MORRIS PLAINS — This month, my group of foodie friends were in the mood for Asian food, and one place we'd heard good things about and had our eye on was a little Japanese/Korean neighborhood restaurant on Speedwell Avenue in nearby Morris Plains. Kiori is a standalone building, adjacent to its neighbor, Delicias Latinas, a cute little Latin American eatery.
Promising a fresh approach to Japanese cuisine, Kiori Japanese Kitchen took over the former property of Aji Sushi Japanese Restaurant in October 2022 and opened to much local fanfare. At the ribbon-cutting to mark the opening, Mayor Karl presented the owners with the borough's “Key to Success,” which is proudly displayed on the kitchen wall.
Speedwell Avenue is part of a busy, vibrant street with limited parking, so I was happy to find that Kiori had its own off-street parking lot behind the restaurant. I arrived before the group and was greeted warmly and with a smile by Yong Cho as I entered. Not only is Yong Cho the restaurant owner, but he was also, at least on this occasion, graciously greeting arriving guests, efficiently clearing tables, and serving customers.
Multitasking at the front of house, literally! This kind of attention and personal touch is one of the great things about small, independently owned establishments. While Mr Cho handles the front of house duties, Mr Joe Cho (who, as far as I know, is Yong's cousin) and his assistants are busy expertly preparing food in the clean, airy open kitchen. As expected, all dishes are made to order, all ingredients are fresh and cooked in the restaurant, and fish is delivered regularly. We should add that Kiori is a BYOB establishment, but don't worry if you forget – there is a liquor store nearby.
Owner Yong Cho immigrated to the United States from Korea 20 years ago, and Kiori Japanese Kitchen is his first restaurant. The energetic Cho grew up in a family of restaurateurs. His mother was a chef in Japan, and he learned traditional Japanese cooking and preparation from an early age. His fairly extensive menu incorporates most of the traditional Japanese dishes, as well as a wide selection of classic favorites with a contemporary twist. The menu includes appetizers, bento boxes (traditional Japanese lunches for one person), donburi (rice bowl dishes consisting of fish, meat, and vegetables), Japanese fried chicken (boneless and wings), regular and veggie rolls, signature and special rolls, sushi and sashimi combos (also a la carte), noodle dishes (assorted ramen), lunch combos (served from 11:30am to 3pm), katsu (pork, fish, cheese, or chicken deep-fried in breadcrumbs and sauce), soft drinks, and desserts.
Kiori has around 10 tables, including private rooms and booths along the wall. There are also a few stools along the open-faced sushi kitchen if you prefer. Our group of seven sat in the booths, which were comfortable. The seats are appropriately and thoughtfully arranged, and the atmosphere of the small restaurant is cozy, inviting, casual and relaxed. The minimalist design elements, sparse décor, modern and dark themed interiors, and natural wood floors and tables are simply beautiful and reflect a traditional Japanese restaurant. The indirect lighting from the outside windows and the drop globe light fixtures were enough to create the desired ambience to sit down and enjoy a delicious meal.
Once our group finally arrived and was seated, Mr. Cho was happy to answer any questions we had about the menu. We always ask quite a few questions. Mr. Cho was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive, even offering recommendations based on our personal preferences. It immediately felt like this was going to be an enjoyable dining experience. As always, we settled on a selection of appetizers to share. After starting with a satisfying, umami-filled miso soup, we ordered a few plates each of Fried Chicken Wings (freshly fried chicken wings served with a spicy soy and garlic sauce), Beef Gyoza (steamed or deep-fried handmade beef dumplings), Takoyaki (crispy octopus dumplings served with bonito flakes, mayonnaise, and okonomiyaki sauce), and the Appetizer Sampler (two each of shumai, vegetable dumplings, spring rolls, and takoyaki (fried only)).
Japanese cuisine is known for its delicate balance of flavors, fresh ingredients, and careful preparation, and this became even more apparent as the meal progressed. Every dish was delicious, gorgeously presented, and detailed, showcasing the artistry of Japanese cuisine. Although the food was quickly consumed and everyone was in agreement that they had thoroughly enjoyed this deliciously flavorful meal, it was time to move on to the main course.
I ordered the Kiori Special Roll (spicy tuna, eel, cucumber, rolled and layered crab, mixed lobster salad, crunch, and avocado with spicy mayonnaise). The roll was expertly crafted and you could taste the fresh, high-quality ingredients. It was beautiful to look at and tasted just as good as it looked. The menu was extensive, but after much banter, the rest of the group decided to opt for individual bento boxes. The bento boxes included the Beef Bulgogi Box (marinated sliced rib eye beef with homemade bulgogi sauce), Kalbi Box (seared and marinated bone-in short ribs with homemade kalbi sauce), Spicy Salmon Box (marinated and seared salmon with Kaori spicy sauce), and Shrimp Tempura Box (four deep-fried shrimp with homemade breadcrumbs and sauce). All bentos came with rice, house salad, spring rolls, edamame beans, and either a plain roll or miso soup. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to personally sample every dish, but everyone was unanimously very happy with their choice. Not only did everyone in the group agree that the food was delicious and the portions were generous, but they were also impressed with the attentive, friendly, and impeccable service. The meal was very leisurely and unrushed, making for a delicious and culturally enriching dining adventure.
At the end of the meal, we were treated to complimentary mochi ice cream. Mochi is a snack of mashed glutinous rice stuffed with ice cream. This frozen dessert is wrapped in plastic. Sweet and savory, it's the perfect after-meal treat. Before this visit, I had never heard of mochi, despite having been to many Japanese restaurants. This encounter in itself made the visit worthwhile. Expanding my knowledge of the wide variety of cuisines we are fortunate to enjoy in Morris County is a never-ending goal.
Overall, dining at Kiori Japanese Kitchen was a pleasant experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Japanese cuisine. Delicious food, great service, reasonable prices and a cozy atmosphere made for a memorable experience.
Kiori Japanese Kitchen, 645 Speedwell Avenue, Morris Plains. Phone: (973) 270-0886. kiorikitchen.com. Dine-in, take-out, and delivery. No reservations, BYOB, private parking in back. Catering and party platters available. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday.
“Thank you for your support.”
Thank you for the meal
