Chef Paul Carmichael on why Kabawa is one of the best restaurants in the US

When it comes to describing his restaurant, Chef Paul Carmichael will tell you that Kabawa isn’t a concept. “That’s like McDonalds, you know?” he says while laughing. That characterization wouldn’t do it justice. For the Bajan-born chef, Kabawa (which was named by the New York Times as one of the 50 best restaurants in the U.S.) is about showcasing the richness of Caribbean cuisine through a vibrant menu influenced by its many islands, including Cuba, Puerto Rico and his home of Barbados. “This is me sharing a part of my world,” he says. After leading a restaurant in Sydney, he received an offer to pursue his dream project in New York City – a place to show off his Caribbean roots with an elevated menu that sparks joy with each bite.

The new bar and restaurant from the Momofuku restaurant group are located off Bowery in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood on a small graffiti-covered dead-end street. Diners are greeted by two entry booths, one for the bar and the other for the restaurant. Bar Kabawa and the namesake restaurant have a similar vibe: dimly lit, intimate spaces with soundtracks spinning a medley of Caribbean tunes, including soca, old-school reggae and salsa.

Blurred diners eat at tables against a window at a New York City restaurant. — **Clockwise from top left:** Inside Kabawa. Seating at Kabawa's open kitchen. The fish cooler at Kabawa. Chef Paul Carmichael looking into Kabawa. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet (4)

Green and wood bar stools are tucked under a wooden bar set with napkins. — **Clockwise from top left:** Inside Kabawa. Seating at Kabawa's open kitchen. The fish cooler at Kabawa. Chef Paul Carmichael looking into Kabawa. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet (4)

At the bar, rum cocktails are the highlight, specifically the – dare I say – perfect daiquiris. The restaurant has limited tables, and the prime seats surround the open kitchen so patrons can watch the staff craft each dish. The bar offers light bites, like the popular baked and fried patties, while the restaurant has a three-course prix fixe dinner at 145 US dollars per person. For each course (appetizer, main and dessert), you can choose from a curated list of regional delicacies, like cassava dumplings, pepper shrimp, coconut turnovers and black bass with a side of curry. In other words, be prepared to leave with a full belly.

For Carmichael, this place is deeply personal. It's a way to show off his love and pride for his roots through what he knows best — cooking delicious Caribbean food.

A smiling man wearing a red T-shirt and a tie-dye apron stands in front of a mosaic mural. — Chef Paul Carmichael of Kabawa and Bar Kabawa. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet

How did your Bajan and Caribbean roots influence the menu?

Paul Carmichael: It's not a Bajan restaurant or a Jamaican restaurant – it's a Caribbean restaurant. It's supposed to represent the region. Whether it was English, French, Dutch, Spanish, it doesn't matter. Our region has a lot of threads that link us together. We all behave in a certain way, view food in a certain way. It's all pretty much the same regardless of colonial background. So that's what I wanted to shed light on and share.

A hand pours a drink from a small beaker into a ice-filled coupe glass. — A daiquiri at Bar Kabawa. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet

Daiquiris are the breakout star on the menu. Why did you focus on that cocktail?

PC: The daiquiri is originally from Cuba. It is a classic cocktail, incredibly simple and very easy to mess up because of its simplicity. In my opinion, there are four ingredients — rum, sugar, lime and ice — so the dilution has got to be right. The type of lime, how it's done, that's gotta be right. The type of rum you use, arguably, has its place, right? And then the sugar. Is it just cane sugar? Is it organic cane sugar? Is it that demerara? Is it granulated? There are so many little things you could just dive into to try and make that drink perfect. People think of daiquiris as something from New Orleans, especially in this country, which blows my mind, but the daiquiri is an incredible cocktail that I wanted to champion and use as a base to make more things.

Where do you source the ingredients for the restaurant?

PC: There's a guy in Flatbush that I work with. His name is Big Mac, and he has farms on some islands in the Caribbean. So I go through him to get what I want — coconuts, tropical fruits, specialty dry goods, that sort of stuff.

People sit at a wooden bar with a mural on the wall behind them. — Bar Kabawa. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet

Did you always envision the restaurant being in New York?

PC: No, because they [Momofuku] had a place in Sydney for 10 years. I cut my teeth in New York. I've been cooking since I was 14 or 15, and I moved to New York when I was 20. So a huge part of my young cooking career was here. [When the space was offered] it was kind of hard to say no. It wasn't like there was this grand plan. This was a good opportunity with a company I care about and people I care about. And those two things happen here.

New York has a huge Caribbean community. What has their response been to the restaurant?

PC: I think it's been amazing. The support has been incredible. I really wanted to honor our region, and to see that it resonates with my people makes me incredibly happy because I built it for us. That's what’s on the top of my mind for everything that was done here. And if my people like it, everybody else will. I want everybody to come and experience it and see that your region could be rich and amazing without the beach. There's more to offer. I want people from any part of the region to walk in and feel at home.

A man in a red T-shirt and tie-dye apron working in a restaurant kitchen. — **Clockwise from top left:** Chef Paul Carmichael in the kitchen at Kabawa. Pepper shrimp. Black bass with curry and sides of beans, yellow rice and salad. Coconut turnover. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet (4)

A white bowl with five shrimp topped with an orange sauce reflected in a mirror. — **Clockwise from top left:** Chef Paul Carmichael in the kitchen at Kabawa. Pepper shrimp. Black bass with curry and sides of beans, yellow rice and salad. Coconut turnover. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet (4)

What to eat at Kabawa

Each meal is a set three-course dinner. There are no à la carte options. The mosaic of Caribbean cuisine shows up across the menu, so you’ll see influences from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Haiti and, of course, Barbados in all three courses. These were my favorites.

Light bites: geera goat pattie

It’s impossible to sit at the bar and not try at least one pattie. The goat was savory and fulfilling. It went very nicely with the daiquiri, which was not too sweet – I could taste the rum without it overbearing the drink.

Appetizer: pepper shrimp

Carmichael describes this dish as inspired by Jamaican pepper shrimp, but Kabawa "serves it in a completely different way," which is to say tartare style. The touch of heat in the seasoning was delicious.

Main dish: skirt steak

This main course was cooked perfectly. All the entrée options come with a side of pinto beans, yellow rice and salad.

Dessert: coconut turnover

Kabawa's signature dessert is easily shared between two people. The sweetness is exactly right. If you’re enjoying it solo, take my server’s advice and bring some home to have with coffee the next morning.

Diners sit on stools at a bar around an open kitchen at Kabawa in the East Village, New York City. — Seating around the open kitchen at Kabawa. David Cabrera for Lonely Planet

Getting a reservation

Kabawa is the new darling on the Manhattan restaurant scene, so reservations can be hard to secure. Try to book at least two weeks ahead for your pick of times. The late-night tables are your best bet for last-minute bookings. If you have a large group, contact Kabawa at least a month in advance, and be warned, it's a small space and may not be able to accommodate your party.

How to get to Kabawa

The easiest way to get there is by subway; the closest stop is the F train at Second Ave. Walk around the corner for roughly 5 minutes to Extra Pl, which is off E 1st St between Bowery and Chrystie St. It’s easy to miss if you are not paying attention. If you can’t get to the F, take the N or R to Prince St, and it’s a 10–12 minute walk from there.