I was looking for a non-traditional tea experience and Kai Mayfair did not disappoint. It was literally just my husband and I in the restaurant for tea (perks of a weekday reservation?) When we sat down they gave us a little jar of conversation cookies which was so cute. My husband and I went through the whole jar. Then they brought out another dish and it came with these two little birds and the hostess came by and told us that they're songbirds and gave us cards that explain what its for. We kept the little birds and they sit on a plant at home. I love special touches that had thought put into it. I loved the little baos! Im not usually a fan of the traditional tea sandwiches and the flavors they have (i.e. smoked salmon or cucumber with cream cheese) but these were delicious! I particularly liked the duck and also the shrimp toast. Also, the restrooms here are gorgeous!! Actually this who space is decorated so nicely. If I was more into IG I would be posing all over this restaurant. read more

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I had the most amazing experience at Kai Mayfair! The decor and ambiance was chic, modern and red!The wait staff and manager were top notch. My friend and I are foodies, and we asked a bunch of questions and they were very attentive and thorough in answering all of them. Now, on to the food..........(drumroll, please) we had for Starters: Wasabi Prawns(not as spicy as the name suggests) these were jumbo prawns, tempura battered delicately, and silky smooth flavor profile with a warm mouth hug of spice at the end, Salt and pepper squid was "ex-squids-ite" darker, fuller batter but do t let that deter you, sophisticated salt and pepper rimmed plate presentation and for scooting the squid around the plate for extra savoriness. My buddy had the happy wife noodles........ 3 words: Caviar/shaved Truffle, (*chef's kiss) Entrees: *Chilean Sea Bass........ mouth melting miso, umami bomb!*Chili Lobster, perfect amount of spice and other seafood friends joined the party- Scallops and Shrimp! Plenty of sauce leftover to dip your accompanied toast. *Black Pepper Beef- more of a 3rd wheel with the seafood, but held its own with its peppery, rich sauce. Very tender, and paired perfectly with the fried rice! We also had a side of the long life noodles, which we were told to order the vegetarian style so the flavor would not overpower the entrees, they were correct! What made it even more special was that the waiter rolled little nests of the noodles so it was easy to access the noodles without leaving a trail of noodles from the bowl to your plate! All in all, 5 star rating across the board, and I see why they've maintained a Michelin star for 15 straight years! Bravo read more

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I love how this restaurant is so vegetarian friendly. The ma po aubergine/tofu and the spicy mushroom hotpot were amazing. We also really enjoyed the coconut/mango/lychee dessert. read more

London's best Peking Duck! This is definitely the place for excellent Chinese cuisine. After a lifetime of Hong Kong jaunts this is the place to come to in order to get your fill of the East in a cool, sophisticated ambience. The service was impeccable and the cocktail (even non-alcoholic) selection was abundant. I am extremely sensitive to noise and this was thankfully serene and quiet. read more

Kai Mayfair - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Easily one of my favorite restaurants in London. Conveniently located in Mayfair. This spacious and moody restaurant does evoke the spirit of big Asian cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong. We came with vegans and vegetarians and service was so helpful in having us make an informed decision. We got wasabi shrimp which is a must get- nothing else like it. Also spicy chicken and the faux Peking duck which is absolutely sublime - I would eat it everyday if I could. read more

Kai Mayfair - Wasabi shrimp - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

As someone who's very fussy about food and an expert in judging if the food is authentic in the authentic Chinese way, this place is really good. I will definitely go back and invite all my friends to try themselves. Probably the best Chinese food I had in London. read more

Honestly disappointed. The service was a bit weird here. Outwardly friendly but not that helpful. What I remembered of the food - the wasabi prawn was good but it's not that unique. It tastes like wasabi honey mustard on a shrimp tempura. And the pandan creme brulee had little taste of pandan and was quite liquid, not as set as I would have expected. read more

Crispy duck is incredibly dry. Servers were rude and service felt rushed. Nowhere near worth the money.

5 stars for the fabulous afternoon tea service! I did a ton of research on where to go for tea and Kai was an undiscovered gem my husband found for us. The tea is a little less traditional but an awful lot of fun from the moment you sit down to the perfectly set table. The tea is on the bottom floor of this dark and romantically lit restaurant (be warned, if you're there for the gram you may need a little extra light for the perfect shot) and only has a handful of tables so I'd highly recommend reservations. We arrived right when tea started at 3pm and stayed until the end time at 5pm - Kai offers unlimited refills of both the sweets and savories in addition to the tea so two hours was the perfect amount of time. The tea menu is fairly limited and most teas have an upcharge so note that the emphasis here is more on the food and experience than the brew (though it is served on the most perfect china set). To start you get a sweet little cocktail (non-alcoholic available as well) with fun edible garnishes. Then a pot of conversation tea cookies arrives. Then the main course, a three-level tower of sweet and savory treats along with saucer-sized macarons and small jars of sweet toppings to put on them. Macarons instead of scones was a little upsetting to me and the only misstep as who wants to put clotted cream on a macaron?! We loved almost all of the savory options, the prawn on toast being our favorite and the hot soup being the least compelling. The sweets were a little less up my alley as I'm a chocolate girl but they had a wonderful selection of flavors that fit with the Chinese theme that chocolate doesn't play much of a part in. The biscuit cookie was pretty but stale and bland, the money cake we each had three of it was so good. My favorite part of the Kai afternoon tea was the fabulous service. We were greeted and seated promptly, given ample refills and we felt completely comfortable despite being the least chicly-dressed people there that afternoon (we had come from a full day of walking in cold weather - everyone else had clearly arrived just for the tea ;p). Highly recommend! read more

Very beautiful restaurant interior and polite service. The food was artfully presented. The tongue numbing fish was fantastic. We were a bit disappointed by the chili lobster dish since it felt like for the price we paid, we didn't get much seafood. The pandan crime brûlée was fantastic though--a must order! read more

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Kai is not just a fine Chinese restaurant. Whilst its cuisine is predominantly Chinese, its dishes are largely inspired by the owners' Malaysian heritage. Bernard and Eileen have kept their forefathers' pioneering spirit. Their menu constantly evolves, adapting to changing tastes and they are also open to experimenting with a mix of local and exotic ingredients. The restaurant's elegant and serene setting, underpinned by impeccable service, allows one to truly appreciate every dish, including the subtle nuances. We enjoyed a spectacular Yee Sang Salad (unique to Singapore and Malaysia), a celebratory Chinese New Year dish. It comprised 18 ingredients in all, including edible violets, pansies and fresh salmon. A delicate steamed Aubergine dish in a light soy dressing was finished with toppings of fermented black beans and sliced red chili, lending it piquancy and a touch of heat. Sweet & Sour Pork, a perennial favorite of mine, was delicious. The vinegary zing was rounded off by the mellow sweetness of sugar, a perfect balance. Long Life Noodles with Pork Belly & Morels featured earthy morel mushrooms and smoky black pudding, adding a unique twist to traditional egg noodles. Kai's desserts are amazing! Every one of them is a stunning display in creativity and is delicious to boot. The exotically sounding "Black Pearl of Eternal Fortunes" featured an imposing black chocolate "pearl" resting on a red sesame chiffon base and surrounded by three jelly like "diamond" gems. Crack open the pearl shell to reveal a scroll of edible rice paper (your fortune) lying amidst a pool of popping candy. There is an interesting legend which inspired this dessert, read all about it in their menu. The picturesque "Chocolate Does Grow on Trees" is a chocoholic's delight. Macarons representing mushroom caps, their stems made out from a mix of chocolate fondant, praline ice cream, or chestnut purée, with chocolate granules scattered all round to represent earth. This forest mushroom theme dessert was visually stunning and tasted as good as it looked. Coconut, Lychee & Mango by the Beach featured scoops of refreshing coconut and mango sorbet as well as fresh mango and lychees, wheatgrass, jellies (as kelp), gelatin (as sea foam) and ground rice crispies (as sand). This delectable dessert was also a feast for the senses. Last but not least, Durian & Vanilla Soufflé with salted caramel was mouthwateringly luscious. Durian (considered the king of fruits in south east Asia) paired wonderfully with vanilla, the accompanying crispy durian flavored wafers provided a lovely crunch. Go and try the fresh and innovative cuisine at Kai and be sure to stay for dessert! read more

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Classy, high end, and decently delicious. - Cocktails are absolutely delicious - the Lychee martini packed a punch and was very well made (17 pounds) - Kavalan limited edition - super rare bottle; really enjoyed it - Beef - 10/10 - probably the best dish of the night; the sauce and crunchiness were spot on - 1/2 duck - 8/10 - extremely huge portions. Honestly likely filling enough for 2 people in itself as a meal - Longetivity noodles - decent 6/10 - would pass; temperature was okay and would be better hotter - Pork Belly cooked 18 hours - 5/10 - was a bit dry; not missing out. Flavors were not too unique Overall, the aura was fun, classy, and high end. A few of the servers were still in training, so no harm there. The audience that goes there are mainly tourists, so many were talking on their cell phones, asking for chargers, and creating noise. Just a caution. Would visit again for a special occasion. Not for regular dining. read more

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The Aromatic Crispy Duck was very dry, a poor choice, especially as the lamb we observed on the adjacent table which was occupied by a famous US tennis professional looked scrumptious. At this level, one would expect every choice to be spectacular. read more

We had of one the best Chinese food ever, Great service friendly staff good variety choices in the menu, bit expensive but worth it

The fact that the name of this restaurant is the English translation of a Chinese name whilst the traditional character is nowhere to be seen in the logo, on the menu, or even in the shop front is a dead giveaway that the restaurant may have traditional roots but actually tries consciously hard to please the Western critics in order to achieve their Michelin Star status; thus everything from the food to the service to the decoration feels contrived.  What Kai has done very well is to make the most of the small space they have and arrange seating such that each party of people can feel accommodated with their own private space and no apparent time restrictions; as all too often restaurants fall into the trap of trying to squeeze too many people in for high turnover but sacrifice on the quality of the dining experience.  The food menu makes for an interesting read. The introduction boldly states that Kai's philosophy of "Liberated Chinese Cooking" means "a strong respect for tradition and craft, an insatiable appetite for innovation and purpose and a clear & distinct personality in every dish". Yet interestingly when you access their menu online they have cut out this out; perhaps they realised they are not actually living up to these words? I do not think that keeping crispy duck, lobster and noodles, hot and sour soup and sweet and sour pork on the menu translates into having "a strong respect for Chinese tradition and craft" as these aren't quite traditional Chinese cuisine and at least two thirds of the menu choices have questionable connection to any Chinese influence at all e.g. they have Lightly Roasted Norwegian Halibut, Pig in Blankets, Duke of Berkshire Pork, Pan-fried Foie Gras, and Iberico Pork Loin (which includes Granny Smith jelly), then there is barely any hint of Chinese craft in the desserts which are prepared by a Polish chef and they is only 3 types of Chinese tea available. So you soon realise when it advertises itself online as having won recognition as the Best Chinese Restaurant in London this description is a bit of a stretch of the word Chinese.  The china and cutlery are noticeably plain, the pictures lining the walls are random and quite distracting and the ornaments are large and peculiar as if the restaurant is trying to be quirky and modern. The metal teapots in which they serve Chinese tea are impractical as they do not preserve the temperature of tea well unlike the more commonly used traditional porcelain teapots. There are also no tea leaves in the teapot as if it has been diluted. The set menu includes as starters: Wasabi prawns (which were indeed intriguing and innovative and probably the best starter), 'A Nest of Imperial Jewels' (which was chopped prawns and mustard greens on a leaf of lettuce - not really deserving of its fancy name), Translucent 'Shanghai' noodle sheets (which was basically sheets of glass noodle, textured almost like cold Chinese seaweed, together with cucumber, chicken and sesame vinaigrette - my favourite starter), and Portobello mushroom (sliced mushroom dressed with soy vinaigrette, shallot oil and chopped coriander). So this gives a sense for why Kai earned their Michelin star as their food offers a good variety of textures, presentation and tastes - something for everyone's liking.  For the main courses: Roasted Chilean Seabass (which served up well-cooked succulent seabass doused in 'a caramelised marinade of full-bodied Chinkiang black vinegar syrup, mustard and soy with chickpeas, cherry tomato, shallots and ginger, which was indeed tasty but the added bits seemed excessive), Chicken Cashew Nuts (name missing the word "with"), Lobster & Lobster (which was your typical ginger and spring onion flavoured lobster with a bundle of soft noodles), Stir-fried Broccolini, and Spice-Scented Ginger and Sesame Oil Rice (which seemed like so-called fragranced rice for novelty value as the flavours could barely be tasted).  Onto dessert, which proved to be the best portion of the meal. There were 6 shades of chocolate and nuts, Mandarin and Chocolate Fondant, and Christmas Cheesecake. All 3 options were stunning to look at, included multiple layers of texture and attention to detail, and were delicious. There was a delightful surprise post-dessert as a range of petit fours ("complements of the chef") were offered and these included a very unique rabbit-sweet-milk flavoured macaroon and a very rich good-quality chocolate. One thing was for sure, the head pastry chef Szymon Grzanka could produce sweet "pieces of heaven" which may be why many of Kai's other desserts had run out that evening. So all in all, Kai certainly has its merits and shows creativity worth visiting, but the decor, names of dishes and even features such as chairs, china, teapots and toilets could do with more refining, and don't expect Kai to represent traditional Chinese cuisine as it seems to have taken a detour to meet certain expectations, leaving behind traditional roots. read more

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Came here for my birthday on 7th December with my boyfriend. Service was very pleasant, but the lady at the front upon arrival has a confused look on her face trying to ask us, "are you sure you're at the right pace?", "how may I help you?" Food was really good - would definitely recommend the wasabi prawns- You have just got to try it! And also recommend the seabass. Good portions in comparison to other restaurants for the same price read more

Atmosphere: Kinda 4 star, but when i went to the female washroom, there is a guy there and he say he is checking some stuff with no signs outside, so i was feeling a bit scared. Food: We were there for Saturday brunch 55 per person, i might have a too high expectation as they are a Michelin star restaurant. The food is not real Chinese food as per my understanding, its too oily for us and most of the dish is sweet and sour, not a big diff flavor btw each of them. The appetizer prawn chips are good and the only one made me feel they are a michelin restaurant is the dessert. other than that, nothing to recommend. Service: Its just ok, we never get our water refilled by the waiter. ok we did it ourselves.. not sure why we need to pay the 12.5% service fee.. Probly go in the wrong time or get the wrong combo, we didnt finish the dish and did not enjoy most of the food read more

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Food is poor and pricey. Zero ambiance. Can't imagine why would people eat there. Ot and sour soup was terrible. Just like eating a worm soya souse with a cup of sugar. I also ordered another dish that was unbeatable (sweet and sour pork), When the waiter asked how it was I said not tasty. He shrugged his shoulders and left. Did not even offered to replace it. Over all it's a sting. Do not waist your time and money there. read more

From the moment I walked into Kai I started to get exited! The decor, lighting and dishes on other guest tables I saw as we were escorted to our table had epic meal written all over it. We had a larger party (10 of us) so we were seated in a private room downstairs. We had a few patrons with us so they did the ordering for the rest of us. The wasabi prawns are probably the best preparation of a prawn/shrimp I've ever had, you must get an order when dining here. Other stand outs were the Peking duck eggplant and the lamb. The wine list is pretty impressive and the dessert medley we ordered was like the greatest hits of desserts. I can't wait to to go back. read more

Kai Mayfair - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Wow, this place was wonderful! My husband wanted to do something nice for my sisters and I and made us reservations here.. it was all of our first times eating at a Michelin star restaurant! The price was what you expect.. about $500 for three people for soup, appetizer, entrée, drinks and dessert. The thing you HAVE to get is Oprah's contradiction. It's a dessert platter with everything and its UH-MAZING. The hot and sour soup prides itself in being the best you'll ever have.. I'm not sure if it was.. I would give the soup a 4/5. The Chilean sea bass was delicious with a buttery flaky texture. The chicken and the lamb is halal here so that's a plus! I would def. recommend for a special occasion and would def. return! read more

For a weekend lunch, Kai was not overly busy and we were given a choice of tables. Our impressions did not start well due to a number of incidents. The pair of chopsticks laid on the table on my side was not clean and it still had some food crust stuck to it. Inexcusable really. It also took forever for the waiter to come back to get our orders. We practically looked around and had to wave for quite a while before we caught the attention of another waiter that was serving a different table. He had to call ours back from goodness know where. Our waiter took our orders and then we saw him just wandering around while I was still waiting for my replacement chopsticks. I seriously am not impressed with this guy. Before our starters arrived, we were served an amuse bouche of Miso soup with Enoki mushrooms, goji berries and tofu. I was thinking miso soup in Chinese cuisine? This had chilli flakes in it which gives it a spicy tang and there was a Chinese flavour to the soup which distinguishes it from the Japanese version. This was very much enjoyed. The entrees were a bit of a disappointment. Both were very subtle flavours and lack that kick or depth to round out the balance. It didn't help that due to the heighten spiciness in the amuse bouche, the delicate flavours of the entree were overpowered which makes it lack the final punch even more. We were served another amuse bouche next which we were told is a palate cleanser. It was a sorbet made with blood orange. Very refreshing and citrusy. The two amuse bouche should have been swapped around. The refreshing citrus would have made the delicate flavours of the entree stand out more while the heavier spicy miso soup would not have taken away the stronger flavours of the mains. Needless to say, not very impressed so far and when asked by a differed waiter who came to clear our plates, that was what we said. Lamb was cooked to medium and the texture played really well with the turnip cake. The turnip cake was wonderfully delicious with crispy skin and a moist turnip filling. I was equally impressed with my Chilean Seabass. The sauce had different base notes and I could detect tomato sauce and chillies. After the dish my tongue tingled almost like it has awakened my taste buds and leaves u wanting more. It was a full turn around and the mains were in a different league to the entrees that was eaten earlier. There were complexities to the flavours of the mains and most surprisingly, the mains have been tweaked to suit the western palate without compromising on the Chinese flavours. It was a very successful marriage as we were able to taste the Chinese elements in both mains. It actually left us wanting to come back to try others such as their sweet and sour dish which is a classic Cantonese cuisine and even their BBQ pork 'char siu' and roast pork 'siu yuk' to see what they can do to elevate it. There was only one choice with dessert. Before we had ours, we noticed that the gentleman at the next table did not touch the pears at all. We assumed that it must not be great and the chestnut parfait would be the better of the two. Were we pleasantly wrong about this. The Nashi pears slices still had its crunchy texture and works really well with the red wine, cinnamon and chocolate sauce that coated it. The chestnut parfait was actually the weaker of the two with the chestnut flavour being too mild. We had a different waiter from the mains onwards and he was so much better which made our experience all the more pleasurable. At the end, there were a tray of petit fours. We started with the one in the middle which turned out to be Passion fruit macaroon with coconut flakes. This was followed by Buttered cake with a nutty crunch top layer that had been topped with sugar to give it that sticky caramelisation. Next was a chocolate with White choc coffee ganache followed by a Salted caramel ganache. The last two was a chocolate with what tasted like whipped Butterscotch Caramel and the other a glutinous sponge texture with peanuts. read more

A phenomenal restaurant well deserving of a Michelin Star - everything was so good - one of the best in London

To preface, I believe Yelp review should be food-centric, that's why I am giving it an "A-Ok" 3 stars. If it were for some travel or "experience" website, I'd be a lot more generous with the rating. I had to do a business diner and the requirement is Chinese. The recommendation came from a bunch of I-bankers, none are Chinese or Chinese foodie as far as I know but all unanimously pointed to this one as "the best" in London, so imagine my suspicion level (about the food only, I knew everything else would be beautiful). Everything else WAS beautiful. Decor is elegant and delicately luxe without being pretentious. Top notch professional services; the staff know how to be attentive yet discreet if you need to talk business in the private room. Now the food. As one yelper put it well....nothing tasted bad, but nothing was attention grabbing. You certainly notice other things more than the taste of the food itself, like how exquisitely every dish was presented with thoughtful design and coordination with serving vessels and cutlery. It's almost like the taste of the food became the least important or the most forgettable aspect of the dining experience. I cracked up when walking out of the restaurant, the very people whom I'd try to impress with "Chinese food" told me they didn't realize they were in a Chinese restaurant. All said, this is an excellent place to have a good dining experience especially if on business account. Don't go there to fix your craving for Chinese food. read more

The food have less qualityWe have too order more and more dishes But i like the place where is nice atmosphere. read more

Kai Mayfair - ice wine And beer - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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My recent experience was not the first at this beautiful restaurant. I took my daughter to the afternoon tea. We arrived slightly early but we accommodated straight away as the table was already set. As I have a mobility issue, the hostess, very kind and polite found an alternative route which was a nice start. The waiter was very pleasant. However, the limited amount and variety of food was poor. The decor was splendid, we have awaited for the food for quite some time. 5 minutes after tea was served we were told that kitchen is closing, we had hardly a chance to taste anything we are asked what else do we want. We felt really rushed. The creme brulee was too similar with the cake served. In my opinion below average quality for a Mishelin star restaurant. Then waiter said goodbye as he had to leave. During less than 2 hours stay. Disappointing but it can happen. Also rose tea was a tea bag. We could not eat our money cakes, I asked to take them. Our waitress told us we cannot. I asked what do you do with these cakes now, she said we throw they away. I refused for the 1st time in my life to pay the service charge. She repeated it again So you refuse to pay the Service charge, Madam. Hm, I think something is seriously wrong with the Management. Poor experience and poor value for money. There are a number of places we have been and enjoyed more. It would be inappropriate to comment any further. read more

Amazing food, probably one of the best Chinese restaurants I have been in London. Had the private room and the service was excellent, staff was really nice! Just think its a bit overpriced, but well, that is Mayfair for our pockets. Also, the food might be really good (still didnt liked the spicy soup they served me) but I think the portions are ridiculously small... still I give it 4 stars for the quality. read more

This is hands down the best chinese restaraunt in the planet. The chef is a genious, Kai is a must for Chinese food lovers. The Lamb Shank Soup (not in the menu, they will be happy to prepare it though) is a must, the crispy duck as well as the Wasabi prawns is the best you will ever have. Highly recomended! read more

Nice atmosphere for a slightly formal dinner, food is great, the hot and sour soup truly is the best!! Peking duck is fantastic too. read more

Kai Mayfair - Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

This is a very nice looking restaurant. The staff were very well dressed and the inside was very well lay ed out. The clientele at this restaurant was quite uptight and stuffy. The main thing you come for to a good restaurant is food. When you pay good money for the food, you also expect it to be good. So in a few words, I have much better Cantonese and Schezuan food at 1/10 of the price. Their meat dishes, Ostrich and Chicken ( Phoenix ) was good. Their deserts were quite good but was very western. I will not be back here for sure. read more

this place maybe an overpriced restaurant at first sight but i maintain that it was worth it. An upscale chinese, best left to corporate dinners and aristocratic family dynasty dinners. a fabulously decked out private room for i guess all the board members of your capitalist empires. read more

Phenomenal blend of contemporary and old school Chinese. Sauces were all extremely tasty. I enjoyed the "family style" element, sharing can be good, occasionally. Very accommodating to my peanut allergy. Will be back. read more

A good friend of ours had been here this summer and highly recommended it so we chose to go. The flavor of the food was very good but the portions and the service were less than desirable. When we sat down the service seemed like it would be great and then the next 15 minutes we sat there. Finally the waitress came up and she asked to take our food order, are you serious? Drinks would be nice. We ordered all at once and it was another 15 minutes to get four drinks. The double espresso cane right away. They need to fire the bartender or light a fire under his ----- . The rack of veal $42 sounded interesting. I asked if it was prepared and served like rack of lamb since I have never seen this on a menu. She said yes that is correct so I was expecting 3-4 chops like you get when ordering a tack of lamb in an upscale restaurant. I about fell out of my chair when she placed my plate in front of me with a thin single chop. I was shocked. I paid $12 for something like this at home. The sauce was exceptional, the quality of the veal was sub par. Needless to say the evening had bad service issues from the veg go and then this. Others really enjoyed the Chilean Seabass, however there were two types and one was very small and my daughter doesn't even eat much. I knew when I looked st the menu this afternoon we should of changed it. read more

Kai Mayfair - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

Hmm. Basically, fine but not as good as it should be. Decor is hotel luxe - dark wood and white carpets. Service is friendly but not quite up to the level it should be for the price. Food is a mix of fusion (wasabi prawns) and westernised Chinese - crispy duck, sea bass etc. Deserts are good but western. In essense, this is really 'Chinese' food for the expense account crowd. You won't have anything bad, but this is not really up to the price/location standard it aspires to, and you could have a much better meal for the money. read more

So good! The wasabi shrimp appetizer was delicious. The spicy lobster dish was amazing - try it if you like spicy food. It was full of flavor and HOT! Definitely a must while visiting London. I am disappointed that I won't be in town to try their new tasting brunch starting later in May - it looks wonderful!! read more

Kai is one of the most prestigious high end Chinese restaurants in London and it's certainly my favourite for Chinese because of its pleasant elegant atmosphere and the truly excellent quality of the food. The hot and sour soup at Kai is by far the best I ever had, and I tried it at every Chinese restaurant I've been to all over the world. The crispy duck, the beef sirloin and the lobster are also extraordinary. The menu is not as varied as Royal China's due to their focus on high end delicacies, but the dishes they offer are prepared to an exceptional standard. The service remains fine overall, but since they conducted a major overhaul of staff in 2009, it became slightly less personal. This place is frequented by many renowned and wealthy Londoners, and of course, it's very expensive. But given the exclusive character of the restaurant and the quality of its food, it's certainly worth the money. I would highly recommend to anyone to experience such thrilling Chinese cuisine. read more

What happens when you are in London on a Friday night and you don't make reservations in advance? It ain't fun. After dilly dallying for a good couple of hours researching restaurants in Mayfair and SOHO for a nice Friday dinner with a friend and fellow foodie, I found that most places were totally booked up -- but not Kai (via opentable affiliate TOPtable. I'm not a big fan of Chinese food, but the menu here looked intriguing. The restaurant is attractive, and very vertical. Luckily we were seated on the main level and not in the basement (lower section). There were many wait staff, some who spoke good English and others that didn't. For example, when we were seated one of the wait staff asked if we wanted something to drink. I asked, "do you have a full service bar?" and he looked at me strange. I then asked, "do you serve cocktails" and you would have though I asked if Cats from Mars had attacked London. I then said "like martinis?" and the poor Eastern European lad finally got it (not what I was expecting for such a highly rated restaurant - but then I did get a last minute reservation and they were not full this night). Turns out they didn't have the gin I wanted for a martini, so I got a T&T. For an appetizer I got the hot and sour soup since I noticed it had chunks of lobster in it. The soup indeed was full of chunks of tender lobster and it was a really good hot and sour soup. They served a side of chili oil to control the "heat". Thank God I tried a couple of spoon fulls of the soup cause "My mouth was on fire" w/o the chili oil. I got the Sea Bass filet (after some confusion with talking to another waiter where I learned they had two sea bass entrees). The one I got was the roasted sea bass with a caramelized black vinegar syrup, mustard and soy. It was served with chick peas and some other stuff. I have to say, the two filets were generous and the quality was excellent. However, it was too hot for me (I'm not a guy who likes really spicy food) and my mouth was on fire yet again from this dish. My friend ordered a desert that was bleh and since it was Chinese new year we were given some candies, of which I ate one that tasted like chocolate fudge and was good. Kai is better than Nobu around the corner but I doubt I will be back. read more

For photos and complete review, please go to http://chopstix2steaknives.blogspot.com/2011/03/kay-mayfair-successful-marriage.html For a weekend lunch, Kai was not overly busy and we were given a choice of tables. Our impressions did not start well due to a number of incidents. The pair of chopsticks laid on the table on my side was not clean and it still had some food crust stuck to it. Inexcusable really. It also took forever for the waiter to come back to get our orders. We practically looked around and had to wave for quite a while before we caught the attention of another waiter that was serving a different table. He had to call ours back from goodness know where. Our waiter took our orders and then we saw him just wandering around while I was still waiting for my replacement chopsticks. I seriously am not impressed with this guy. Before our starters arrived, we were served an amuse bouche of Miso soup with Enoki mushrooms, goji berries and tofu. I was thinking miso soup in Chinese cuisine? This had chilli flakes in it which gives it a spicy tang and there was a Chinese flavour to the soup which distinguishes it from the Japanese version. This was very much enjoyed. The entrees were a bit of a disappointment. Both were very subtle flavours and lack that kick or depth to round out the balance. It didn't help that due to the heighten spiciness in the amuse bouche, the delicate flavours of the entree were overpowered which makes it lack the final punch even more. We were served another amuse bouche next which we were told is a palate cleanser. It was a sorbet made with blood orange. Very refreshing and citrusy. The two amuse bouche should have been swapped around. The refreshing citrus would have made the delicate flavours of the entree stand out more while the heavier spicy miso soup would not have taken away the stronger flavours of the mains. Needless to say, not very impressed so far and when asked by a differed waiter who came to clear our plates, that was what we said. Lamb was cooked to medium and the texture played really well with the turnip cake. The turnip cake was wonderfully delicious with crispy skin and a moist turnip filling. I was equally impressed with my Chilean Seabass. The sauce had different base notes and I could detect tomato sauce and chillies. After the dish my tongue tingled almost like it has awakened my taste buds and leaves u wanting more. It was a full turn around and the mains were in a different league to the entrees that was eaten earlier. There were complexities to the flavours of the mains and most surprisingly, the mains have been tweaked to suit the western palate without compromising on the Chinese flavours. It was a very successful marriage as we were able to taste the Chinese elements in both mains. It actually left us wanting to come back to try others such as their sweet and sour dish which is a classic Cantonese cuisine and even their BBQ pork 'char siu' and roast pork 'siu yuk' to see what they can do to elevate it. There was only one choice with dessert. Before we had ours, we noticed that the gentleman at the next table did not touch the pears at all. We assumed that it must not be great and the chestnut parfait would be the better of the two. Were we pleasantly wrong about this. The Nashi pears slices still had its crunchy texture and works really well with the red wine, cinnamon and chocolate sauce that coated it. The chestnut parfait was actually the weaker of the two with the chestnut flavour being too mild. We had a different waiter from the mains onwards and he was so much better which made our experience all the more pleasurable. At the end, there were a tray of petit fours. We started with the one in the middle which turned out to be Passion fruit macaroon with coconut flakes. This was followed by Buttered cake with a nutty crunch top layer that had been topped with sugar to give it that sticky caramelisation. Next was a chocolate with White choc coffee ganache followed by a Salted caramel ganache. The last two was a chocolate with what tasted like whipped Butterscotch Caramel and the other a glutinous sponge texture with peanuts. Special mention has to be given to the wine pairings as well. For the mains, it was Mourvèdre, Hewitson 'Old Garden' from Barossa Valley, South Australia which was really unique and went really well with the mains. For the dessert pairing, I could not remember the name but it was a wine that had additional spirits added to upp the alcohol level. Excellent! The set lunch with matching wines is £39 and without is £27 not including service. I think that the set lunch is well worth it and I left Kai feeling satisfied and impressed. Definitely coming back to try the 'Classic platter of honey roasted 'char siew' and crispy pork belly' , especially when it has this description "After 2 weeks intensive travelling to 5 cities and 20 restaurants eating our weight in char read more

Amazing, some of the best Chinese modern food in London. Many vegetarian options, very quiet, so good for business meetings or going out with friends and family. Every dish is a surprise. read more

The family had dinner here last week - after months and months of trying to book a table, but always leaving it too late, we finally got a table (yay to my sister taking initiative!). Was it worth it? Yes, definitely! The food is really very good - some dishes obviously better than others. My dad loved the Chilean sea bass so much, that he ordered a second helping (it was his birthday, so he was allowed!). There are some more unusual dishes - like ostrich, which was cooked perfectly - moist and tender. My other half opted to have sweet and sour pork (to test whether you can tell the difference between normal sweet and sour pork and Michelin star quality sweet and sour pork. It was a great sweet and sour pork, but I think my mum makes just as good!) Of course, you do pay for the quality of the food - it's one of those places that you can come to for a very, very special occasion unless you're loaded. The nice touch was that the kitchen made my dad a special birthday cake (it was complimentary, which was a bonus) - although, we mentioned it to dad a bit too late and he'd ordered dessert already. Never seen my dad so happy during a meal before! Worth a visit at least once in your life... read more

This place is ridiculously good with prices to match. The restaurant is dressy and elegant, servers are knowledgeable and polite. They have a great wine list. The food is amazing amazing. Everything tastes fresh and is served perfectly. Regular Chinese fare that I would order at a take-out is elevated to gourmet 5-star status somehow. Happy I got to eat here, happy I wasn't paying! read more