I really enjoyed Kai. It's an extravagance dependent on subtleties, (which can be confusing to the average American,) so you have to pay attention to all details of the presentation, right down to the hand crafted utensils and slate placemats. It might be best for a couple, since a large group with lots of conversation could distract from the experience, and if you absent-mindedly wolf a couple of bites you may miss something important. We had the 10-course menu. It started with a plate of tiny appetizers, which was amazing. Crunchy herring roe, buttery monk fish liver, tiny oyster topped with caviar, some sort of root, well, I can't remember it all, but it was a crazy range of tastes and textures which pretty much set the tone for what the place is up to. If you didn't get off on that, you wouldn't be overly impressed with the rest of the meal, which recapitulated the premise on a slightly larger scale. Dishes included a sushi plate, a beef plate, gelatinous tofu, et al. You got to choose between two soup courses and two main fish dishes. I went for the clear fish broth, which was wonderfully smoky. It would have made a fine vapor bath, and the same spirit infused the black cod wrapped in bamboo and steamed under a dome of salt. The alternate choices of lily bulb puree and Chilean sea bass with buckwheat risotto were heartier fare. Everything was good, but it was the combinations and contrasts that made the whole experience something out of the ordinary.
I guess Jim thought we might have pushed the wine envelope a bit more, but he was being generally disgruntled. I remember a Hirsch Riesling to start, and something red to finish, along with a couple of saki samples, which were interesting, but a bit too alcoholic for my taste. All in all, I thought it was a great experience. Yes, it was expensive, and not the sort of place you would be running right back to. From a certain viewpoint it was totally ludicrous, but if you could adopt the premise it was a real treat.
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I guess Jim thought we might have pushed the wine envelope a bit more, but he was being generally disgruntled. I remember a Hirsch Riesling to start, and something red to finish, along with a couple of saki samples, which were interesting, but a bit too alcoholic for my taste. All in all, I thought it was a great experience. Yes, it was expensive, and not the sort of place you would be running right back to. From a certain viewpoint it was totally ludicrous, but if you could adopt the premise it was a real treat.
- alex 1-16-2003 7:52 pm