Koo in Danbury

Written by Fran Sikorski
Thursday, 07 August 2008 10:47

After opening Koo restaurants in Rye, N.Y., and Ridgefield, owner Alex Poon has taken a giant step, opening a Koo neo-Asian bistro at Lake Candlewood in Danbury. Featuring a mix of Chinese, Thai, Malaysian fusion dishes and tapas, Koo keeps diners happy in very open and comfortable dining areas. Mr. Poon, former owner of Wild Ginger in Ridgefield, also recently opened another restaurant, Spoon, in Chappaqua, N.Y. Line cooks with special culinary talents for each type of food staff all kitchens.

The Danbury Koo Bistro is in a space previously occupied by Tortilla Flat that was always overflowing with diners and the new bistro has been doing a brisk business, according to general mnager Amy Jancewicz. Unlike the Ridgefield Koo, designed in white and bright colors, the new bistro offers a loft design to encourage groups of people to dine together.

Hibachi lunches are served with clear onion soup; vegetables, noodles, white rice and a choice of vegetable; chicken, salmon, scallops, white tuna, shrimp or sirloin. There are also 14 rolls, including eel and avocado, salmon skin, yellowtail, and California, Alaskan, Boson and Philadelphia.

Signature tapas dishes are a king crab and avocado tower with mango and cashew bits, and Hirame Maki, spicy tuna wrapped in thinly-sliced fluke with a sesame-onion sauce, sea salt and white truffle oil; Thai-style fried calamari; and Kushiyake skewers, chicken or beef skewers glazed with housemade teriyaki sauce; pan-fried pork or vegetable gyoza (dumplings); and Asian chicken and lettuce wrap in an orange chili sauce. The most popular soups are Miso and coconut seafood soup.

Always popular are the noodle dishes served with tofu, chicken or shrimp: traditional Pad Thai; Singapore rice noodles; and seafood udon noodles and pineapple fried rice. Fusion salads include seaweed, Penang, tomato and avocado, seared tuna and Koo special salad with Grand Marnier shrimp over mixed greens with tomato and red onion.

Hibachi dinners are available with chicken, salmon, scallops, white tuna, vegetable, shrimp, sirloin, filet mignon and lobster tail. Dinner entrees, allowing the chef to select the combinations, are stuffed jumbo prawns with lump crabmeat and spicy mayo over spinach with shiitake mushrooms and teriyaki; Asian duck fajita with scallions, cucumber and bell peppers served with traditional Japanese pancakes.

Desserts offered are tempura (deep fried) cheesecake, midnight chocolate cake, Very Berry Tarte and a choice of ice cream flavors, including green tea.

Serving lunch 11:30 to 3, Monday to Saturday, closed between 3 and 5; dinner 5 to 10, Monday to Thursday, 5 to 11, Friday and Saturday; serving dinner 2 to 10 Sunday; bar open all day.

Reservations recommended; major credit cards; handicapped-accessible; child-friendly; full bar; neo-Asian bistro, mix of Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, and Asian fusion; dietary restrictions observed; take-out; casual dress; private party room for 50; wine dinners pending; plenty of free parking.

Soup: $3 to $8

Salad: $6 to $14

Noodles, rice: $12 to $13

Tapas: $5 to $13

Lunch: $9 to $12

Entrees: $16 to $25

Pan Asian: $15 to $18

Sushi, sashimi: $2 to $22

Hibachi lunch: $8 to $12

Hibachi dinner: $7 to $33

Sake, glass: $5 to $9

Sake, bottle: $13 to $35

Martinis: $9

Wine, glass: $6 to $9

Wine, bottle: $19 to $79

Dessert: $3.50 to $7

Side Dishes:

Margot Olshan, co-owner of Margot Café & Wine Bar with her father Ken Olshan of Redding, has added more of her global recipes to the menu. New are swordfish Portuguese style; seared wild salmon or chicken breast served over basmati rice with Brazilian vinaigrette and baby spinach; short ribs braised with red wine; and vermicelli with seafood, Malaga style. On April 24 Ms. Olshan appeared in a segment on the Martha Stewart Show. Margo Café & Wine Bar is at Bull’s Head, in Stamford, 59 High Ridge Road. Reservations, 203-324-3800.

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