Kaia is an Asian-Pacific restaurant at The Ned, a vibrant hotel in the heart of the City. Asian–Pacific, you ask? That’s a lot of poke, sushi and robata grilled cuisine. If like me, that’s all you need to hear to run over to Kaia, the fact that Kaia specialises in healthy food should then ensure you reserve a table right now! And you should reserve a table because The Ned is incredibly busy.

The Ned is the quintessential city restaurant because of its location, clientele, and buzz. There are seven other restaurants in the large former banking hall and there wasn’t an empty seat in sight.

The service did suffer because of how busy the restaurant was, but you quickly realise they are going about as fast as they can. They are still very pleasant though.

What we ordered

We ordered edamame beans, Japanese Fried Chicken (JFC), and crispy prawns from snacks. Unagi Nigiri from the sushi menu. Shiima ordered Wagyu rib-eye, and I ordered lamb cutlets from the robata grill for our mains.

Snacks

We really enjoyed the Japanese Fried Chicken. It was fairly simple. Succulent chicken with the right amount of batter and perfectly fried.

We didn’t enjoy the crispy prawns. The batter on this was a tad too much and didn’t taste of much. The slices of chilli gave the dish a good kick, but even that didn’t elevate the dish past mediocre.

Sushi

The unagi nigiri was oh so delicious! The eel was melt in the mouth soft and not overpowered by the bbq sauce, which wasn’t overly sweet.

Mains

The Wagyu rib eye was awesome. Shiima ordered it medium-well and that was done perfectly. The yuzu mirin was light, which allowed the natural flavour of the grilled Wagyu rib eye to shine. And shine it did, especially the fatty bits. Lovely dish.

The lamb cutlets were equally as awesome. The honey soy marinade was well balanced for the right amount of salty sweetness and the cutlets were succulent. The spicy shallots were a revelation as well, and went really well with the rib eye too.

Dessert?

None of the desserts on their menu particularity intrigued us.

Verdict

Kaia at The Ned is an awesome experience. The space is a sight to behold and the food is awesome. It is very busy so the service is somewhat lacking. We recommend for casual or romantic dates, and a meal with friends or colleagues. Kaia is expensive though, so do consider that.

Cuisine: Asian-Pacific
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Wagyu Rib Eye
Amen’s Star Dish: Lamb Cutlets
Price: £40-£50pp
Rating: 4 out of 5

Kaia at The Ned
27 Poultry
London EC2R 8AJ
Reserve at OpenTable,
Or call 020 3828 2000