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ITO EN New York Kai Restaurant ITO EN Beverages |
2008 Mobil Four-Star Award Zagat Survey 2006 Top 15 Japanese Restaurants in NYC Aficionados ”appreciate the subtleties” of Japanese cuisine on display at this “superb” Upper East Side kaiseki experience, located in a “serene” setting about tea boutique Ito En; expect “Zen-like” dining, starting with “small portions” and ending with “big” bills. Rating: F25/D23/S25 Michelin Guide 2009 Secreted away above the Ito En tea shop, Kai occupies a hushed, Zen space. In front, diners are invited to tables looking over Madison Avenue, while the back counter affords a ringside view of the disciplined chefs at work. The cuisine at Kai is unquestionably refined and though an a la carte menu offers quality choices, the talent lies in the tasting menus. The kaiseki menu (book in advance) displays brilliance and discipline as the chefs craft seasonal Japanese ingredients into meticulous preparations. As an alternative, the seasonal menu displays many of the same products with no less precision, served graciously by the thoughtful staff. Seasonal sake pairings make a pleasant coupling and share distinctive sips at a nice price. Time Out New York "Top Tony 100" List If your rendezvous is an intimate one, Kai (the name is Japanese for “gathering”) is a good place for it. The minimal, bamboo-accented design in this second-floor space makes the tight quarters bearable; a hushed atmosphere allows for quiet conversation and concentration on the food. Delicate Japanese fare—mushroom ohitashi simmered in dashi broth and served with bonito flakes, or gorgeously marbled Wagyu—is artfully presented on slate slabs. Expect a palate-titillating experience, if not a filling one: Tidy portions mean you may need to splurge on several courses. Zagat Survey 2008 "Delicious", "meticulously prepared" Japanese kaiseki is the "hallmark" of this "refined" "secret" above the tea boutique ITO EN; its "serene" setting is a "respite from the frenzy" of UES shopping... Rating F25/D23/S24 Elle Magazine-November 2005 A coveted ITO EN New York item, KAI’s Matcha Almonds—covered with dark chocolate, dusted with matcha (stoneground green tea)—were featured in “Weil at Heart”, a profile on “wellness guru” Dr. Andrew Weil: “’I’d like to see matcha parlors on every corner,’ Weil says of the potent, powdered form of green tea. Until then he gets his matcha fix from the chocolate- and matcha-covered almond at Ito En’s flagship store in New York City…” “The Art of Contemporary Kaiseki Cuisine” Presentation October 19, 2005 at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York Upon invitation from students and faculty at the Culinary Institute of America, KAI Restaurant Executive Chef Yorinobu Yamasaki and Executive Sous Chef Hideji Asanuma presented the intricacies of Japanese kaiseki cuisine to a packed theatre of students and staff on Wednesday, October 19. Featured dishes included Smoked Duck and Mineoka Tofu, Dobin Mushi of Matsutake Mushroom, and Saikyo-Style Salmon with Sakekasu (Sake Paste). Time Out New York-Aug. 11-17, 2005 Tony 100 Restuarants The TONY 100 are the top 100 restaurants recommended by the TimeOut editorial staff on the basis of quality, rarity, value, etc. "Kai is short for kaiseki, the multicourse haute Japanese cuisine that emphasizese harmony, restraint, and seasonality. Located above the Ito En tea store, this restaurant channels a Zen-like peacefulness in its simple, dark-wood decor--and on the menu. A simple bowl of baby squid rests against a carefully constructed pile of white asparagus, zucchini, okra, and green beans. Black cod is cooked under a dome of salt, egg whites and tea leaves and ladeled with yuzu ponzu broth. A dessert sampler and Japanese petit fours closes the meal on a perfect note." In New York Magazine – August 2005 Kai was featured in Lanford Beard’s “The Three Mms” for its afternoon tea pairing of ITO EN’s Teas’ Tea Rose Green and “light-as-a-breeze mango cheesecake” as “a marvelous antidote to a heatwave”. Where Magazine – August 2005 Kai was featured in “Piping Cold” for its “delicate Japanese take on vichyssoise” along with other “seasonal chilled soups” from the likes of Chanterelle, Suba, and Alto. Washington Post – August 11, 2005 Kai was featured in the “Shopping Cart” section for its artisanal rock salt and grater gift set to debut Fall 2005. James Beard Foundation’s Chefs and Champagne 2005 July 23, 2005 at Wölffer Estate Vineyard, Sagaponack, New York KAI participated in the silent auction of this special benefit for the non-profit James Beard Foundation, donating a prix-fixe kaiseki dinner for two. Time Out New York—June 30 – July 6, 2005 Kai was featured in “School of Rock Salt” for its translucent rock salt rubbed against “a special grater (crafted in Kyoto) to season grilled Mishima beef”. Project by Project NY’s First Annual Summer Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting Benefit June 24, 2005 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, New York ITO EN New York and KAI Restaurant shared a booth at the Asian-American non-profit Project by Project’s summer benefit at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea in New York City. Patrons eagerly lined up for Petits Choux with Marscapone Tofu and Tea Scented Onigiri with Shrimp Tempura and cool thirst quenchers like Iced Matcha and Southampton, a full leaf Ceylon black tea with apricot. ITO EN/KAI’s silent auction contributions included a gift certificate for Afternoon Tea for Two and our Getaway Kinchaku gift set. New York Times—June 22, 2005 Florence Fabricant introduced Yorinobu Yamasaki as the new head chef at KAI and Hitoshi Kagawa at the newly acquired Donguri. New York Post – June 9, 2005 Kai was featured in Cynthia Killian’s “Hot, Hot Eat” for its “cool soba […] served with sea urchin”. Zagat Survey 2006 New York City Restaurants “The epitome of Zen”, this expensive East Side “boutique Japanese” specializes in “authentic”, “beautifully presented” kaiseki cuisine; the staff “treats you like an honored guest”, which is another reason to “take someone you want to impress.” F26/D24/S25 New York Magazine-February 21, 2005 Kai was featured in "Hey, Big Spender", along with Masa, Alain Ducasse at The Essex House, Per Se, Daniel and Jean-Georges. Sing Tao Daily – February 2005 KAI’s afternoon tea service was featured in this Chinese-language daily. Zagat Survey 2004 New York City Restaurants "Enter kaiseki heaven" at this Japanese "jewel" on the Upper East Side where "daring" yet "subtle combinations" are elegantly presented by "doting servers". F25/D24/S23 Business Traveler Magazine-February 2004 Kai was featured by Business Traveler Magazine as one of "Manhattan's best new high-end Japanese restaurants" that are "creating a buzz, with fresh twists on tradition". The New York Times-February 1, 2004 -2 Stars For Valentine's Day, Kai was featured in "Good Eating; A Few Tables for Two". "Kai is short for kaiseki, the meal of refined little bites that grew up around the tea ceremony. For $120 per person, the nine-course Valentine's menu offers exotic flavors of Japan touched with classic flavors of France like prime filet of beef flavored with tea leaf and sansho soy". Daily News—Sunday, January 16, 2005 In “A New Brew”, Evan Levy features Kai’s kaiseki menu as well as our matcha served during afternoon tea, describing its intricate, artisanal processing. Time Out New York—Nov 4-11, 2004 The “Eat outings” section advised readers into food and drink pairings to “take note” of our Fall Tea Tasting, where our tea specialists took on the “challenge of pairing tea with assorted Asian dishes”. The New York Times-January 7, 2004 Kai was featured, along with two other restaurants, in the "Dining Out" section in an article about kaiseki cuisine. "For refinement, nothing can compare to the graspingly elegant cuisine of the kaiseki, the formal Japanese tea ceremony that is also a Zen Buddhist meditative practice, now offered in Manhattan at a few places, like Kai". New York Magazine-January 5, 2004 "Kai's $150 seven-course kaiseki-style menu includes bluefin-toro sashimi, Japanese abalone with a black-truffle sauce, and traditional New Year's soba noodles made by a master". Forbes Magazine-December 22, 2003 "Kai-Exquisite food, impeccable service in an oasis of serenity. Forbes Magazine-December 8, 2003 "Kai offers exquisite food and impeccable service. The eight-course tasting menu is highly recommended. Most memorable selections: slivers of tea-smoked duck; traditional clear soup with small quenelles of crushed sardines; black cod roasted in a salt crust". The New Yorker-November 17, 2003 By Dana Goodyear "The food, as they say, is poetry. Tasting menus of five, eight or ten small courses are named like collections of tanka: "White Peony", "Silver Needle", "Iroon Goddess". In NY Magazine-September 2003 "Kai is beautifully orchestrated." "Each course looks and tastes exquisite, including an entrée of black cod that's roasted-and brought to the table-inside a hard dome made of salt, egg whites, and tea leaves". The New York Daily News-July 20, 2003 Kai was featured in "Tea for 2003"-"Once-staid beverage gets a major infusion of chic". New York Times - January 19 , 2003 "The surroundings at Kai are classically Japanese: restrained, symmetrical, perfect; service is self-effacing almost to the point of caricature, just the way it oughta be." By Jonathan Reynolds. New York Post - January 19 , 2003 "Although it's already known for it's elegant kaiseki-style lunch and dinner, this new second floor Japanese restaurant also serves a gorgeous afternoon tea. Dramatic slate place mats absorb the warmth from pots of Central Park Interlude, Jasmine Pearl and Sencha tea, which are just some of the 75 varieties available for sale downstairs in the Ito En shop." New York Magazine - January 6 , 2003 Included in Adam Platt's "Where to Eat Now -2003 Hot List", Kai was described as " Mrs. Platt's favorite new place for a cup of decadent afternoon tea." |
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