Boston - March 21, 2005

Mix Masters

Kawa Restaurant Opening

Some unlikely pairings work better than you’d expect.

Demi and Ashton. (Still together; who knew?) Nelly and Tim McGraw. (We admit it: That song gets stuck in our heads.) Strawberries and balsamic vinegar. (Sounds gross, so tasty.)

French-Japanese fusion? Yep, that works, too.

And there’s a new place in town giving it a go. Kawa, perched upstairs from Brookline sushi mecca Fugakyu, melds flavors from the Far East and the Continent in an atmosphere decidedly more sophisticated than that of your standard sushi joint.

Tuck into the soft-shell crab tempura. Experiment with tenderloin sweetened by strawberry. Try the duck breast grilled with honey. Acknowledge that unexpected combinations can be fabulous.

Kind of makes you wonder if you should take a chance on surprising pairings in your own life, eh?

Demi and Ashton not withstanding.

Kawa, 1280 Beacon Street, between Harvard and St. Paul Streets, Brookline (617-383-6578).