Variety on the Menu at KJ Sushi and Asian Bistro

KJ Sushi and Asian Bistro is bringing something new to Marco Island’s diners while retaining some popular dishes from the restaurant’s previous incarnation.

In fact, the approach taken by the owners of the former Su’s Garden Chinese Restaurant is summed up by the “Asian bistro” dining concept, which blends the casual atmosphere of traditional small eateries and cafes with Asian cuisine’s dynamic flavors and ingredients.

While Chinese fare remains a staple, it now shares menu space with offerings from Japan and Korea, as well as sushi, said Kathy Chitchop. She and her husband, Joe Selerat, purchased the former Su’s Garden from long-time owner Jean Foley last July.

The Marco Island residents are veteran restauranteurs. They opened the Thai Sushi by KJ (Kathy and Joe) eatery on Marco Island seven years ago, later establishing KJ Sushi and Asian Bistro on 5th Ave. South in downtown Naples. Both had many years of experience in the restaurant industry prior to striking out on their own.

Adopting the Asian Bistro approach provides an opportunity to add variety to Marco’s restaurant scene and to broaden the palates of the island’s diners, explained Chitchop. 

“We’ve had Thai (cuisine) already on the island and there’s another Thai restaurant coming, and there’s been Chinese before, but no one’s done overall Asian style,” she said. “That's why we decided to go that way so that people have more choices for Asian food. People on the island want to explore more than just Thai and Chinese - Japanese and Korean are new.”

The name change and new menu have been accompanied by updates to the bistro’s physical space. There’s a new layout and updated paint and decorations, limited outdoor seating, new signage, and a small garden along Bald Eagle Drive. All the work, including crafting a rustic wooden bar for the lounge section, was done by Selerat.

The original owner, Mrs. Su, sold her restaurant to Foley in 2012 after more than 30 years in business. Chitchop and her husband factored the eatery’s base of longtime, loyal customers into their menu decisions, as well as the responses of current diners to the changes.

“Some people, they still like the way Su did it,” she said. “But we wanted to change things a little bit because they were in business for a long time and hadn't made changes. We just want to bring something new, plus keep some things that people liked too. We just want them to open their mind and give us a try.”

KJ Sushi and Asian Bistro is located at 537 Bald Eagle Drive. For more information, visit  kjasianbistro.com/ or call 394-4666.