Kai Modern Japanese Kitchen
By Naperville Magazine
View more Table for Two
New restaurant replaces Asian-fusion Leilani in Aurora
by: Phil Vettel
If at first you don’t succeed…
Once upon a time (well, the summer of 2024), the JH Hospitality Group opened Leilani, an Asian-fusion restaurant in downtown Aurora. In the pages of this magazine, I called the place “sophisticated” and “imaginative,” and noted the late-night appeal of its dark, sultry decor.
Sadly, Leilani’s time in Aurora was short-lived (I’m trying not to take this personally.) But JH Hospitality shrewdly left Leilani’s gorgeous, Vara Design decor in place (with a few cosmetic adjustments), brought aboard chef Martin Balderas (who previously had logged time at Mora Asian Fusion in Plainfield), and rechristened the space as Kai Modern Japanese Kitchen (2 N. River St.)
Truffle escolar roll
Gone are the Filipino specialties that were a large part of Leilani’s identity; under Balderas, the focus is almost entirely Japanese, albeit flexibly so.
“It’s more Japanese now, but modern,” Balderas says. “I don’t worry about being strictly authentic; you can add different ingredients without compromising the concept.”
Take for instance, Balderas’s green beans, slightly blistered and glossy with a garlic-soy glaze, strewn with sautéed shallots and candied walnuts. What appear to be bits of red pepper on the plate prove to be thin strips of Kurobuta pork sausage (“Like Kobe, but for pork,” Balderas says), adding a surprising richness and depth of flavor.
Kurobuta green beans
Brussels sprouts are handled deftly, featuring sturdy buds and crispy-fried leaves, tossed in a chile glaze with onion, carrot, and jalapeño and topped with crispy shallots.
Crispy Brussels sprouts
The ika calamari (ika is the Japanese word for calamari; the redundancy is a clue to the preparation) is impressive, served with a ponzu-mayo dipping sauce. The golden-fried calamari rings are tender and delicious under a remarkably light breading. “Everybody uses a different recipe,” Balderas says. “There’s 80 percent starch, 20 percent flour in our mix. Also, we marinate the calamari in buttermilk for two to three hours.”
The galbi-yaki, the best dish I tried here, is the closest Balderas comes to fusion cuisine. The galbi (Korean short ribs, thin sliced with bone attached)—dressed with a lightly sweet sake-soy sauce and topped with dabs of a Japanese-style chimichurri (made with shisho leaves)—arrive on a sizzle plate with a nice helping of kimchi (light on the ferment, generous on the garlic).
Galbi-yaki
Kai offers some 28 maki rolls, including half a dozen vegan rolls and a dozen or so classics, such as spicy tuna, rainbow, and Philadelphia rolls. I focused on the six “chef special” creations, including the excellent aburi salmon roll (“aburi” refers to a flame-searing technique) made with lightly scorched salmon, crab, and avocado—dressed with eel sauce and spicy aïoli; and the truffle-escolar roll, the mild white fish matched to spicy tuna, crispy shallots, and truffle vinaigrette.
There’s not much in the way of dessert here; there’s ice cream (in tempura-fried and mochi-covered versions) and a very good housemade mango cheesecake.
Mango cheesecake
Patrons of the old Leilani will find Kai’s interiors very familiar; much of the original decor remains, including the cherry-blossom sculpture in the back of the dining room. Overall, the space’s palette has been lightened considerably—a move, says Balderas, to look more welcoming and less moody.
Kai’s arrival gives JH Hospitality three contiguous restaurants, all in downtown Aurora’s historic Hobbs Building: Kai, Touche French Creole, and Giardino Trattoria & Pizzeria (Balderas actually ran Giardino prior to taking the reins at Kai.)
Soon, the group will debut two new concepts in the Hobbs Building basement. The private-event space Forbidden City, beneath Leilani, is transitioning to the Copper Dome, which will evoke a speakeasy vibe and feature drinks and small plates. Also in the works is The Hideout, a more family-friendly space with “one or two” bowling lanes and other games, and a menu consisting of dishes from the three upstairs restaurants.
Photos: Phil Vettel; Sarah Cervantes
