Island Cho Caribbean Cuisine — Restaurant in North Haven

Anyone that knows a good cook, knows that good food can’t be rushed. At Island Cho Caribbean Cuisine in North Haven, the many delightful entrees, appetizers & sides are made-to-order to ensure the authentic Caribbean inspired flavors make it to the deepest parts of every grain of rice, marrow of your meat or appetizers.

The restaurant has plenty of onsite parking & is handicap accessible. They do have high chairs available upon request. This is truly a family-friendly establishment that can cater to an impromptu “date night” as well as the casual diner.

When you first walk in, you will notice the wood and gray themed decor paired with palm plants, a playlist bound to send you into memory lane with the oldies and popular classics with an island twist. We were greeted by Maya who showed us the way to our reserved table & Addy who eagerly and with great care for the task, gave us our beautifully designed menus. On this particular evening, Valentine’s Day, practically every table was filled with a pair of patrons that soon made themselves at home. As the freshly prepared dishes passed by, you knew that when it was your turn, it would be well worth the wait.

When Maya took our order, I was amazed that as busy as it was, you never felt like a number: All my many questions were answered and when we placed our complete order, it was to ensure the efficiency of the whole experience.

When Chris brought over the Australian Chardonnay & water, it was apparent that the goal of this dining experience was to truly transport you to a place you were miles from. All we needed was a beach with a view but the gently lit and warm Valentine’s themed decorations & lights more than made up for it all.

When Gillian, the head chef, walked out with our plates in hand, we were more than excited as we knew that there was nothing like this around the Quinnipiac campus and we saw many people grab to-go orders or patiently wait to be seated with similar excitement. The feeling was not just “we’re finally getting to eat”...it was more like “we’re gonna eat something that tastes like your mom, grandma, aunties (maybe even a cousin or two) was preparing for a big summer cookout for the family or a holiday feast.”

I was able to clear my plate with ease but if you have “bigger eyes than your belly” you’ll be happy to have bites for the next day. You would be very sorry to leave empty handed, so do yourself a favor and leave with something you’ll want for the next day. I helped myself to two Golden Beef Patties and was glad they made it home.

Maya out do herself in the service department by sharing with us sweet treats of our choice to commemorate the evening and Gillian graciously found the time to check in with us as well as closing time neared. My wife often hears me tell servers to “compliment the chef” but there’s nothing like seeing the immediate reaction and bright glowing smile from well earned praise.

Good food can’t be rushed and this oasis of food delight is worth the trip!

We ordered:

-(1) Bottle of Chardonnay (2020) -(1) Order of Chicken Wontons (generous portion) -(1) Curry Goat Roti with Paratha Roti (Buss up Shot) and side salad -(1) Cho Asian Fusion Chicken with Fried Rice (plenty of green onions) and Coleslaw Chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes gifts of the evening for dessert* Took home (2) Golden...

I love the idea of bringing island and Asian food together. It represents the connection between the two cultures. The atmosphere and setting were asthetically pleasing. There was a chill vibe upon entering.

However, the food was a miss for us. The rice and peas were scorched and may have been leftover as it did not taste freshly prepared. It was hard with brown portions from the bottom of the pot. The steamed cabbage was not season and mixed vegetables were added in. (Some Caribbean places prepare like so). I prefer steamed carrots or plain but seasoned nonetheless. The wings were okay. When you think of fusion. Caribean fried chicken and Chinese fried chicken should equal an amazing combination of flavor and texture. Lastly, the oxtails were just so. Small portion for the cost and not as tender as one would expect with a heaping amount of peppercorns, not meaty and the tiniest sections of the tail were in my order. Lastly, the beef patty appeared to be something reheated not fresh. Perhaps the Asian menu options hold up better. Either way, always try for yourself and make a decision. Curious about what determines the good reviews/experiences. Are there different chefs/ servers on various days?

I want to take the time to address your reply. As I stated , there is a connection between Asian and Caribbean food, thus you utilized the words "influence". The fact the your options include sushi, tempura and fried rice, which are very much traditional Asian food options (there is no negating that all cultures have been "influenced" in some way one another) would indicate this, not necessarily the name but thank you for the sharing the story surrounding it.

Next, the wording choice and tone seem to be more defensive rather than taken as a chance to consider what made the experience was disappointing. I wasn't looking to be disappointed by asking a question regarding a business I patronized. It was out of curiosity, just as some of the other reviews were regarding the variations in experiences related to wait time, service and food.

Lastly, any opportunity to experience something new is chance for anyone to decide whether or not something isn't for them. That being said, the reasons that It is not for me, were exactly what I detailed in terms of taste, and presentation, portion and being served scorched rice from the pot bottom. None of which were addressed in your response and at this juncture don't require a reply. As we have both acknowledged... it isn't for me. Thank you for the opportunity to define that. Be well and have an...

Can't believe my husband and I drove 1/2 hour for this. Ordered fried fish with fried rice and pumpkin. My husband had curry goat and roti. Waited over an hour as we sat drinking stale tasteless juice. Better off with good ole water, tasty. Lets talk about the fried fish yuck 🤮 OMG. First I couldn't find the damn fish under what it was covered in; rank, smell and in taste as well as well as raw on the inside. Immediately started to gag, could not eat another bite of anything.The fried rice no taste, they just took it out of the rice cooker throw some mixed veggies and called it fried rice. Disrespectful! Then the pumpkin, what are we a toddler, you throwing food in a blender and serving it, did I miss the memo for the geriatric ward walking in the door. Moving along to the curry goat, last I checked salt is less than a dollar, i would have gladly bought them some. On top of the horrible food we had to pay to sit inside and eat also to use a card. What? I've never experienced this, now if it was worth it yeah we would not have an issue. However we will never be going back there I'm throughly disgusted! FYI NOT ALL CARIBBEAN PPL CAN COOK OR BE CALLED A CHEF! It should be a crime, if there where negative starts I would have given them 10. I would not recommend👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎 Well to the response of the owner. How wrong are you to state we had an altercation with your wait staff, was it due to the simplicity of her taking every walking order that came after us before us waiting without addressing us. Or was it that she was uncomfortable answering our questions as my husband and I were deciding on whether he wanted dhal puri or roti. But its quite easy for someone to get that misunderstood. Did it ever dawn on you that your staff may not have been quite comfortable taking our orders, yet we were being rude. Huh! If we didn't come from a full west indian household then I would have pulled my review back but that's not the case as we are very much so west indian! As for the sushi my husband ate it yes he did according to him it was the only thing with some taste. And yes omg I did just pick some random dish to replace the 1st horrible serving. Did I eat it no, we took it why not I said to my husband theirs someone hungry somewhere we can donate it to. Why didn't we express our displeasure, your atmosphere wasn't that pleasing to want to render another moment of our peace. Yes our peace so you...