Kawa Sushi and Grill — Restaurant in Rockford

To start I’d like to shout out to Dylan our server for being an all around pleasant, upbeat and attentive server. Good service really is an important part of a meal and embodied all the attributes you hope for when going out to eat. Thank you Dylan!

Ok so this was my second time here, the first being when they had very first opened and I wasn’t particularly impressed- not a negative experience, just nothing that drew me back.

My fiancé suggested we try it again since he didn’t go with me the first time and I’m quite happy to report it was a phenomenal idea. The house salad was fresh, bright and well varied in texture and composition - not to mention it was quite large for just a “half” portion. The bibimbap (which we got in the hot stone bowl but I cannot remember the term for that sorry!) was also very good and was about 50/50 veggies to rice which is a win for me because nothing is more dissatisfying than a bowl that’s nothing but rice. Lastly, we got the ultimate Kawa roll which is what really turned my opinion around since I only ordered sushi the first time. This roll was absolutely jammed with flavors while remaining very well balanced and well rolled to boot.

Good lighting, not too loud or echoing, clean feel, comfortable seating, quick turn around even when it was busy and at the end of the night.

tonight I also found out they have a patio that overlooks the river. We’re not quite to nighttime patio season so we sat inside but we look forward to checking out that area out...

The place is a little hard to locate, but it is in the building next door to Rockford brewing to the west. The clean minimalist interior is nice, and the atmosphere is great for a quick buisness lunch, an evening date, or even group outing. They have nice personal tables for you and a date. But they also have a good amount of open space for group dinning. The large windows allow for lots of natural light. I enjoyed a lunch date here on a beautiful sunny fall day. The staff was very friendly and extremely accommodating when I asked for a change to my dish. I am hyper sensitive to spicy food because I'm on chemotherapy. The waitress went back and forth to the kitchen to make sure everything would be to my taste so I could enjoy my Tonkasu Ramen. It was perfect! The noodles were cooked to tender perfection and the broth had a deep wonderful flavor. I was nervous trying something new with my sensitive taste buds, but I'm so glad I did. My date had 2 of the sushi rolls and said both were very good. The food is also priced very fairly and the portions are good sized. I would highly recommend this place for your next sushi cravings. It's nice to have a good sushi place this far north of...

Their fantastic outdoor seating by the Rogue River caught my eye, and their happy hour specials pulled me in to try something new.

I had the curried Japanese potato pancakes that tasted pretty good. I'll be back to try the vegetable ones that the server said were at least as good, if not better. I also had only the 2nd California Roll in my life, so I'm not much of a judge there, but I thought it was pretty darned good, too - and I don't like crab. The photo is after I'd already eaten 2 or 3 pieces.

I had a beer with my happy hour "dinner" and then another one as I stayed to soak up the relaxing, scenic atmosphere. Both were tasty lagers I'd never had before, a Sapporo (sp?) and the next one on their menu. They were just the right size and temp, and I'd drink them again, since I'm a fan of lagers. The server was very attentive and explained the menu w/o making me feel like the 60 year-old rookie I am.

I spent about $20 + tip for everything, and, as mentioned,...