I met Gary for dinner last week.
We hadn’t been on a dinner date for a while, and we hadn’t spent any time in Central London together since… poofffff. I have no idea. Aaaaages ago.
So when an invite came in to try the Pan Asian menu at Chi Kitchen, I knew exactly who was going to join me!
The restaurant is tucked away behind the big Debenhams store on Oxford Street, with access available from directly inside the shops, as well as through a street-facing door.
We arrived on a drizzly Thursday evening, and the friendly staff quickly settled us at our table with a cocktail (me) and wine (Gary).
Then they started bringing out the food.
ALL. THE. FOOD.
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We started with crispy smoked chicken, which was actually one my favourite dishes of the night. Hot, crunchy, with a lovely subtle smokiness. It worked beautifully with the truffle mayo!
We also tried two types of spring rolls: prawn rolls with a sweet chilli dipping sauce; and duck rolls with a plummy hoisin sauce. The prawn ones were great, but we both thought the duck was a bit dry and overdone.
Then came the meat skewers: Wagyu beef Kushiyaki; chicken satay; and, our favourite, the chicken Yakitori: succulent chicken in a rich soy sauce. (Typically, they’re the only ones I forgot to grab a photo of!)
And last, but (definitely) not least: the wasabi prawns. Deep fried battered prawns in a creamy wasabi sauce, which I could have carried on eating FOREVER. ♥︎
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Next we had a selection of dim sum and sushi.
The dumplings were all perfectly steamed, with melt-in-the-mouth fillings of prawn, mixed seafood, prawn and chive, and chicken and prawn. I’ve had dim sum before, but Gary had never tried it, and he was thoroughly impressed!
We both love sushi, the Chi Kitchen sushi rolls, also went down a treat!
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And then came the mains!
This was one of our favourite dishes of the entire night: Korean sirloin steak – perfectly pink, incredibly tender and drenched in a Korean Bulgogi sauce. It was sweet, sticky, smoky and mind-blowingly good. The chive mash accompaniment was also insanely yummy!
The seabass with chilli and lime was well cooked and nice… but forgettable.
However, the sticky lambshanks (which I can’t find on the online menu for some reason!) were absolutely fantastic. Perfectly pink on the inside, and sticky on the outside. Deeeelicious.
We also had tenderstem broccoli in garlic oyster sauce on the side, and a portion of flaky roti bread, served with Malaysian curry sauce. The roti was nice, but SO greasy, and we were too full to properly enjoy it.
Overall, it was an utterly fabulous meal.
It’s a perfect little midweek date spot. Not the most romantic of locations, but VERY handy if you and your partner work in town.
Some of the dishes we wouldn’t bother ordering again, but the Korean Steak, Lamb Shanks and Wasabi Prawns are must-tries.
And if you’re from Birmingham: great news! Chi Kitchen have a branch in your city too.
CHI KITCHEN
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NOTE: if you’re heading to Taste of London this weekend, I’ve heard a rumour that Chi Kitchen have a stand and are selling their wasabi prawns!
*Our meal was complimentary in exchange for a review.
All words, photos and Korean steak love are my own!
