Kozé Thai Cuisine & Bar

Kozé, a new Thai restaurant, opened in Fort Wayne a few weeks ago, and we have both been eager to check it out. We had dinner there on a recent Friday night, and for the first time we took some pals with us. Wendy’s dad (John) and boyfriend (Kron) came along to share their meals and opinions with us.

Before we even entered, we were blown away by how many cars were in the parking lot; there are several good Thai options in Fort Wayne, and none of them are as large as this or generally particularly crowded. Maybe it’s the new factor – time will tell – but we were somewhat surprised to see so many diners. We didn’t have to wait for a table, but the joint was hoppin’. Kozé is in a building that was formerly an O’Charley’s, and it still kind of has that look on the outside, but on the inside it has been transformed.

The atmosphere was comfortable and a little more upscale than most of the Asian restaurants in town: more sophisticated finishes, softer lighting, and unobtrusive music in the background. This does not feel like a family-owned neighborhood restaurant (it’s hard not to compare to the other Thai restaurants we already know and love). The bar area had some really cool blue accent lighting. That’s another difference at Kozé – there’s a full bar, with a menu of specialty drinks.

Lychee Kiss Martini

Thai Tea Martini

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling festive, we tried some! Beth had the Lychee Kiss martini, which was reminiscent of Ruby Red grapefruit juice. Wendy tried a Thai Tea martini, which was a creamy vanilla-y tea tasting concoction with a vodka kick. And Kron opted for a Bangkok Stinger, which would taste quite refreshing at the beach. (John had a Blue Moon – you can read about that on a beer blog somewhere.) The specialty drinks were all $8. But Beth & Wendy like food not booze, so let’s get to the good stuff!

Our meals included clear soup, which the menu didn’t mention (and probably should have), but it was a nice surprise starter, and had a little more flavor than clear soup usually does.

In addition to entrées, there’s a tapas (small plate) section on the menu, which we used for appetizers. One in our party doesn’t eat meat but we all like seafood, so we selected shrimp cigars ($6, 4 pieces/order) and crab wontons ($6, 6 pieces/order). Both were served with a dipping sauce that, as John put it, combined the familiar sweet & sour and hot mustard sauces that usually accompany dishes like these. It had just enough kick to not be too much for the previously-identified-as-wimpy Wendy.

Wendy: I really enjoyed both of these dishes. I know I liked the shrimp cigar, but at the moment I can’t actually remember much about it because the crab wontons left such an impact on me. They were everything that all crab rangoons should strive to be. They were light and crispy on the outside, filled with creamy, crabalicious filling; it actually tasted like crab.

Beth: I enjoyed the appetizers as well, and for me, the shrimp cigar was the favored tapas treat. It was like a spring roll without the extraneous stuff and tightly wound. Very tasty.

Service was really great, mostly. Our waitress was friendly and helpful and didn’t seem at all put out that twice we weren’t ready to order. She answered our questions and even anticipated one ahead of our asking, and explained that we weren’t the only ones confused by the menu layout and said new ones were on the way. The only real hiccup was that our entrées arrived moments after the apps, while we were still eating them. That timing glitch isn’t the end of the world, but it shouldn’t happen.

Wendy: For dinner, I ordered Pad Thai with chicken ($13). I’m a big fan of the noodle dishes, and this is my fave, so it’s always my measuring stick when I check out a new Thai restaurant. This did not disappoint. It was a hearty portion of noodles with an ample supply of chicken, sprouts, scallions, egg and peanuts. It was flavorful and tangy without being overly sweet as Pad Thai sometimes can be. It quickly locked into second-vying-for-first place in my local Pad Thai rankings. I’m very excited about the leftovers currently hanging out in my fridge waiting for a next meal.

Drunken Noodles (with Chicken)

Beth: The parking lot was full when I pulled in. I just assumed it was overflow parking from Logan’s (this is Fort Wayne after all), but no, it was genuinely hopping in Kozé (which is pronounce Kozay, if you are curious). I am in no way a Thai food aficionado. I do, however, enjoy Thai and was disappointed to see my normal go-to dish was not among the offerings. It’s probably a good thing though, as it forced me out of my comfort zone. I had the Drunken Noodles with chicken ($13), which had a little pepper pic next to it. It was kicky, but not too much so. I am less wimpy than Wendy when it comes to spicy foods, and this dish had the right amount for me. The dish is made up of Thai basil, red & green bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, green beans and eggs. The menu thing that Wendy alluded to earlier, was that it appeared that meat was only available on stir-fry dishes. The carnivore in me started to panic, and it must have been obvious to our server who explained that the same meats that were available on the stir-fry dishes were available on all of the entrees, without my having to ask. I took leftovers home and enjoyed them warmed up the next day. And, that Lychee Kiss Martini was straight-up delish, which is probably not a good thing.

Massaman

Kron had the Massaman, a curry dish that’s a hearty stew-like dish of potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, peanuts and coconut milk, served with rice.

Pad Se Ew (with tofu)

John had his Thai standard, Pad Se Ew with tofu, another noodle dish with a broader noodle, and broccoli and egg. Kron was very satisfied with his dinner choice, and would happily order it again in the future. John’s report was that it was good but not great, not surpassing or even equaling versions at other local eateries, but he did like Kron’s Massaman and said he would be more likely to order that in the future.

Wendy’s rating: You had me at “hello”.

I was torn between our top two ratings. I really enjoyed my meal. I will definitely go back – it is totally worth driving across town for. It felt more like a date night place than everyday – so maybe for special occasion Thai. Unless it’s for the crab wontons – you could get me there anytime by suggesting we order those. In fact, I could easily just order off the Tapas menu sometime for a change of pace. We already had a good crop of Thai restaurants, but this is a welcome addition.

Beth’s rating: You had me at “hello”.

I’m with Wendy on Kozé. I think its atmosphere works for it and sets it apart from the tried-and-true Thai places around town. If you’ve a hankerin’ for your favorite Thai place, you should probably head there. But, if you are in the mood for something a bit different, give Kozé a try. It’s a perfect Friday night, get a babysitter and hit the town kind of place.

Kozé Thai Cuisine & Bar

6709 Lima Rd.
(260) 755-6802