Kai is the one restaurant i had written into the diary in permanent marker for my trip to Galway – after reading a glowing review from Mona here – and trawling through the photos on their facebook page, i simple had to visit what promised to be such a gem!
after a last minute panic trying to get through to book a table ( thanks for saving the day Mona ) we booked our table for 7pm. It is worth noting that we where told we could only book for 7pm or 9pm – this wasnt really a problem for us, but didnt seem necessary
the room was lovely – full of character & charm – forgive the dark photo! – i adore the above jam jar lights – what a gorgeous idea
imagine my happiness when i once again stumbled across a fabulous none alcoholic list – lots of gorgeous choices – i am a big fan of fentimans!
( i do drink by the way, sometimes lots, just not when i need to be able to function lol )
everyone seems so happy to give you tap water in galway – something i am not used to. and it isnt just water – its beautiful – the cucumber gave it a delicate flavour that reminds me of summer
starter number 1 – salt & pepper squid
my starter – a GIANT bowl of squid, at least 5 generations of the family – a little tough, maybe a little over cooked for my liking, however nicely seasoned, and well enjoyed, though i only managed half of the dish before passing on to my hungry dinning partner…..
starter number 2 – sauerkraut & smoked mackerel rosti
Matt ordered this starter – and as a die hard mackerel fan i wasnt surprised – this was a beautiful starter – with big big chunks of mackerel generously intertwined with the sauerkraut. A great combination.
starter number 3 – violet aubergine & hallomi
Our hostess ordered this dish – i didnt get to try it, but it was very well presented and attracted many happy sounds whilst being consumed!
main number 1 & 2 – Brady’s striploin w/ Bearnaise sauce & new zealand spinach
Our hostess & I both ordered this dish – and boy where we happy with our choice. My striploin was perfectly rare, and melted in the mouth – with fabulous depth of flavour. The accompanying parts where also delightful, I partuclarly enjoyed the new zealand spinach – which I hadn’t had before. A large tummy is required for this dish – as it would be a sin to leave any of this large cut of beef to go to waste.
main number 3 – Spiced monkfish, green beans & tomatoes
Matt order the monkfish ( though was happy to finish off my striploin too 😉 ) another lovely dish – with great presentation but i couldnt even fit in a mini mouthful lol
dessert – gorseflower icecream & brown sugar meringues
we had to share as we where soooooooooo full! after a 15minutes break i simply had to order a dessert – the options sounded to good to miss! i think we choose well – the icecream was beautiful & light, the meringues where gorgeous – the flavour very different than ordinary meringues – and look at the prettiness of it all! edible flowers make everything right!
once again the portions where huge! but this must be the norm round these parts lol – just bring your A game – or a human dustbin ( ill lend you Matt if you like ) as the food is far to good to waste – and the courses far to good to skip! We really had a lovely evening in Kai – the restaurant has a lovely feel, rustic, cosy and relaxed, one of the nicest set ups i have seen for a while – perfect for whiling the hours away – and the service friendly & natural. If i lived Galway – i would certainly be a regular – and will not hesitate to go back on my next visit.
