Kai Restaurant

[david goodfellow]

So here I am in my hotel room mid sunday morning, looking down the Michelin one star list for London. I did not pre-book anything because my appetite is shifting from Italian, to French to? Well perhaps Chinese.

We have covered most of the list, certainly our top choices and are struggling a bit with the rest. I almost chose St John just to try their bone marrow after the stonking ones that we ate at Hawksmoor.

I dismissed Kai initially as when I first looked at the menu online, some months ago now, the prices took my breath away, and I vowed never to step foot in the place.

It appears that they have softened up a bit because even though dishes like Sea Bass with ginger/spring onions are an eye watering £53 some of the pricing I can just about live with.

So we trek across town, past Harrods, Harvey Nicks, the Mandarin Oriental, glancing at Bar Boulud and gaze across the road to Koffmanns. Up Park Lane into Mayfair proper.

As we approach the restaurant my wife asks " Was this place on Ramsay's Best Restaurant?

"If it was we missed it"

Now this is expensive real estate with high overheads so I am being a bit more understanding as I park up almost directly opposite the restaurant.

We are fortunate to be seated upstairs, as the basement area does not appeal. Across from us is a fish tank, although the inhabitants are decorative, and certainly not for eating.

We are presented with a London Restaurant Festival Menu. and an A La Carte. I like the look of the Festival menu as some of the courses on it are on the carte and it is a lot less money.

Very much in the Michelin style we are presented an amuse of Miso soup, a fairly decent rendition of the standard. Although no explanation of any ingredients of leaked during the full course of the meal. Clearly these guys are keeping their recipes guarded, but are they to be treasured? We shall see.

Nest of Imperial Jewels Was San choi bau, a stir fried sweet sticky mixture of chicken, mustard greens and crunchy bamboo shoots served in butterhead lettuce wraps. Fairly standard stuff but tasty non the less.

The other starter was Prawn Rolls wrapped with crisp beancurd pastry. These were fresh and ever so tasty. they sat on a mild wasabi mayo. A line of caramelised cashews,strawberry and grape chutney weny ever so well, as did the spots of passion fruit dressing.

The two main courses were served with knives and forks . Don't ask me why the Roasted South Atlantic Chilean Sea Bass needed the aforementioned as it flaked superbly at the slightest touch. This is a signiture dish on the carte at £32 so its a real bargain being on a set menu of £27 for three courses. Again sweet and sticky sauce made from marinading the fish initially in chinkiang vinegar, soy, mustard and I suspect honey. This was accompanied by a salad of soya beans, chickpeas, shallots and ginger. We really enjoyed this dish, classy stuff.

Apologies for the photos, I can't afford a photographer.

Soy and honey marinated Cornish Lamb was a winner good deep but not overpowering saucing its the sweetness and soy that I enjoy in Chinese cusine. The lamb cutlets had slight chilli heat and the accompanying cucumber and carrot "achar" relish refreshed the palate somewhat. They were resting on a root vegetable "chip" which turned out to be parsnip.

We just had to try the classic Szechwan Chicken with cashews £16 off the carte as its a standard dish we like to compare. This was good but no better than Red Chilli, Red n Hot or indeed Chilli Cool although in fairness I can not see how anyone can improve on the recipe. Here it was served with cashews a more expensive type of nut, but its not worth twice the price of other offerings.

Only one dessert was offered Poached Nashi Pear infused with red wine This was a notch up from most desserts served in Chinese restaurants. The parfait was "cinnamon accompanied chestnut"

Again in Michelin style we were given some petit fours which were fine and more than welcome.

All in all the set menu at £27 was pretty fair value. My wife had the very good value wine flight with the meal for an extra £12, again good value.

Just under £100 including service, no coffees, no drinks for me, its not cheap. Heaven forbid what you could spend if you throw caution to the wind.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, but with some reservation. The food is good, but is it Michelin standard? and more to the point is it worth it? Perhaps yes to the first but I would say no on pricing, unless you very carefully pick your way through the menu.

Still this is posh Mayfair and people who live locally need not worry so much about value for money.