Modern-ish, young, fresh restaurant. Food looks good, tastes clean and authentic. Service is helpful, friendly and attentive. Things we enjoyed: Skirt steak, ceviche, empanadas, House salad, plantains Passionfruit Pisco Sour cocktail. We wanted to try something new and adventurous and this place delivered in spades, bravo! read more

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Portions were not huge but food was tasty service was friendly and atmosphere was very cute. I think my fave was ambiance and my Maracuya pisco ! So yum. Also the croquets of ají de gallina was so good. Everything was great. Has parking a little tight but convenient. Only wish their portions were a bit bigger. If in Elizabeth worth a try! read more

KAI Restaurant & Bar - Cróquets, delish! - Peruvian Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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I tried out this new Peruvian spot in Elizabeth and had a mixed experience. First off, parking is limited, the lot is small and a little tight, but I guess at least they have parking. Once inside, the space is beautifully decorated and has a nice vibe. Service was where things fell short. For a busy Sunday night, there were only two servers, and one of them was also handling the bar and making the cocktails . They were clearly stretched thin, which meant there wasn't much time for small talk or making guests feel especially welcomed. Not terrible, just not what you'd expect at this price point. Drinks were the highlight of the night. I ordered both the classic pisco sour and the maracuyá version, and both were excellent, the bartender definitely knows what they're doing. For my entrée, I had the lomo saltado. It was decent, but not memorable, and I wasn't a fan of the home fries it came with. The waiter said the restaurant is geared to be more gourmet but the presentation for the lomo was not gourmet. For dessert I had the crème brûlée and chocolate cake with ice cream, both just okay, nothing stood out. Overall, the food portions are on the smaller side and definitely pricey. For the cost, I expected a stronger experience across the board. The staff did mention that they have live music on Fridays, so I might come back just for drinks and the entertainment, but probably not for a full dinner. read more

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My husband saw this place and decided for us to try it. It is fabulous. The food was flavorful and well cooked. The drinks were pleasing to the eye but also the palette. They were just the right amount of strong. It's not a big location, so make reservations. When we left the people were pouring in. read more

I absolutely love this restaurant. It's nice to see Elizabeth bring something so modern chic for the community. The food is absolutely delicious and the service is so welcoming. Special shoutout to Juan David, my family and I really appreciated his service. The seafood was fresh, seasoned to perfection, and honored Peru in such a beautiful way. Also, one of my favorite things about Kai was the drink options. Whether you drink alcohol or not, there are so many options and they're all so good! As a mocktail girlie, I over how creative they were-- definitely not the basic "mojito" or " Shirley temple" . I can't wait to come back!!! read more

We were treated pleasantly at the door, felt welcome and we chose the table we wanted. Ambience was calm with a great music playlist. Food was 10/10 and our drinks were top tier, cheers to the bartender read more

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10/10 totally recommended. What a wonderful place, great environment, friendly staff, delicious food. This unassuming gem captures the essence of traditional Peruvian cuisine, with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and bold, rich flavors. I will definitely come back again :) read more

I've been obsessed with Kai since I first tried it. I'm. massive critic of Peruvian cuisine and this place doesn't disappoint. Try the Parrillero roll, the Ceviche Kai, and the octopus. On the drinks side, also very well thought out. Was a huge fan of the Chicha Sour. I highly recommend this place! read more

KAI Restaurant & Bar - Ceviche Kai - Peruvian Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

The food was really nice especially the green pasta which was really good The service was really good the people over there are really polite The atmosphere was good and I would recommend coming here to eat The only thing that really doesn't bother me but would be good if there was more things in the menu but overall for me 5 stars highly recommend read more

Beautiful ambiance, amazing service, and exquisite food. I am a visual eater and the presentation was sublime. My husband and I had the Causa Limeña as a starter. We followed with the Lomo saltado and Jalea Mixta. Finally, we ended with the Alfajores and ice cream. Everything was delicious and the service was top notch. Highly recommend. read more

KAI Restaurant & Bar - Causa Limeña - Peruvian Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Food and drinks are excellent, very very impressed! Will definitely come back for more!!! read more

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The food was excellent and the employees very nice and wonderful went two times the first time was really busy but the second time got in it was worth the wait the ceviche was wonderful and the churrasco good read more

The food was good but the service was terrible. Whatever you order you will never get the food the way you want it. And the waiter and waitress will argue with you and tell you the food you ordered you have received it. The manager/owner Ken is nice but the service is horrible. Everyone at the table had the chance to get their food in an orderly manner, whereas I personally never had the chance to even eat my food. What sense does it make to have dishes cleared down and one person still eating? I understand that the kitchen is understaffed, however, what is the point in saying that when I can quite literally make eye contact with you bringing out other tables' entrees and desserts? The ambiance is nice. read more

Beautiful place and delicious food. We sat at the bar. Miguel was wonderful. The drinks yummy

Loveeee Kai! Food, service, music, DRINKSSS one of my fav places in Jersey. They're so nice and warm there

My husband and I drove by one night and loved the vibes, so we came back the next day to try them out. It did not disappoint! The food was delicious - well seasoned and meat was super tender. We'll be back! read more

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The food is great. Perfect price point. The service is amazing. Very attentive. The atmosphere is excellent. Good music but you can still have a conversation at the table. Excellent. read more

Wow my stomach is been full filled i try the ceviche the anticuchos the papa a la huancaina the tallarines rojos and the arroz con camarones omg i will definitely come back the service was perfect they even close the daughter for my autistic daughter the owner was very nice im very happy and will definetely come back and recomen i usually take pictures but i ate it all before i took it lol thank you so much. read more

Kai is so lovely. One of my favorite places in Elizabeth to date. The food and drinks are amazing on top of great service. Highly recommend!

I decided to try this new place but I ended up so disappointed. To be fair the place is beautiful, great decoration. Nice selection of Mocktails. Unfortunately, when it came to the food, the shrimp roll were blamed, the empanadas were ok. When I ordered my main, Skirt Steak estilo Limeño, I clearly said Medium Well but more well. The meat came more medium raw, the green spaghetti did not have any pesto taste, the papa huancaina had no cheese taste. We were hoping that the ceviche that my husband ordered will make up for the steak but it was difficult to eat. It was excessively spicy and the waiter Juan David did not ask if we wanted with spicy or not. The menu does not warn people that the dish will be spicy. It was so spicy that it caused me to get up and use the restroom since I started coughing and sneezing. When we told the waiter about the ceviche, he actually came back and said that he tried it and it was indeed very spicy and smile. The worst part of the experience was the service. We were seated in the back of the restaurant which was ok. However, several times we tried to get the server's attention and once he acknowledged but was only focused on the large groups in the front. We had to get the bill from the bartender/busgirl. The bill showed that he put "medium spicy" for the ceviche without asking. The waiter never came back even to say thank you. This place focuses on serving only the big groups. There were other tables in the back of two people and we were ignored for a while. They spend so much money on decor, they should invest in increasing staff and training staff. You should service a small group the same way you serve a large group. read more

($$$) Ordered Huancaina ($13) , Inca Kola (4 x $4 can = $16), Lomo Saltado ($32). Did not order Plaintain & Fried Egg ($5), but it was applied to the order. I hate fried eggs and would never order a Lomo a lo Pobre. Subtotal ($66), Tax ($4.37), Mandatory 18% Gratuity ($11.88) and Total ($85.42). Gratuity came as a surprise as it was not displayed on a table sign or electronic menu (Google). Tip was additional (18% = $15.38) for a grand total of $100.80; we consider a gratuity and a tip to be the same sum of money; since the order was incorrect, no bonus tip was given. Food was well-prepared, but portion size was underwhelming. We came hungry and left hungry. Ambiance was pleasant with the exception of honking horns from the street traffic at the nearby intersection. Clean restaurant and bathroom. Pleasant staff. We were the only patrons in the restaurant. Now we know why. read more