Sushi Kai dining brings touch of Zen to Kailua

By Helen Wu
Advertiser Restaurant Critic

Sushi Kai caters to all ages. Dark slate floors, light wood furniture and a minimalist approach to decor make the restaurant in the middle of downtown Kailua an appealing place for family dinners and dates. Photos by Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Specialties include the caterpillar roll, upper center.

Chefs Jason Roldan, left, and Chris Tanaka work behind the sushi bar.

Sushi Kai 20 Kainehe St. at Kailua Road, Kailua 262-5661 Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays Dinner 5-10 p.m. nightly Parking in small, front lot; street parking available Limited selection of wine, sake and bottled beers Good

But deep inside, we hope. Maybe the startup will become a favorite. Reasonably priced, tasty food, agreeable service with personality, in addition to good drinks, would be great. Perhaps it could be a place with real atmosphere instead of harsh, fluorescent lights and sterile linoleum floors.

Kailuans have probably let out a collective sigh of relief since Sushi Kai opened on Kailua Road last October. This simple, charming little space that serves sushi and Japanese dishes with a contemporary, localized twist is no mom-and-pop shop, nor does it belong to one of the cookie-cutter chain eateries taking over our island. I've seen families and friends spending enjoyable evenings here, but it's also the kind of place where you could bring a date. Best of all, there's no need to drive into town.

Owners Wendy and Ted Cook, Kailua residents themselves, provide something for almost everyone at Sushi Kai. Dark slate floors, rice paper-globe lanterns and Zen minimalism with a touch of bamboo do the trick for those wanting an attractive, up-to-date interior. Light-colored wood tables and creative wall decorations along with a snug sushi bar also help move past its previous life as Bueno Nalo.

Wendy Cook and executive chef Jason Roldan met at California Beach Rock N' Sushi where Wendy was a waitress and Roldan a cook. She runs the business and he creates the recipes.

Sushi Kai's surprisingly comprehensive offerings should please grandparents, keiki and everyone in between. On the menu are typical sushi, sashimi and favorites such as yaki zakana ($6.95), grilled fish that changes daily. Several salads ($2.50 to $9.95), many appetizers — all less than $10 — and entrees served with miso soup, vegetables and rice satisfy vegetarians, carnivores and seafood fans who are dainty or hefty eaters. Only noodle dishes are absent, but with all that's available this is easily overlooked.

A limited selection of lunch specials ($5.95 to $9.95) is available during the day along with the regular menu. The specials are lower priced, smaller portions of dinner entrees that include miso soup and rice. An early bird dinner ($9.95) lasting from 5 to 6 p.m. comes with tempura, salad, pickled vegetables, miso soup and rice and your choice of New York steak, pork tonkatsu, chicken teriyaki or grilled salmon, mahi-mahi or mackerel.

The food is better than average, local-style Japanese that loosely follows the path of D.K. Kodama's Sansei, but don't expect the delicate refinement of authentic Japanese cuisine. Preparations are instead what you might find at gourmet-experimenting obasan's house: too-tart dressings; overly buttery-tasting garlic-herb sauce; katsu sauce that tastes like ketchup despite ume plum flavorings and doughy, okazu-ya kind tempura.

However, there are presentations that will keep most local diners returning. Special sushi rolls ($8.95 to $11.95) of five to eight pieces are thoughtfully paired with sake on an additional menu with photos. 'Ahi prime ($9.95) with spicy tuna and cucumber was meaty-flavored from a seared-in rub. A special of spicy shrimp roll ($7.95) — shrimp tempura, steamed asparagus, jalapeno peppers and spicy mayo — that turned out mild was still satisfying with its delicate flavor. Steamed manila clams in a garlic-shrimp-sake broth ($7.95) and whole steamed moi ($16.95; it takes 20 to 30 minutes to cook) were both prepared in a hearty, homey way that let their natural, seafood flavors emerge.

The restaurant's young waitresses make you feel right at home. They reminded me of a best friend's helpful sisters and didn't intrude as they refilled empty tea cups, brought dishes or cleared away our table.

Talk of yummy desserts prepared by one of the waitresses (I didn't get to try any since she was on vacation), Lappert's ice cream ($2.95) and the availability of sake, beer and wine made me wish there was a Sushi Kai in my neighborhood.

Regulars know they're going to wait a while when it's busy. And the restaurant is no longer open for lunch on Mondays though the menu, answering machine and the banner above the front door say otherwise. But these quirks just contribute to the original appeal of what's already become a local fixture.

Reach Helen Wu at hwu@honoluluadvertiser.com.