Haute Dolci
Traditional desserts in supreme surroundings 🍨
KAI
St Martin's Leicester meets Soho London 🚈
FridatesThis week’s post is a special one. We are celebrating KAI’s first birthday – whoop whoop 🎉. We’ve seen them from the very beginning and we’re impressed how they’ve managed to carve out its own niche in a short space of time. From the food to the shop decor, KAI possesses much more character and charm than your average coffee shop.
KAI puts its own stamp on the food!
The mix of wood and white interior creates a clean and relaxed ambience. And the quirky pieces of art and furniture gives the place a fun and friendly personality. KAI also puts its own stamp on the food. With a focus on nutritious healthy eating, you can find a combination of traditional brunch items, trendy salad bowls and homemade curries. KAI will be celebrating their first anniversary on the 1st November 🎈, so we headed to our number one brunch spot in Leicester to gorge on pancakes and have a breakfast feast!
Our Order
Shakshuka
A tomato-based dish with two eggs perfectly poached in the centre, packed full of peppers, onions and courgettes with a spicy kick. The eggs help balance the strong flavours in this colourful dish, and the accompanying lightly toasted buttery sourdough bread adds crunchy substance to each bite.
Pancakes with Blueberries & Banana
An impressive stack of five American style pancakes made with organic flour; topped with blueberries and sliced bananas, and finished up with a mix of sticky maple syrup and homemade blueberry sauce. The pancakes were light and fluffy, and the fresh blueberries gave bursts of tanginess, while the banana slices added a contrasting texture. A brunch classic with KAI’s stamp on it!
French Toast with Grilled Tomato & Mushrooms
Not your traditional french toast, the sourdough bread came with a good coating of egg, and was cooked until slightly crisp on the outside. The tomato was delicately grilled so it was still juicy and the sautéed mushrooms gave a strong earthy element that contrasted nicely with the sweetness from the side of maple syrup.
Eggs Florentine
Soft poached eggs with wilted spinach on top of lightly toasted and buttered sourdough bread. The runny yolk helped combine all the elements together, and the mixed seeds scattered over the dish added a nutty crunch. The dish usually comes with homemade hollandaise sauce but we like to have it without 😅.
Buddha Bowl
A hearty bowl packed full of goodness and flavour, consisting of brown rice, kale, mashed avocado and beetroot, and roasted butternut squash. The spectrum of ingredients provided contrasting textures, and the lightly spiced chimichurri dressing helped to combine and enhance the flavours. If you’re really hungry, you also have the option of adding protein for a small price (we added tofu), but it’s very filling and delicious on its own too 😋.
Verdict
KAI feels like a coffee shop more commonly found in one of the hipster boroughs in London, but it’s friendly staff and home-cooked food gives it a personal, intimate and friendly experience. The food is of fine quality, made with passion and the freshest ingredients; a place you can dine at without guilt and feel nourished and satisfied.
