New Seafood Boil, Bar Opens In South Norwalk

NORWALK, CT — Residents who find themselves strolling along the water in South Norwalk may, understandably, find themselves suddenly craving seafood.

While there are a number of popular eateries in the area potential customers could go to satisfy their craving, RHK Seafood Boil and Bar owner Ockhyeon Byeon hopes his restaurant will be their new port of call.

According to Byeon, the concept for RHK, which officially opened to the public Thursday, came from a desire to bring new wave seafood to a location that was perfectly suited for it.

The restaurant on North Water Street is not only situated right near the water, but also the Maritime Aquarium, which Byeon noted was intentional.

"What better way to tell people we are seafood restaurant," Byeon said, "than having a location right along the water and across from the aquarium."

According to their website, RHK is looking to bring Cajun-inspired seafood boils and new American flavors to hungry diners in Norwalk.

"Our seafood is not just plain old steamed or boiled like in many other restaurants," Byeon said. "It is cooked in a very flavorful seafood broth and then transferred into our uniquely house-made sauces."

Byeon said the RHK team is confident their sauces are very different from other area restaurants, as the team worked for over a year to perfect them during time allotted by the coronavirus crisis.

He also emphasized that shaking their sauce and seafood in a bag allows them to trap their dishes' aromas so customers can fully enjoy both the sights and smells of the restaurant's menu.

"Once the bag is open," Byeon said, "the aroma quickly escapes and releases into open air. Customers can instantly smell all the greatness at once, [and] nothing will be lost from the kitchen to table. That's ultimately our goal: to have everyone experience the 'chef's table.'"

While the coronavirus crisis may have enabled the restaurant to perfect certain recipes, it also significantly delayed its opening.

According to Byeon, the team secured the location in November 2019 and initially had planned to open in March 2020, at which time they decided to pause all their plans.

"The safety of our staff and our customers is our top priority," Byeon said, "and we did not want to open up without a plan. Instead, we took the time to bring the decor inside up to another level."

The delay also afforded the restaurant an opportunity to merge with its sister company, the New York City coffee brand Round K.

"With this," Byeon said, "we can bring the popular cafe in New York to Norwalk and provide a new option to brunch and coffee culture in Norwalk."

As the weather warms up and coronavirus vaccinations continue to roll out in the city and across the state, the RHK team found June to be the perfect time to finally open its doors to customers.

Though the restaurant is already a new addition to the South Norwalk dining scene, Byeon and his team hope to provide guests with more new experiences each time they come in by slowly rolling out some menu items.

"We initially had our full menus printed but realized we do not want to spoil the fun," Byeon said. "So instead, we printed a simplified menu where we list only a few items from our original menu. Each week, we are adding one or two items at a time. This way, our customers can always count on us to have something new for them until our full menu is revealed."

Patch has reached out to the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce for more information.