan noodles, and the star of the night, the Den Gaku Tofu. Lemme tell you. This tofu dish is A MUST. The presentation is as surprising as the flavors, but overall, this is a stunner. For me, the dumplings were delicious but not remarkable or different, but adding the oil and sauce from the dumplings to the tofu kicked that up, so definitely order both! The only dish that didn't do it for me was the dan dan noodles. It had good flavor but was a bit one note and lacking in texture and contrast to me. I left a lot unexplored on the menu, and knowing it changes periodically, if I were in Denver, this spot would be a regular one in my rotation. Kanpai Kawa Ni!

Such a great find in Denver. Stellar service and stellar food. Grab a reservation ahead of time if you can! We were party of 2 that walked up and they were able to seat us on the patio. Beautifully shaded by their brick building we sat and enjoyed the breeze. The Three Piece plate had delicious, high quality cuts of fish that almost melted on my tongue. I also loved the curry potatoes and congee. The star of the show was the Szechuan Dumplings which were spicy savory, and tender. I enjoyed all of it with their "Everything She Wants" cocktail which was true to its name, citrusy with elderflower it was a delicious addition to our meal.We topped it off with their matcha tiramisu. I legit took a bite and audibly went "MMM!!!" It was so good. Light and fluffy bits of cake layered with creamy matcha custard. It's was heaven. And they have Japanese bidets. Cool!Thank you to their staff. We had a wonderful time thanks to their hard work.

I wished I liked this place more bc the vibe and atmosphere is great and get a reservation. There is a credit card hold for the reservation btw. Things to Note:1) If you are a decent Asian Fusion cook, there is nothing here that you cannot make at home or pick up from H-mart. 2) From the crab fried rice, kimchi udon, dumplings (biggest disappointment), bao fried chicken buns (meh) and a lot of sides dishes like the cabbage, cucumber salad, hamachi ... it was just all ok, nothing bad - but nothing great, especially for the $200 price tag for 2 people. Yes, we probably def over ordered but still. 3) They do have fancy mocktails. 4) Time limit for parties like 90-2 hours depending on table size but on the weekdays if was not as strictly enforced.5) great patio seating6) wonderful service And maybe I'm unfair but the Asian American in me is disappointed - maybe I need to try the other half of the menu. But - the hype is NOT real at this moment.

Spicy lamb Dan Dan was a bit too heavy for me. But we loved the spicy dumplings, cocktails, udon and ramen! The service is 11/10 phenomenal.

Everything was delicious! Can't go wrong with any of the dishes. Classy ambiance without being too pretentious. Overall a wonderful experience!

Been wanting to come here for a while and so glad we finally made it for a belated bday dinner and wanted to have a Negroni for Tony Bourdain on his bday too. We sat at the bar and started with the tofu pocket and bao off the hh menu- tofu pocket was my fave! Our friendly server made us a special sake bomb on the house to help us celebrate! We then had the scallop and tuna temake and the dumplings which I thought were flavorful with the perfect amount of heat!