I can't believe I've passed by this spot and not gone in until now! I wasn't expecting there to be…read moreso many unique choices on the menu. We actually had a hard time limiting ourselves since everything sounded good! The cheese wontons, buffalo chicken gyoza, and fresh sushi were our favorites. We had a friendly server who was helpful with recommendations. Nice vibe inside, with a few tables outside as well. A gem on Washington Street that we would gladly return to!

This Japanese restaurant is amazing the fish is extremely fresh so delicious. I love the tuna it so…read morecreamy and I certainly had a party in my mouth. The salads were fresh as well the avocado was perfect complementing the other veggies so extraordinary. The service is fantastic everyone so knowledgeable of the menu the big plus is they are friendly and so welcoming.

Everything was very fresh. I only eat sushi at sushi restaurants where I know they are turning…read moreeverything over quickly and nothing is sitting in the back of the fridge. This place delivers. They also have some odd things, like bao which are not Classical Japanese. They were delicious regardless. Their claim to fame is ramen. I don't like ramen so passed on it. On the other hand if they can get me to like it they get six stars not five. Major extra credit. Maybe next time. Oh and parking is easy which is not always the case in Norwalk.

The vibe is chill. Would recommend the Ishiyaki Wagyu on hot stone! It was tasty and came with a…read moreside of kimchi and string beans. The poke bowl was flavorful but was mainly rice. I wouldn't recommend the Yaki Onigiri, despite reading positive reviews for it. The fried rice was way too heavy and didn't taste good. The greasiness was competing with the strong taste of the salmon. Some servers knew their job well, and greeted us at the door. A newer server wasn't as knowledgeable on gluten free options there and also didn't take away our used appetizer plates before serving us the mains. Not a huge deal, but it does make a difference in your dining experience and how the flow of your meal goes.

Tasty new addition to downtown! I meandered over there for lunch today, picking up a roll and a…read moreside dish. Takeaway only - it's a small shop with various sushi rolls /dishes lined up to the right as you walk in. They also sell some Japanese snacks interspersed between some minimalist modern knick knacks. There's a few tiny tables for immediate consumption if you can't wait to get back to your car/house/park to chow down. They keep making stuff throughout the day and I was tempted by whatever the guy was boxing up behind the counter... as I was paying... so definitely fresh and made daily (they date every box). Wish they had a better seating area but generally happy there's good sushi in Darien.

Excellent fresh sushi. Always delicious. Restaurant clean and employees friendly. Authentic food…read more Highly recommend.

What a nice surprise! I was craving sushi for my birthday recently, and my husband found Kazu. We…read morespilt the sushi and sashimi platter for 2, which was not only beautiful but really delicious... the fish seemed exceptionally fresh and was had a wonderful fresh taste. Our daughter had the kids bento box which she LOVED. And the waitress couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating. We will definitely be back!

Great service, delicious food. Nice ambience and reasonably priced!…read more Easy parking in the street. I recommend this restaurant!

I grew up going to this restaurant under previous ownership and the food quality was very different…read moreback then. Surprisingly, the atmosphere hasn't changed at all in the twenty years that passed since I last visited the space. I will say the service was fun and attentive.

This place is huge than what I expected. I walked in on a Sunday afternoon and the hostess attended…read moreus after a few mins wait. Most of the tables were empty and that got my eyes rolling. We got the cream cheese dumplings before we got to order the sushi. Then we ordered the basic Alaskan roll. (This was probably the best of all). We got a few speciality rolls as shown in the picture which tasted great but kinda felt too much crunches to go into a sushi deceiving the actual taste of the food. Overall, a nice place to try out.

Finally got the chance to check out their izakaya and absolutely loved the space! It's open and…read morewelcoming. Their ordering system is QR code based which I'm not really a fan of but the food did come out fast! The show stoppers were the crab Rangoon croquettes, Karaage onigiri and the yuzu bar. I only tried one cocktail which was the whassup and personally I did not love it. The burnt honey called to me but the wasabi tonic was extremely overpowering. I also felt the chimichurri on the pork belly yakimono was overpowering as well, but a lot of their other items are fantastic and maybe it was an off day for those items! I'd definitely return as there's so many things to try still!! I'm still thinking about the yuzu bar!

We went on a Sunday and chose the chef's counter in the tamaki-ya room hidden away in the back. We…read morewere fortunate enough to find Chef Taibe behind the counter on his otherwise night-off. I'm no foodie but I am Chinese/Japanese and can appreciate finer things in life when I see it. This place meet and exceeded my expectations. The wonderful speak-easy tamaki-ya room in the back is warmly lit and held at a nice volume, much quieter than the izakaya bar in the front. For small bites we had the Beet n Hijiki salad (highly recommend!), Agedashi tofu, and Torched Maine uni. For hand-rolls I had the Spanish Mackerel, Hokkaido Scallops, Ocean Trout, BBQ Eal & Foie Gras, and Cucumber ume. My wife had the Maine Uni, Hamachi, and Botan Ebi. Everything was good, but there were quite a few that were very good, and there were two that, for me, were the best that I've ever had in recent memory. For the Spanish Mackerel Chef Taibe put an interesting spin on it by topping it off with a traditional Chinese ginger and scallion garnish used in a tender chicken dish. It works, it balances out the briny taste of Spanish Mackerel... which is great... unless you LOVE the briny, savory, mineral, metallic, umami taste of fresh Spanish Mackerel :) The Hokkaido Scallops was, by quite a large margin, the best scallop dish I've ever had. The tender sweetness of the fresh scallop combined with a brown butter kewpie (how American!) and yuzu tobiko sauce swimmingly. Texture, temperature, taste, all perfect. I like eel and I love Unaju. But by far the biggest surprise was the BBQ Eal & Foie Gras (see pic). This dish alone warrants a culinary course. On the face of it, bbq, eel, foie gras all sets you up for something rich, filling, heavy. But when I bit into the unassuming hand roll, it was the lightest bite of Japanese rice/seafood/seaweed/liver/sauce combo I've ever had. Turns out Chef Taibe prepared the sauce from scratch using five+ different spices, and prepared the foie gras au torchon. I could go on, but suffice to say, this was one of the best bites I've ever had. By contrast, I thought I was going to close out with the cucumber ume roll, but compared to the eel and foie gras, the ume actually felt more overpowering. Perhaps if they cut back on the generous amount of ume paste... (Worthy mention: Chef Taibe presents the nori in a separate envelope. This seemingly simple step is crucial to the taste and mouthfeel of the hand roll. It provides a wonderful fresh crisp crunch to every bite and it does indeed make a difference. He mentioned he sources a special nori but I forgot the details, just know that it's really good) My wife loves uni, and I'll let her describe her experience (which she won't) but it was so good she had to order a second one. As if you need more convincing, we had a great experience and I think you will too. Bravo Chef, well done

ORIGIN: Chef/Owner Jeff Taibe initially opened Taproot in…read moresuburban Bethel with wife Steph Sweeney (Owner/Manager), but found a good percent of their innovation-seeking customers travel from Connecticut's shoreline to visit. After they became aware of the availability of a large space restaurant in the city of Norwalk, the restaurant migrated to its present spot. LOCATION: The restaurant is in a lively location, with a movie theater across the street and a convenient parking lot in the back. ATMOSPHERE: The space, which is divided by walls into three dining areas, has a "shabby chic" aesthetic and is lit by tall and wide paned industrial windows. EXPERIENCE: I've visited for brunch and Happy Hour with friends who live or work in Norwalk. Chef Taibe is creative and skillful, and I'm forever impressed by the dishes he serves. As a result, it comes as no surprise that the restaurant was recognized as best in Fairfield County during the Connecticut Restaurant Association's 2023 Crazies award ceremony. (Chef Taibe was finalist for best chef in all of the state the very same year.) The pimento cheese starter topped with Benton ham jam (happy hour/dinner) and smoked brisket hash (brunch) highlight how Chef Jeff Taibe transforms and elevates common menu items into ones that are memorable and crave-inducing. TIPS: Adding to the menu variety, specials are available between 5-9 pm as follows: Tuesdays: Burger plus Beer combo ($18); Wednesdays: Seafood discounts and specials; Thursdays: Smoked Prime Rib ($65); Fridays: Fossil Farm Game specials. It appears that walk ins are always seated in bar dining area, regardless of whether the central dining area appears free. If you rather not sit on a high top bench or stool, a reservation is recommended. The restaurant is also accessible via a back parking lot entrance.

Great service, food and ambience. Food highlights were: eel croquettes as a special app and it…read morewas delicious; my goat ragu and papardelle entree was fantastic. Excellent drinks: leaf peeper, sangiovese and a port. Go there!

Came in here late evening, so it was easy parking at the door…read more Great service here very friendly people. Seafood ceviche was good, the seafood are fresh (not overcooked like others) especially squid very fresh not rubbery We asked for Seafood fried rice it was good but salty for us. Loaded with squid mussels shrimp (missing crab .... wish they add it) Green sauce is good but prefer spicy, i guess they adjusted for people can't take the heat. Stir fried beef signature dish is best the fries absorbed all flavor, beef is juicy. ( I will just come back for this ) Seafood soup also yummy enough to share for 4. (Restroom is outside the restaurant)

Great service. Walked in and had a seat in 10 seconds. Took my order in under another minute. And…read morehad a drink in hand under 5. Gotta love it when you're on a quick work lunch. Got a custom Lomo with steak and shrimp. And a passionfruit mojito. Also delicious. I'll have to swing by and grab another lunch soon.

Excellent food, service. Great happy hour deals. Huge portions. Love this place. Really great…read morefood.

Alma Bistro, Cocina Latina is a Latin fusion restaurant in Norwalk, Connecticut, celebrated for its…read moreflavorful, authentic dishes with a modern twist, blending South American, European, and Asian influences. Popular menu items include birria tacos, octopus, shrimp ceviche, and steak chimichurri. My daughter and I visited here for her birthday, and we both love Latin cuisine. As we walked in, we were greeted warmly and shown to our seats immediately. It was a chilly day, and the restaurant felt cold inside as well. The staff tried to warm things up with space heaters, but they didn't quite do the trick. We ordered empanadas, birria tacos, hanger steak, and sweet plantains with crema and queso fresco. When the dishes arrived, they were lukewarm--a bit disappointing, considering how cold it was outside. The birria tacos were delicious, though again, they could have been hotter. The meat was tender and well-seasoned, but I would have liked it a bit crisper. The hanger steak was tender, and the Pico de Gallo was bursting with flavor, pairing perfectly with the steak. It was nicely seasoned and had a good-sized portion. The empanadas were tasty, with flavorful and plentiful meat. The plantains were extremely delicious. The crema and queso fresco helped bring the whole dish together beautifully. The customer service was friendly, but the food could have been hotter; still, the flavors and seasonings were spot-on.

We sat in the main dining room. There were WAY too many free-range parents with obnoxious, loud…read morechildren. Also there were several loud obnoxious entitled older folks. Not a place to have a slow quiet meal. Our server Franca was lovely and helpful. She provided excellent, personable service! The food was delicious, however the sliced bread was dry/stale.

Really really love this place for both the quality and service. Went during the weekend for lunch…read moreand everything was soo good. Service was very friendly and accommodating- really enjoyed our waiter. We enjoyed various burger but the staple burger they serve - the Lola burger was incredible. Great toppings for this one and aji. Definitely the best out of the burgers. strongly recommend