K’s Kitchen

K's Kitchen is found among the recent wave of Japanese establishments opening on Lucky Street near the new Japanese Embassy, but it's not as classically Japanese as might be expected. This Haoyun Jie newbie does inventive cocktails and western food well with light Japanese accents.

The restaurant is owned and run by some of the same partners from both Twilight and Apothecary. In keeping with its cocktail heritage, it shares its space with Mokihi, an excellent bar that is separated from the dining area. The cocktails are inventive, and possibly even better than those of its forerunners. The Campari beer (50RMB) is a good option if you're a fan of bitter brews while the ume (65RMB) is an addictive tequila-based mix of salt and sweet, with Japanese sour plums and lemon juice balanced against fresh strawberries and honey.

Sit in one of the high-backed booths and tear into warm bread accompanied by a herb butter and olive oil spread that starts the meal right. Unfortunately, the appetisers still need work. The meat platter (70RMB) is a selection of charcuterie including a house-cured ham that's sliced too thick and is a little too sinewy. Likewise, the house-made pickles (30RMB) are too sweet and largely unpalatable.

These mistakes are forgiven and forgotten when the mains arrive. The special skirt steak (148RMB/150g) is an excellent cut while the herb chicken (69RMB) arrives full of aromatic flavour. Each protein comes with a choice of sauce, some better suited to certain dishes than others. The Japanese onion sauce goes well with the steak, but can overwhelm its flavour. The pork sirloin (69RMB) partners well with the red wine and apple sauce. It's a classic pairing and a shame to order it any other way.

Each of the meats arrive sizzling in an iron platter with sautéed vegetables and potatoes roasted in rosemary and anchovy butter. These sides would normally elicit an audible yawn if they weren't so addictively good.

At the time, the only option for dessert was a homemade bitter caramel ice cream (28RMB). The burnt-sweet flavour is spot-on but marred by whipped cream and diced fruit. Scrape it to the side, or better yet, ask for it to be left off. The small menu here is well prepared, but there are plans to include more choices. Alex Farbstein

Details

Open 7pm-3am daily (Kitchen closes at 11pm).

朝阳区好运街C12号三层

Telephone 5867 0244

English address Third Floor, C12, Lucky Street (Haoyun Jie), Chaoyang district

Chinese address 朝阳区好运街C12号三层

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