A new Japanese restaurant is coming to downtown Aurora’s historic Hobbs Building, into the corner spot that used to hold Leilani Asian Fusion.
Leilani was the first restaurant to be located within the Hobbs Building after it was redeveloped, but it closed last July just a few weeks before its one-year anniversary after disagreements within the business partnership, among other challenges. Now, Leilani’s former location is set to become Kai Modern Japanese Kitchen.
Leilani’s signs could still be seen at 2 N. River St. last week, but by this week they were gone. The restaurant’s windows hold posters showcasing the new concept: the Kai name and branding can be seen alongside photos of sushi, ramen and edamame.
The restaurant is expected to open in late April, Harish Ananthapadmanabhan told The Beacon-News. He’s a co-owner of both JH Hospitality Group, which Kai will be a part of, and JH Real Estate Partners LLC, which redeveloped the Hobbs Building.
Calling it a “modern Japanese kitchen” means Kai can be more flexible in the types of Japanese dishes it offers, said Ananthapadmanabhan. If it called itself a traditional Japanese restaurant, people would have certain expectations, but they want the chance to change things here and there, he said.
The menu is still being worked on, but people can expect to see sushi, ramen and other Japanese dishes, including hibachi — although it will be brought from the kitchen, not cooked in front of you, according to Ananthapadmanabhan.
The restaurant is currently undergoing some renovation, he said. One of the reasons that the Asian theme was maintained, he said, was so that the kitchen equipment from Leilani can be reused.
The restaurant’s basement, formerly a part of Leilani, will be made into its own separate business: a lounge and speakeasy called The Copper Dome, named after the historic dome of the Hobbs Building, Ananthapadmanabhan said.
In addition to drinks, he said, the lounge will also offer small plates from the three upstairs restaurants at the Hobbs Building. It may one day offer main dishes, too, but not at first, he said.
JH Hospitality Group’s main goal is to get Kai open, Ananthapadmanabhan said, but the basement should be opening two or three weeks later.
And after The Copper Dome is open, efforts will shift towards creating a gaming lounge in the basement of the Hobbs Building’s other two restaurants, Touche French Creole and Giardino Trattoria & Pizzeria, according to Ananthapadmanabhan.
Like The Copper Dome, he said, this gaming lounge will be a separate business but will offer small plates from the three upstairs restaurants.
The Hideout, as it is set to be called, will feature shuffleboard, pool tables, dart boards and a two-lane mini bowling alley, plus its own bar, he said.
That project is going to take several months to complete, Ananthapadmanabhan said, and could possibly open in the late fall.
In addition to all the downstairs activity, the Hobbs Building also has all of its 31 upstairs apartments rented out, according to Ananthapadmanabhan. He hopes all the tenants will have a great time with the different food and bar options downstairs, he said.
As for Leilani Asian Fusion, it has found a new place downtown, according to a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page. The exact location has not yet been announced, but the Facebook post said it was “one of the most iconic buildings in Aurora.”
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
