Kuma's Brings Asian Fusion to Downtown Naperville

The building sat dormant on busy Washington Street for years, almost begging for someone to step up and rent the space. Kuma Kim answered the challenge with Kuma's Asian Bistro, bringing a new restaurant with flair and Asian fusion to downtown Naperville.

Described as a home of contemporary Asian cuisine, the eatery features a wide- ranging menu of Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Thai dishes with a surprising fusion of Spanish-Korean Paella added for good measure. In the middle of a restaurant row, Kuma's opened this past summer at 216 S. Washington St., in the long block between Jackson and Jefferson.

Kuma's strives to have something for everyone. Diners are asked to talk with their server about food allergies, and there are entries that are gluten free and vegetarian. Meat eaters (that's me!) will be just as happy as the student who has trouble with "dead animal" dishes. There's no extra charge for substituting tofu for meat.

The décor is very contemporary — dark walls, silver ceiling and abstract art.  Other restaurants have occupied this site, and Kuma's owners were smart to have kept the embossed tin ceiling that I enjoyed before. Another smart addition is a delightful outside patio placed on the other side of a pedestrian alley and complemented with a railing and some landscaping.

Kuma's is definitely a place for Pan Asian cuisine. Chef and owner Kuma Kim takes what she enjoys from Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine and makes it her own. Her touches personalize standard dishes such as Pad Thai, and the transformation is delicious. 

The tasty Vietnamese comfort food soup known as Pho ($10) is usually rendered as a clear meat broth. Kuma adds cinnamon; a lovely touch that echoes the French roots of the cuisine. She adds pineapple to her Spring Rolls. The stir-fry, noodle dishes and even Hibachi dinners convincingly demonstrate the range and depth of her contemporary Asian cuisine.

We ordered the vegetarian Crispy Potstickers (5 for $4) and found them moist and tasty. Have fun with the Lettuce Wrap ($7) appetizer. The filling of chicken, vegetables, noodles and special sauce is very yummy, though preventing the filling from seeping out of the crisp lettuce leaves can be a challenge!

The signature dish, Chab Chae ($12), is a lovely combination of sweet potato vermicelli noodles (that's what chab chae means in Korean), marinated beef and vegetables including peppers, onions and mushrooms. Sweet and savory at the same time, Chab Chae is just as tasty as the name is fun to say. Like most of Kuma's signature dishes, Chab Chae also can be made with tofu rather than the beef.

Worried about spicy Asian food? Don't be. Our server was very solicitous about our level of spice comfort. My friend ordered the Papaya Salad ($8) and was warned that it was spicy. My spice tolerance is very low, but when I tried the salad, I didn't need the glass of water I requested. Spicier dishes include the Stir Fried Calamari ($11) and the Red Hot Chili Shrimp ($12).

Asian and American beers are on the menu as well as sake. Martinis are a house specialty ($6), and bartender Todd makes a yummy lemon drop martini with just enough tang. Pomegranate martinis are a specialty.

Kuma's is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, opening at 11 a.m. Lunch is served until 4 p.m. Most of the dishes are available for takeout. The restaurant's web site is www.kumas.us.

This is Kuma's second location, with the other restaurant in Rockford. Welcome to Naperville, Kuma Kim and family.  I hope you are successful, because I'm looking forward to take-out Pho this winter.