And by Courtside I mean the condo building next to the arena — Kalu has opened underneath it, appreciating the value of the property. But all residents of Charlotte can appreciate this new bar and restaurant.
Just like the waitress does, let’s start with the drinks… They have a sake line exclusive to their venue, and a drink menu to match it.
Cason-Point: the Sake Slurpee — which was so thick I needed a spoon to consume it. Which is better than the alternative of getting esophagus freeze like I always do at Wet Willies sucking down the spiked slurpee.
They also have (and are the only ones in Charlotte who have) Eichigo, an imported rice beer from Japan and Kissui, an Asian vodka. And their signature drink is the Geicha green tea.
And now for the food…
Let’s just say I love it when award-winning chefs like Bryan Emperor migrate south. Dim Sum is one of their specialties. And though Emperor won the U.S. championship for sushi creativity in the Japan Sushi Association (which sounded more serious than the Major League Eating), it’s not a sushi place, but an Asian restaurant with a menu ranging from kobe beef meatballs and Japanese chicken wings to monstrous pieces of sushi so big we didn’t know how we were going to put it in our mouths. I mean, look at the size of those balls …
And note: that Mizuna Salad pictured above should not be eaten on a date – let’s just say I’m glad I was out with just Jacinda because although I have mastered the use of chop sticks for eating sushi, I had trouble getting and keeping the lettuce strings in my mouth, and a cherry tomato slipped from the grip of my chopsticks and flew across the table… slippery little suckers.
Here’s a quick tour of Kalu …
And that’s just the upstairs lounge area. Go see it for yourself. Kalu opens at 5 p.m. – until midnight, but will stay open later on weekends, and they have a special menu on Sundays.
This article appears in Jul 6-12, 2010.
