Denver | Kawa Ni – A Michelin-Recommended Letdown? 🍣😐

If American Chinese food is Panda Express 🐼, then Kawa Ni feels like its Japanese-inspired equivalent — not necessarily "bad," but definitely not for those who’ve grown up with or frequently experienced real Japanese cuisine. I was excited to find Japanese-inspired dining during a business trip. The entrance with its izakaya-style lanterns 🏮 and warm wooden interiors raised my expectations… only to leave me deeply disappointed. Here’s the lowdown: We started with a wave of confusing small plates: Raw cabbage and shaved broccoli 🥦 A "modified" version of red oil wontons 🥟 Sesame noodles with a creative twist 🍜 Spicy tuna on a crispy rice bar that was so hard, it felt like it could scratch the roof of my mouth 😖 The fried chicken was… okay. Made with thigh meat, but overly greasy with a crust harder than expected. Then came two buns: one with spam, one with chicken — which tasted exactly like the earlier fried chicken. Nothing new here. After an hour and a half of slow service and unsatisfying bites, three main dishes arrived all at once: Tuna rice bowl 🍚 Beef curry udon 🍲 Crab fried rice 🦀 Flavor-wise? These were actually decent — the best part of the meal! But by then, everyone was already full. We barely touched them. 😞 Every colleague who stopped by our table said the same thing: “If only these had come earlier!” The Denver-based colleague? Loved it. Said it’s their favorite restaurant and happily took leftovers home. 🥡 As for me? Just looking back at the photos while writing this makes me frown. 😬 On the bright side: Vibes are cozy — bar seats and tables, dim lighting 🕯️ Great location — <10-min taxi from downtown 🚖 📍 1900 W 32nd Ave, Denver, CO 80211 #DenverEats #KawaNi #MichelinRec #JapaneseFood #DenverFoodReview #NotForMe #BusinessTripEats