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Kai (∗)

Address:65 South Audley Street W1K 2QU
Tel:020 7493 8988
Email:
Website: Visit Kai website
Price: £78.00 Wine: £24.00 Champagne: £36.00
Opening Hours:Mon-Sun 12N-2.30pm 6.30-10.45pm

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One of a handful of top-end Chinese restaurants in London, Kai offers impressive (& expensive) cooking in smart, business-friendly surrounds dotted with fish tanks & giant stone Buddha heads. Don’t be put off by the fanciful names of dishes such as mermaids in the mist (a Chilean sea bass miso soup), nor by the sometimes outlandish-sounding combinations of ingredients (Kai’s signature starter is deep-fried prawns with wasabi mayonnaise): the results taste innovative rather than gimmicky, the flavour sensations are clean, & the quality of ingredients top-notch. Superlative versions of familiar dishes – such as hot & sour soup, sweet & sour pork, & chicken with cashew nuts – are also available. Burgundy & Bordeaux top the wine list, though some more fragrant varietals might be a better match for the spicy food. Service is notably friendly.

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Reader reviews of Kai:

Tanya D.

Tanya D. (30s, Female, United Kingdom)

Shame on Kai! Having shark fin soup on the menu when they are so severely endangered. For what? For a soup! Quite frankly a restaurant that does not have any sense of social responsibility (foie gras is bad enough but it doesnt harm ecosystems, geese arent endangered and sharks cannot be bred in captivitiy) does not get any good comments from me. Am I allowed to be political in a review, there is an article on the BBC website highlighting how bad the situation really is for these creatures.

6 February 2009
Overall:1
Food and Drink:1
Service:1
Atmosphere:1
Value for Money:1
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MissSushi
Gold Reviewer

MissSushi (30s, Female, London&Paris)

A lot of restaurants that have been around for decades never change their menus and so retain only older patrons. Without new generations of diners sooner or later a restaurant dies. Ten years ago I thought that was exactly what was going to happen to Kai, but I was fortunately wrong. Kai has always been a traditional high end chinese restaurant, but they have been brave and adventurous enough to grow with time and adapt their menu to all, without compromising their chinese roots. Instead they adapt foreign or unusual ingredients to support and complement the flavour of the dishes. Sometimes service can be a little slow and the decor is terribly dated, but the food is always consistent. I strongly recommend fellow diners to try the wasabi prawns, the abalone dish and the lobster noodles.

22 December 2008
Overall:7
Food and Drink:8
Service:7
Atmosphere:5
Value for Money:6
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R.R.Gill
Gold Reviewer

R.R.Gill (30s, Male, United Kingdom)

Kai seems to be forgotten in favour of the flashy Chinese venues such as Hakkasan and China Tang however I would urge people to try Kai out. The food is excellent – presentation on some dishes can be particularly interesting (such as the lamb shank starter – an odd choice but it works so well). I was told the Hot and Sour soup was the best I'll have ever had and to be honest – they were right (In fact I hear this from many people who have been). I think the atmosphere suffers a little as it's more formal than flashy like the above mentioned venues but will return as often as I can. Service is also one of it's outstanding high points and you are made to feel so welcome upon entering the venue.

22 October 2008
Overall:9
Food and Drink:10
Service:9
Atmosphere:6
Value for Money:7
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