New Traditional Japanese Sake Bar To Open Soon In Norwalk
NORWALK, CT — When acclaimed chef Jeff Taibe relocated his popular restaurant Taproot from Bethel to its current home in South Norwalk last year, his goal was always to open another business in town.
While they were successful in establishing that flagship restaurant in Bethel, Taibe and co-owner Steph Sweeney knew they wanted to reach a broader audience.
“We want to try to bring to Fairfield County what we feel like is missing,” Taibe said to Patch. “We enjoy down to earth food but done well. I love New York City, and there is so much that is missing here in Connecticut that makes [NYC] what it is. Our goal is to bring a piece of that to Norwalk.”
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The pair is currently hard at work getting Bar Bushido, a traditional Japanese izakaya, or sake bar, ready to open at 51 Wall Street in the near future.
According to Taibe, Bar Bushido is intended to a be a place for hanging out, sharing some delicious food and enjoying some great beers and sake together.
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Drawing inspiration from the East Village, Alphabet City and St. Marks Place areas of New York City, Taibe hopes to create an atmosphere that offers “a lot of soul and love” for guests.
“We’re trying to capture the authentic nature of a true izakaya with the down home grit of a dive bar,” Taibe said.
Taibe described the new bar as an exaggerated version of Bushido, a popular pop up concept he and Sweeney set up for customers in Bethel years ago.
The more permanent Norwalk version will feature yakitori, a Japanese type of skewered chicken, as its main offering, along with some fried items and ramen.
“We are really excited to feature our temaki-ya hand roll bar in our backspace,” Taibe said, “a little more elevated and reservation only. This room will eventually morph into our late night vinyl bar.”
Taibe said the main similarity between Bar Bushido and Taproot will be its avoidance of any type of guidelines or rules, with a focus on “cooking from the heart” while sourcing of the best possible ingredients they can find.
“The experience [at Bar Bushido] will be different because it’s really a free flow of food and drinks,” Taibe said. “I keep describing it as a bar with some bites. We really want to focus on a bar or party atmosphere, not so much a sit down dinner feel.”
While Taproot has firmly established itself as a popular cornerstone of the South Norwalk dining scene, Taibe said he decided to open his new concept in the Wall Street area of the city due to it being “an up-and-coming area” with a lot of potential.
“Although this has been the talk for many years,” Taibe said, “you can see the process finally taking shape.”
He pointed out the bar’s close proximity to the District Music Hall and a number of apartment buildings currently under construction as positives for opening in the area.
“With Bar Bushido,” Taibe said, “we hope to hit every demographic coming to the area…and again, bring the greater Fairfield [area] a new concept not seen in Fairfield County.”
Though Taibe was unable to provide an exact opening date for Bar Bushido at this time, he said they hope to open their doors to customers in a month or two.
Should this new endeavor prove popular with customers, Taibe may also look into further expansion both in and outside of Norwalk.
“That’s always our goal,” Taibe said. “We would love to keep growing, but only if the time and place is right. A few more different concepts inside Norwalk, and hopefully to grow beyond Norwalk and Fairfield County as well.”
As work continues inside the space, Taibe hopes customers will soon be able to sit down at Bar Bushido, grab a drink and enjoy a bite in a place that feels as welcoming as possible.
“We really strived to make this an all-welcoming bar for everyone, no matter financial” Taibe said. “We want to make it accessible for all.”
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