KAI MAYFAIR - BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN LONDON
Kai Mayfair is a Chinese restaurant located on 65 South Audley Street, Mayfair, near Park Lane in London, England. It opened in 1993 and is owned by Rajan jeyabalan The current Head Chef is Alex Chow.
In 2009, Kai Mayfair was awarded a Michelin Star being the only Chinese restaurant added to the 2009 Michelin List in UK. Among its other awards include the Harden's Guide's award for Best Chinese Restaurant in London (2009 Edition) and The Zagat Survey's Best Chinese Restaurant in London for three years from 2003 - 2005. The restaurant also received nominations for Restaurant (magazine)'s UK Best Dishes as well as Tatler Magazine's Best Kitchen Awards in 2006. His son Abhishek Jeyabalan had helped by publishing articles to idols around London.
Kai Mayfair combines warm and attentive service in surroundings that whisper luxury perfect for ‘romance or business’. The style is fresh and innovative but never forgetting it’s true Chinese roots.
- Proprietor: Bernard Yeoh
- Executive Head Chef: Alex Chow
- Sommelier: Roberto
Kai Mayfair Restaurant
- Address: 65 South Audley Street. London, W1K 2QU
- Area: Mayfair
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Price: £41 and over
“A truly fine meal is enjoyed not once but three times, in anticipation, in consumption and in remembrance.”
Kai Mayfair opened in 1993 with the aim to reveal the diversity of Chinese food in a pleasing & comfortable environment where service
is attentive, warm but never pompous or judgemental.
If you haven’t been here before, consider this.... Sitting in an unfamiliar Chinese restaurant, have you already chosen the old Chinese classics before opening these pages? Dishes like Crispy Duck, Spare Ribs may have crossed your mind? Yes, they have some of these comfort recipes and yes, they do take a great deal of care preparing them.
At Kai, you can have much more than alternative versions of dishes you will already find in other Chinese restaurants. Their menu is almost entirely, a compilation of specialties unique to them and the recipes are
never softened or diluted, remaining true to their Oriental origins.
Allow them therefore, to offer to you, new experiences in Chinese food by ordering something unfamiliar. After all, a meal with no surprises is a culinary experience lost and a potentially memorable dining occasion wasted.
DESSERTS
It might seem odd that you are seeing desserts at the start of the menu - particularly in a Chinese restaurant where desserts are often seen as an after-thought. However, at Kai, they view desserts as an absolutely integral part of their meal experience and they hope to pursuade you to leave enough space for dessert by presenting the dessert menu before you consider your food. The Oriental tradition of fresh fruit at the end of a Chinese meal is celebrated in many of their desserts which aim to end the meal with the refreshing lightness of fresh fruit while incorporating dessert elements which are only a tiny-bit sinful. In others, they endeavour to include ingredients which have played a significant role in the very fragrant and tropical recipes of South East Asian Chinese desserts.
6 shades of Chocolate and Peanuts:
- Biscuity peanut daquoise.
- Creamy mascarpone & peanut mousse.
- Cold milk chocolate parfait with chocolate pearls.
- Salted peanut caramel,
- Crunchy sesame & cashew candy.
- Bill Mitchell’s popping chocolate candy.
- ‘Peranakan’ mango cake: Fresh mango slices and pearls, gula Melaka palm ice cream, pandan leaf ‘milkshake’ & sago crisp - inspired by the flavours of the Peranakan Chinese community of south-west Malaysia.
- Amedei Chocolate Fondant with Pistachio: Iranian green pistachio ice cream rolled in pistachio crumbs, cocoa nibs.
IN CELEBRATION OF FRUIT
The Oriental tradition of fresh fruit at the end of a Chinese meal is celebrated in the desserts below which aim to end the meal with the refreshing lightness of fresh fruit while incorporating dessert elements which are only a tiny-bit sinful.
Coconut & Lychees:
- Caramelised crispy puffed rice, lychee agar-agar & fruit.
- Coconut sorbet & crème patissière
Durian soufflé, vanilla & salted caramel:
- Durian & vanilla soufflé, durian tuile, salted caramel sauce.
- Native to South-East Asia and regarded as the ‘King of Fruits’, its unique bitter /sweet taste comes for the soft layer surrounding the seeds within a hard, thorny exterior weighing around 2k.
STARTERS
APPETISERS
- Seared Diver Scallop: Spicy XO Sauce, lotus root crisp, stir-fried vegetables.
- Smoked Goose
- Slow Cooked Egg: Black Truffle slice, Royal Beluski caviar, pancake crisp, soy, coriander cress & ginger
- Wasabi prawns: Mild wasabi mayonnaise, mango & basil seeds
- Lightly seared sirloin: Soy vinaigrette, shallot oil & chopped coriander
- Soft-Shelled Crab: Garlic, chilli & shallots spiced batter, peppercorns, green mango.
- Translucent ‘Shanghai’ noodle sheets: Sliced chicken, chopped coriander, soy & sesame vinaigrette.
-‘Little Shanghai’ Spare ribs: Sweet, sour and savoury flavours from a sauce of dark soy, chinkiang vinegar. Garnish of roasted
almonds, cress, dried cranberries, passion fruit, cashews..
-‘A Nest of Imperial Jewels’: Chopped prawns, mustard greens, butterhead lettuce wraps.
- Braised Abalone: 85 (Whole) 45 (Half) Black Truffles, Broccolini, Jus Reduction.
- Duke of Berkshire Pork: Honey Roasted ‘Char-siew’ served with steamed pancakes, pickled cucumbe.
- Pan-fried foie gras: Caramelised cashews, white pepper, spring onions, grapes, passion fruit dressin.
SOUPS
- Hot & Sour Soup: We are particularly proud of our Hot & Sour soup recipe which has the added luxury of fresh scallops and king prawns. Please let us know if you have tasted a better version elsewhere.
- Enoki Mushroom, Rich Chicken Broth
- Tan-Jia’s Broth: Duck & carrot soup, lobster oil, lobster, spinach.
- Chilean Sea Bass & Spicy Miso: The wonderfully luscious Chilean sea bass in a light ‘miso-type’ broad bean broth with an added
Szechuan spiciness - just enough create a tingle in your taste buds.
- Abalone Soup: With Beansprouts, parma ham, corn fed superior soup stock.
MAIN COURSES
SEAFOOD
- Tiger Prawns, Crisp Curry Leaves: Dressing of lemon, chilli, Indian and Chinese flavours experienced during the great journey along
the spice route.
- Stuffed Aubergines: Aubergines stuffed with finely chopped prawns, savoury black bean sauce.
-‘Chang Sah’ Prawns: Mandarin peel, yellow bean, soy, chilli. shallots, garlic & coriander.
- Roasted Chilean Seabass: Caramelised marinade of full-bodied Chinkiang black vinegar syrup, mustard, soy. Chickpeas, shallots & ginger.
- Whole Dover Sole ‘Goujons’: In light batter with fragrant ‘crumbs’ and sauce from curry leaf & chili.
- Whole Sea bass Ginger & Spring Onions: The benchmark for preparing fish in Chinese cooking. An inherent lightness from steaming, with
a fragrant, savoury mix of soya sauce and shallot infused oil.
- Lobster & Lobster: Our interpretation of the London Chinese restaurant classic - luxurious lobster oil drizzled over
poached noodles, shallots & corriander cress and served with lobster cooked in the familiar. Cantonese flavours of ginger & spring onions.
- Steamed Lobster with Garlic: Served with a combination of minced & crispy garlic, chopped Chinese parsley with infused
oils & soya sauce.
MEATS
- 5 Hour Oriental Spiced Pork Belly: Ginger, rice wine, cinnamon & soy.
- Iberico Pork Loin: Crisp bean & shrimp crumble, washington apple compote, granny smith jelly, apple blossom.
- Soy & Honey Marinated Roast Lamb: Lighty spiced with red chillies, shallots, garlic and coriander, root vegetable ‘chip’, Malaysian
cucumber & carrot ‘achar’ pickle.
- Lamb with Szechuan Peppercorn: Topping of crispy rice vermicelli noodles.
- Scottish Beccluech Sirloin: Crushed black pepper, garlic flakes and sliced Chinese croissant
- Wagyu Beef: Ginger paste and pan-fried spring onions.
POULTRY
- Corn-fed Chicken & Szechuan Spicy Crumble: Crumble mix of finely chopped shallots, garlic, soy, chili. Spring onions, sesame, pickled cucumber.
- Grilled marinated corn-fed chicken: First poached in chicken stock to tenderise and then chargrilled to flavour. Served with sliced
pork ‘lap cheong’, roasted garlic, bamboo shoots, mustard leaves & shimeji mushrooms.
- Chicken Cashew Nuts: Corn-fed chicken, dried chillies, spring onions, cashew nuts, seaweed, dark soya sauce.
- Braised Home-made Tofu with Minced Chicken: Chopped chicken & Nameko mushrooms.
VEGETABLES
- Asparagus: Minced Garlic & Bird’s Eye Chilli.
- Baby Pak Choy: Broccolini: Chopped garlic, shallot & lightly salted radish.
RICE & NOODLES
- Spice-Scented Fried Rice: Chilli, Coriander, or Ginger & Sesame Oil
- Steamed Rice
- Poached Noodles with Lobster Essence: You may have found it curious that they do not have fried noodles on their menu. Traditionally, fried noodles have usually been eaten as an entire meal rather than as a side-dish. Frying the noodles can make it just a bit too oily to act as a support to the more substantial main courses. It tends to take centre-stage, becoming too heavy and competing in flavour with the other dishes. Poaching, on the other hand, is a far lighter method of cooking. Drizzling with a luxurious lobster infused oil then adds flavour without heaviness.
- Egg Noodles with Shallots & Olive Oil.
CLASSIC DISHES
- Canapes of Prawns on Toast, black & white sesame seeds
- Roasted Peking Duck: Served with chinese pancakes, cucumber, spring onion.
- Aromatic Crispy Duck: 57 (Whole) / 31 (Half). The most iconic ‘Chinese’ dish in the UK probably had its origins as a deep-fried adaptation of the more traditional Peking Duck. It may surprise you to hear that it is a British invention not
widely available in the Far East. However, its incredible popularity has undoubtedly earned it a place as a genuine, authentic, Chinese classic.
- Sweet & Sour Pork: Undoubtedly the best known ‘comfort-food’ in a Chinese Menu which varies in style from one Chinese Community to the next. Our version is inspired by the original South East Asian. Chinese version.
VEGETARIAN
APPETISERS
- Portobello mushroom: Soy vinaigrette, shallot oil & chopped coriander
- Wasabi Chai: Beancurd rolls with a mild wasabi infused mayonnaise alongside little cubes of sweet mango & basil seed. Sounds like a over-complicated mix of flavours? Fortunately, the result is actually simply, delicious and one of our clear customer favourites.
- ‘Shanghai’ Noodles: Translucent glass noodle sheets served, chopped coriander in a soya and sesame oil vinaigrette.
- ‘A Nest of Imperial Jewels’: Chopped vegetables pan-fried with mustard greens and served on butterhead lettuce wraps.
- Aromatic Crispy Beancurd: For too long have vegetarians been excluded from the experience of enjoying the iconic Crispy
Duck. This dish is made with layered paper thin beancurd sheets served with soft pancakes.
- Hot & Sour Soup: Shredded carrot, sugar snaps.
MAIN COURSES
- ‘Chai’ with Black Pepper, Garlic Flakes and Sliced Chinese Croissant.
-‘Chai’ cooked with 3 Chillies: This Hunanese recipe is an extremely spicy one using 3 varieties of chillies.
- Chang Sah ‘Chai’: Paper thin layers of crispy tofu, rolled around julienned vegetables and cooked with our homemade
sauce of Mandarin peel, yellow bean, soy, chilli, shallots, garlic & coriander.
- ‘Chai’ with stir-fried vegetables: Lotus root, asparagus, mangetouts, baby corn, wolfberries and cashews.
- The Spice Route ‘Chai’: ‘Chai’ scented with crisp Curry Leaves served with a dressing of lemon and Chilli. This dish
incorporates the Indian and Chinese flavours experienced during the great journey along the spice route.
- Ma-Po’ Spicy Aubergines & Home-made Tofu: Our interpretation of the Legendary creation of Chef Chen handed down from the 19th. century. A spicy Szechuan dish of home-made beancurd & aubergines.
- Braised Home-made Tofu: Chopped nameko, shitake, enoki & shimeji mushrooms.
VEGETABLES
- Asparagus with Minced Garlic & Bird’s Eye Chilli.
- Fungi Foursome: 4 varieties of organic Oriental mushrooms supplied to us by a small farm on the south coast.
- Baby Pak Choy.
- Broccolini: Chopped garlic, shallot & lightly salted radish
RICE & NOODLES
- Egg Noodles with Shallots & Olive Oil.
- Spice-Scented Fried Rice: Rice scented with spices to add a hint of difference without overwhelming the taste of main dish. Chilli, Coriander, or Ginger & Sesame Oil.
WINE AND BEVERAGES LIST
Kai Mayfair opened in 1993 with the aim of revealing the diversity of Chinese food in a pleasing and comfortable environment where service is attentive and warm but never pompous or judgmental.
The beverages have been selected for their compatibility with various dishes on their menu, because of the value they offer or simply because they are delicious. All of the drinks under the heading ‘by the Glass’ have been carefully selected because they
compliment most or in some cases all of the diverse and challenging flavours our food has to offer.
The wine list is presented in drink categories and in the general order each is usually consumed during a meal with a few exceptions. To name just a few, the sparkling sake they have would probably be more appropriate with or as dessert and the whiskies Glengoyne
10 and Clynelish 1992 are a brilliant ‘food and wine’ match with their hot foie gras dish that would most likely be enjoyed in the middle of a meal.
Allow the Sommelier and staff, to offer to you new experiences in Chinese food by ordering something unfamiliar or different. After all, a meal with no surprises is a culinary experience lost and a potentially memorable dining occasion wasted.
