Yuen P L.
Yelp
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.
