Kai

Kai was the destination this week and only because a company card funded repast had been cancelled and we were seeking a suitable substitute albeit at our own cost. I explain this because the restaurant was not one I had heard much about though it's first star last year after some 15 years in situ had left it's name paddling around in my subconscious.

A starter of Wasabi Prawns lightly fried in Tempura batter and smothered in the eponymous sauce were pronounced delicious though the reference here is more Nobu's Rock Shrimp Tempura than Chinese. Drunken Pork was cooked to perfection though lost points for presentation as it arrived in a flaming foil pouch, more combustible NASA rocket shrouding than presentational theatre. The set lunch of grilled pork was excellent with a rich savoury sauce however the portion size was comedic in comparison to an a la carte dish. Better to increase the price and limit the set menu than leave diners hungry for more.

Service was polite with table side preparation of some dishes and the dining room is a pleasant five star hotel interior.

Prices here are an eyebrow raising experience though for some diners the sheer extravagance may be the point. Certainly traditional delicacies such as an Abalone and Sharks Fin based soup at £108 will reflect the rarity and cost of their ingredients whether you splash out in Mayfair or Aberdeen Harbour. The bill though outstrips China Tang's at the Dorchester without the kudo's of Alan Tangs's China Club brand and offers a mix of cuisines that puzzle the palate. An amuse bouche of a strawberry and grape salad with cos lettuce in a light dressing was neither seasonal nor oriental. A miso soup accompaniment is well put together but it's classic Japanese flavour contrast attacks the savoury sauces of it's partnered dishes. A standard selection of high end Petit fours at the end of the meal were a missed opportunity to reference the restaurants menu.

Ultimately, the kitchen wins on quality of ingredients and lightness of touch. It can produce some fine examples of classic Cantonese and Northern dishes but fails at the fusion approach when it strays from these.