"On any given weekend, this Old Town spot will be slammed with friends forking at grilled octopus and couples shimmying in place, holding pisco sours in one hand while using the other to Shazam the thumping Latin house and electronic music. It’s a good reminder that Chicago restaurants can be sceney and fun without the existential threat of bottle sparklers and smoke-based tableside presentations. But, ultimately, Kayao's River North-lite energy does most of the heavy lifting to offset the occasionally snoozy Peruvian food. photo credit: Kayao photo credit: Kim Kovacik photo credit: Kim Kovacik photo credit: Kim Kovacik That’s not to say there aren’t highlights on the short, seafood-focused menu. Kayao's pulpo parrillero will please even octopus haters—its lightly grilled coins have the faintest chew, with char that plays off of pickled potatoes and a smoky rocoto romesco. Any of the bright and zippy ceviches are also a great choice, or a tiradito with slices of tuna that dissolve in your mouth, leaving only some fun pops of crunchy quinoa furikake behind. While almost everything at Kayao is properly cooked—and styled like it snuck its way into Vogue—some dishes are underwhelming in flavor or concept. Consider a juicy chicken covered in a just-fine BBQ glaze served with limp fries, or a basic fried rice that's missing oomph even with the duck breast add-on. And like a lot of small plates restaurants, it can be difficult to gauge how much to order so everyone gets enough to eat without spending $300 on snacks that disappear in a few bites. photo credit: Kim Kovacik photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Veda Kilaru photo credit: Veda Kilaru The real reason to come to Kayao is the Saturday night energy. On weekends, dates communicate via eyebrow raises as if to say, "Let's keep this thing alive," and so many people ask about the music that the servers come armed with the name of the Spotify playlist written on slips of paper. (On weeknights, the place is eerily sedate and not quite worth a trip.) So remember this Peruvian restaurant the next time you want to shout a little bit over Friday dinner and drink more than a few cocktails. Food Rundown photo credit: Kim Kovacik Ceviche There are two great options here: A classic ceviche with highly slurpable leche de tigre and a Kayao-specific version. Order the latter when you're in a DIY mood. You’ll have to construct each bite to include a bit of corn, calamari, octopus, and fish to settle the mouth puckering broth, but the payoff is a really nice balance of flavors and textures. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Roll Acevichado Skip this. Any crunch from the shrimp tempura is obliterated thanks to the thick blanket of sauce, which should be bright and tart but tastes flat here. And when you factor in the too-mushy rice and the soft tartare piled on top, it makes for a sloppy piece of sushi that will probably fall apart on its way to your mouth. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Pulpo Parrillero Undoubtedly the standout dish at Kayao. Buttery soft octopus. Crispy, charred edges. Creamy, vinegary potatoes and heat from the romesco. Your dad might hate octopus. But he won't hate this. photo credit: Kim Kovacik Chaufa With Smoked Duck The first time we ate this fried rice, we loved it in all of its creamy, avocado-y, fatty duck glory. But it's since become drier and underseasoned, with pieces of duck so small and well-done that they taste like bacon. We hope the original returns, but in the meantime, this version tastes best as leftovers after a few too many pisco sours. photo credit: Veda Kilaru Chicken The simply named “chicken” is juicy and soft, and the panca BBQ is more of a glaze than a thick sauce. It comes with fries that should be crispier, but is otherwise inoffensive and fine for the chronic chicken orderer in your life. photo credit: Veda Kilaru Short Rib There’s no need for a fork here, the short ribs fall apart practically just by gossiping about them. The rich, buttery potato mash is just as smooth, if a little gummy and a bit underseasoned. Much like the chicken, this dish is pleasant to eat, but pretty innocuous." - Veda Kilaru
