The dynamic team behind Williamsburg's buzzy Caribbean restaurant, Kokomo, recently opened OxKale, a take-out eatery that puts a fresh spin on Caribbean cuisine.
Also located in Williamsburg, the new fast-casual restaurant specializes in on-the-go Caribbean bowls and salads, which is a departure from the sit-down dining experience at Kokomo. The new spot also serves something called a gyroti, which is a gyro made with traditional Trinidadian roti skin.
“It’s something for everyone here,” said Kev Graham, who co-owns Kokomo and OxKale with his wife, Ria Graham. “And I don’t think there’s anything like it, to be honest. I think that what you try at OxKale is going to be the first time you're trying this type of food. For example, wild rice and peas, traditional oxtail, jerk chicken, paired with things like goat cheese and pumpkin seeds."
Since Kev is Jamaican, and Ria is Trinidadian and Grenadian, the couple wanted to take traditional dishes and modernize them to introduce more people to Caribbean cooking.
“We wanted everyone to feel comfortable to try the different flavors of the Caribbean without it being overwhelming for them, but still keeping a lot of the flavors that a lot of people have grown to love about the Caribbean,” Ria told BK Reader. “There aren’t many fast-casual Caribbean concepts out there, to begin with, so I think when it comes to the mass market, being Caribbean alone is what sets us apart from the different competitors.”
The menu includes unique twists on traditional Caribbean dishes like its curry hummus, wild rice and peas, crispy coconut tofu, tamarind curry sauce and the gyroti wraps.
OxKale also carries several vegan and vegetarian options, and patrons have the option to build their own bowls. The title is actually a play on 'oxtail,' which is a popular Caribbean dish.
“We wanted to keep the Caribbean roots," said Kadri Hajdari, the corporate executive chef and director of operations for Kokomo Hospitality Group. "That’s why Ria dragged us all the way to Trinidad to make sure that we actually get the concept right and keep it in the tradition."
The choice to stay in Williamsburg with this new venture was intentional for the owners. Ria has lived in Brooklyn for more than 30 years.
“The area where we are, the Williamsburg-Greenpoint area, is so diverse that we wanted to kind of introduce our culture and our traditions to everybody,” said Kev. “You get to learn about our culinary cuisine, and I think this was a great area to do it."
Even though OxKale opened less than three months ago, Hajdari said the concept was created with scale in mind and that the owners plan to expand the casual eatery to other areas in the near future if it succeeds in Brooklyn.
And it has been succeeding so far — this week, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Councilmember Lincoln Restler stopped by.
“I love where things are going; I’m proud of the work we have done here," said Kev. "We’re reaching for the stars with OxKale because we know we’re going to make a lot of noise within the Caribbean community, and the culinary community as well."
OxKale is located at 52 North 11th St. and bowls start at $15.
