Two Sushi Restaurants Open on East Side

Kawa, 2321 N. Murray Ave. Photo taken July 2, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

Selina Zheng is well-practiced in going with the flow. That might explain why she named her restaurant Kawa, after the Japanese word for river.

The title is especially fitting now, as Zheng celebrates her hard-won battle to keep the business afloat after a devastating fire.

On June 7, 2023, Zheng woke up to find her restaurant, 2321 N. Murray Ave. heavily damaged following an overnight blaze. At the time, she estimated that repairs could take eight months or more to complete.

After a year-long restoration process, Kawa made its triumphant return to the East Side building in late June, welcoming customers back to the revamped — yet familiar — space for long-awaited bowls of ramen, plates of sushi and sips of sake.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Zheng captioned a video showing off the restaurant’s completed interior, which features buttery wood paneling, glowy pendant lighting and a wall-sized retractable garage door to usher in the summer breeze.

Kawa continues to serve its usual menu, which showcases slow-simmered ramen, sushi rolls, sashimi, teriyaki and other authentic Japanese dishes. The restaurant also offers a variety of beer, wine, cocktails and sake.

Despite the obvious setback, the past year was a successful one for Zheng, who redirected her energy into Kawa’s remaining locations at 3rd Street Market Hall and in Whitefish Bay, also launching a satellite location at American Family Field and expanding into the boba business with a new cafe, Tsaocaa.

While the East Side restaurant remained closed for repairs, Zheng pivoted to become a vendor at the nearby Crossroads Collective, allowing her to keep employees on the payroll throughout the hiatus.

Awi Sushi

Kawa’s return to the brick-and-mortar restaurant marked the end of its run at Crossroads Collective; however, a new concept is already operating in its place.

Awi Sushi, a fast-casual chain restaurant, is now fulfilling orders for sushi, sashimi, hand rolls and much more at the East Side food hall, 2238 N. Farwell Ave.

Led by franchisee Salai Thawng, it’s the second Milwaukee location for the Colorado-based chain. The first opened on Water Street in March under Thawng’s sister, Cheraty Par.

The siblings, though passionate about restauranting, also have a larger purpose: providing for their family members who are refugees living in India, according to a social media post from Crossroads Collective.

“Salai has a passion for creating delicious sushi and prioritizing his customers,” the post stated. “He has overcome many challenges, including fleeing Myanmar due to conflict and being separated from his family who are refugees in India. Despite these hardships, Salai is driven by his desire to support his family and bring joy to those he serves.”

Awi Sushi is approaching the end of a 11-day soft opening, with daily hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Additional information regarding future hours of operation will be available online.

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