"Kai" - the Japanese word for "sea" - is the name of a new resto-bar that serves Asian-French-South American crowd-pleasers and is run by a Vietnamese team. Fusion is the name of the game here. The "Kai Bar" is the new, always full spot in Berlin-Mitte: suitable for lunch, after-work drinks, dinner or an uncomplicated date night. Previously, the Michelin-starred restaurant "Cordo" had tried to save itself in the same location with a radical change of direction. Head chef Yannic Stockhausen gave up the star and tried to score points as a seafood bar with creations such as mussels on Styrian sausage salad - to no avail. The zeitgeist apparently calls less for precise author's cuisine than for familiar, instagrammable fusion harmonies such as truffle udon or crispy duck with miso. In the "Kai Bar", the names of the chefs or the origin of the products hardly play a role. But unlike its predecessor, it is packed. The dining room with its two bars has the homely feel of a ship's galley: blue and white wooden planks, recycled art, vintage knick-knacks, everything is tight, warm and lively. And the food? It tastes good without being surprising - which suits many guests just fine. The little twists of miso, mayo, sake, citrus fruits, chili and co. can be found in main dishes such as yakiniku tori, chicken marinated in miso on egg rice, as well as in salmon, king prawns or grilled beef. The appetizer line-up is also a best-of of what's on the menu these days: Oysters, tuna and salmon crudo, tataki, boeuf tartare, carpaccio, ceviche and, of course, deep-fried dishes such as chicken karaage.
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