Kai Brings Sushi With Nightclub Vibes to Legacy West

Alex Gonzalez

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From the family behind Taverna, Toulouse and Bistro 31 comes Alberto Lombardi’s newest concept: Kai, an "original Asian restaurant with French influence" that opened Monday.

The most recent addition to Plano’s Legacy West shopping district, Kai is directly above Toulouse, Lombardi's popular French brasserie. It is a full-service sushi lounge complete with two bars, an open wok kitchen, 4K TV screens and a patio decked out with modern Asian-style furniture.

click to enlarge

Okra at Kai, the latest concept from Lombardi Family Concepts.

Alex Gonzalez

Last Wednesday, at a sneak peek of the restaurant, acrobats performed as diners tasted rolls and appetizers by head chef Kingshuk Dey, along with a few selections from Kai's cocktail menu. Perhaps the most notable cocktail of the night was the pear and lychee Martini, a sweet, milky cocktail with hints of pear.

Kai offers classic Americanized sushi rolls like spicy tuna and California, as well as in-house creations like the Kai Cucumber Roll, tuna, salmon, snow crab, shrimp, avocado, jalapeno and house-made vinaigrette wrapped in cucumber. Also popular: bone marrow braised with ginger teriyaki and spring onion and served with a side of melba toast.

With dramatic lighting and music, Kai's atmosphere feels like the closest thing Legacy West has to a nightclub — a nightclub with California rolls and an open kitchen.



Kai, 7301 Windrose Ave., Plano (Legacy West)