Restaurant review: Seoul food shines at new Asian fusion spot in Bonita Springs - JLB
When one of Naples' most famous first-name restaurant owners insists you try her favorite new find, you listen.
Even when it's an hour from home.
In this case, it's Jane Wood of Jane's Cafe on Third. Originally from Great Britain, from ages 4 to 8, her family lived in Singapore; from 1993 to 1998, she worked as a banker in Hong Kong.
She knows Asian food, and Kim-Chi Grill tops her local list.
JLB likes it too.
Chef James Boyle and his wife Satika own the restaurant; he's in the kitchen, she helms service. Prior to opening in late November 2022, he executive cheffed at Olde Florida Golf Club in Naples. Before that, he held the same position at Fish in Venetian Village.
What JLB ate
It would be a disservice not to order the handmade dumplings, given Boyle is known for them. He crafts each with different wrappings (also called skins) for flavor and textural contrasts. Different shapes and folds too. Some are steamed, others are fried.
I tried two varieties. My advice: slap away your tablemate's hands from shrimp and fresh-ground pork shumai with shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts and fresh herbs. Three pieces are served, each bite divine. You'll want more.
Steamed king mandu (translation: large Korean-style dumplings) stuff a mixture of beef, chicken, traditional tofu, bean sprouts, soy and sesame oil into a wheat-flour skin. While they don’t have the shumai’s razzle-dazzle appearance, they taste just as good.
While you could make a meal exclusively of dumplings, it would be a mistake to miss the outrageously delicious poached-egg-topped chicken bulgogi bowl, the only thing ordered featuring the namesake kimchi. It took 15 minutes to decide between the bird and bone-in beef short rib, which I feared might be too messy because I was wearing white. Pork and its belly cut are also offered.
Boyle slices fresh chicken breast and then marinates the meat in his secret sauce for 48 hours before grilling. Via email, he graciously shared a partial list of ingredients that include soy sauce, freshly grated Asian pear, ginger, garlic, sesame and soju, a Korean version of vodka.
The dish’s carbs come from Korean sushi rice. Boyle uses different rice types throughout the menu. Ordering a wok dish? You might get jasmine or brown rice. If you can’t possibly finish this rather large bowl, the leftovers, especially the pickled cucumber’s crunchiness, maintain their scrumptious integrity hours later.
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Baby bok choy and bean sprouts swim in crispy duck noodle soup, another JLB favorite. Boyle makes from-scratch chicken stock daily, then adds a blend of fresh crispy garlic and the bulb’s oil, amping up the flavor. The heritage birds are from New York. They are deboned then braised in a five-spice mix until tender.
The lone misfire: skippable fried spring rolls whose so-so stuffings lacked panache compared to the dumplings' bells and whistles.
JLB adores desserts and reveled in delicious hot donuts sprinkled with powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream plus a ramekin of sweet cashew dipping sauce. Other local restaurants serving this dish would be wise to visit Kim-Chi Grill to taste how they should be done.
The restaurant also offers numerous Thai and Chinese selections.
When speaking to Boyle a week after my visit, I discovered he is passionate about fishing. For next season, he plans to expand his menu with whole-fish butchery: think live Maine lobster with ginger sauce, pan-fried flounder with crispy leeks and grouper cheeks a la General Tso.
I also asked, why the Korean emphasis?
“Well, everyone in town does sushi and Thai or just Chinese. I thought it would be fun to introduce a little Korean to the mix. In June 2022, my wife and I drove to Las Vegas, where I trained with a Korean lady and her mother in their home who taught me homemade scratch Korean cooking.”
Jean Le Boeuf is the brand under which our restaurant critics have written for more than 40 years. JLB dines anonymously and pays for her meals. This article came from staff writer Diana Biederman. Follow our critics on Facebook via BiteIntoSWFL and Instagram. To connect: dbiederman@gannett.com.
Kim-Chi Grill
3300 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs
Price: $$-$$$
Call: 239-676-1910
Summer hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Sunday
Etc.: Ample parking; wine, beer and premium sakes; fragrant chrysanthemum tea; soft drinks; noise depends on how crowded the intimate space is.
What the symbols mean
$: Average entree is less than $15
$$: $15-$25
$$$: $25-$35
$$$$: $35-$45
$$$$$: $45 and up
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Restaurants: Fantastic Seoul food at Asian fusion in Bonita Springs
