Kai

Michelin Star Chinese in Mayfair...

My friend recommended Kai as an end of week celebration; both of us are on the job hunt and we had earned a well deserved break from numerous applications and interviews! 

Kai is a classy Chinese establishment on South Audley Street in Mayfair and it has been rated as one of the best Chinese restaurants in London for some time. As we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by the scent of fresh apples. There are rows upon rows of the red fruit and I presume they are strategically placed at the entrance to bring luck and good fortune to this restaurant.

The interior is elegant and tasteful and there are traditional touches such as large Buddha heads and Oriental art along the walls. The music isn't overbearing and the tables are covered with white table cloths, simple candle centrepieces and tiled square place mats.

Kai has an extensive vegetarian menu which is unusual for a Chinese restaurant. My veggie friend picked two dishes from the menu which were both lovely. I am the opposite of a vegetarian so the fact that I enjoyed these two dishes really says something!

He went for the Funghi Foursome which is described as "four varieties of organic oriental mushrooms supplied by a small farm on the south coast..."

It was beautifully presented at the table and then taken away to be sliced up by our very helpful waitress. 

He also chose the Chang Sah Chai; crispy tofu and vegetables cooked with mandarin peel, yellow bean, soy, chilli, shallots, garlic and coriander.

"Tastes like chicken!" ;)

I ordered the restaurant's most popular dish, the Roasted Chilean Seabass. It was coated with a caramelised marinade of black vinegar syrup, mustard and soy. The dish is super spicy and accompanied by chickpeas, tomatoes and edamame beans. It was absolutely spectacular and I highly recommend it to anyone that dines at Kai. The fish was succulent and flaky and the marinade had chilli citrusy tones. 

We also ordered some chilli infused rice to share. 

We skipped on dessert and our waitress gave us some sweet and nutty petit fours which were much needed after our spicy mains! 

Kai is a well established contemporary Chinese restaurant in Mayfair. It is quite expensive (£60 per head with a glass of wine) but the quality of the food and service makes it well worth a visit!

And now, for my new rating system...

5/5 forks for Kai!

http://www.kaimayfair.co.uk/kai/kaihome.html