822 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10021-4904
Phone: (212) 988-7277
What can you say about Kai that is not covered by the word minimalist?
Upon entry, your first impression is of Kai's spare layout, with rich brown
wood, and large street-facing windows. Your choice of seating is either the
10-seat sushi bar or the half-dozen quaint two-person tables. If you haven't
made reservations, don't bother inquiring about the latter. All tend to be
booked, even on a Monday night.
Upon being seated, a staff member will magically appear, bearing an
introductory tea. Ours was jasmine and we instantly found ourselves asking
for more. The tea is serves in a traditional Japanese clay pot and
accompanying cup. And it is simply divine. Kai is located on the second
floor of Ito En's Madison Avenue store. And the proximity shows. Not being
an afterthought, tea is central to Kai's menu. And is done with much skill.
However, all this artistry comes at a steep price. Pots of tea are priced
between six and eight dollars.
Kai offers over a dozen tea varieties, and if we had both time and money
(remember, minimalist often has an inverse relationship to price), we would
have gladly stayed all night long, sampling every single one. However,
given our limitations, we had to choose. We selected the jasmine and
hojicha teas. Both were excellent.
On the food side, Kai offer a limited menu. At its center are five, seven
and ten course meals. And a few a la carte items. We took some time to
decide what we want, as all the items sounded very appetizing. In the end,
we selected the duck with foie gras, as well as the sashimi sampler.
With the check, arrived another surprise: Ito En's bottled teas. Upon
inquiry, we were told these are all-natural green teas that are very popular
in Japan, and are now being introduced in the United States. They are
distinct in being 100% pure tea, without sugar or preservatives. And are
imported from Japan!
Overall, Kai presents an authentic Japanese experience, with excellent food,
tea and service to recommend it highly. However, please remember to call
your bank beforehand and inquire about the credit remaining on your card.
With so many delicious way to spend it, you may just exceed it.
