2-Minute Review: Kai

Springfield's sexiest new fusion joint is tea-riffic.

Kai is hot. There’s a light-up wall downstairs, a cluster of multi-sized disco balls by the bar, sexy lighting everywhere and the cutest little green upholstered chairs ever outside the bathrooms. But besides the ridiculously fabulous décor, the coolest thing about Kai (306 S. Campbell Ave., 417-832-0077) is the fruit that pops up where you aren’t expecting it, like little renegade bits of sweetness and unanticipated texture that are just itching to hitch a ride from the kitchen to your mouth as stowaways in the dishes. Crazy Salmon is a California roll covered in a spicy, saucy mixture of chopped up salmon, tomato and crisp apple. There is mango inside the chicken roulade. Even the seaweed salad comes to the table with one little apostate raspberry as a garnish on the plate.

If you have been living in a tree stump, you might not know that Kai is owned by the same people who are behind Haruno. The sushi at Kai, though, is more adventurous. I loved the Crazy Salmon roll (especially the contrast of crunchy apple, soft tomato and firm salmon), but I can’t wait to go back and try one of the handful of rolls that include jalapeno. My friend loved the warm-on-the-inside Lobster Monster roll with green sauce that looked scary but tasted mild and delightful. If you decide to grab dessert, the ginger blueberry pana cotta was heavy on berry, light on ginger and super good. And even though it’s a weird thing to get all excited about, I think Kai might have the very best iced tea in town. Go there, drink something more exciting than tea, and be seen. You know you want to.