Kai Lounge

Classy Japanese bistro. The ambiance and decor is pretty. Awesome cocktails, fresh sushi, and excellent service. Located on the 2nd floor at the Pacific City mall in Huntington Beach, great location to dine. I'll have to come back and try the omakase next time!

The first time I came here during opening week, it was packed, and I thought, "Okay, this is cute" but it didn't immediately make me want to go again. Fast forward to yesterday--Sunday lunch at 12:30 p.m.--and the place was emptier than my social calendar after a breakup. Vibes? Off. My mom immediately asked me, "What's wrong with this place?" and I told her, "Oh, it's still early. It'll pick up." It didn't and Mama noticed. We were the only people in the entire restaurant. The food? Decent. The sashimi was chef's kiss--fresh and tasty. The cooked food? Eh, better luck next time- "You're just doing too much." If you come, definitely stick to the sushi and sashimi; they've got that down. Simple. Beautiful cuts. Fresh wasabi. As for the price, prepare to pay like you're dining oceanfront--except there's no ocean in sight. The space is gorgeous, service is great, but you're mostly paying for the Pacific City zip code and the view of... I think the Pasea????Final verdict: Beautiful bougie decor perfect for the Gram, good sashimi and sushi but don't expect your wallet to leave happy. Im not sure what it is about Kai but... it just felt off. Overall, maybe bring your Ex's credit card because I wouldn't want to front this bill on my own.

We came to Kai Lounge on a Friday night and it was saurrrr empty -- was def not expecting it to be that empty LOL. My friend & I made reservations just in case it was busy, but was not needed. The food came out pretty quick and the drinks the server recommended was so good. I'd rate this place a 3.9/5. I've had better sushi elsewhere but this place was pretty decent :-)I also lovv how they offered real wasabi -- most sushi spots don't offer real wasabi so I was quite impressed seeing that ! I also really liked how the interior was aesthetically pleasing -- has lots of potential.

first timer here.first impression... it was quite empty on a friday night. there were no patrons indoors, and about 4-5 parties outside in the bar area. service: our server was very attentive and sweet. i wish i got her name. one of the stars is definitely for her.ambience: it definitely has potential.. food:- hashbrown roll: very unique. the outer texture is literally a flaky hashbrown.. which i really liked. $21.- hokkaido scallops: very sad that this was recommended. 4 very small and dry scallops. i did not taste any of the flavorings mentioned in the description. for $22, i forced myself to eat the dry scallops just so buddha doesn't punish me for wasting food. - spicy garlic noodles. $18, but for an extra $8, you can add a game of "find the pieces of dried pork belly hidden in your noodles". the noodles itself is good. definitely has a kick.- sticky ribs $20. lots of flavor. mixture of soft and chewy bites.- salmon nigiri $9. standard.- hamachi crudo. $23. probably my favorite out of all the dishes i tried.- black angus filet mignon $47. um yeah. ordered this medium rare. i'm no beef temperature specialist but i'm pretty sure Photo A is not medium rare. i almost felt bad telling the waitress bc she was so great but yeah... for $47, i think it's only right to advocate lol. waitress was super sweet about it. she took it back and brought back the same plate with well done beef (photo B)? i think she saw our facial expressions.. i mean... do we ask again? or just eat the $47?? you tell me. - whiskey flight. $25. they are sips. i mean a sip each. 4 sips of whiskey that all tastes the same lol- pineapple carrot cake. $14. Was on the house bc of the beef mishap but i'm still not sure how i feel about it. roughly a $250+ dinner.see.. i enjoy fine dining and don't mind spending money on good food but my first time experience here is underwhelming. like come on.. $22 for 4 small pieces of scallops. ok fine. can the scallops at least make my mouth feel magic? aka, it's soft? juicy? flavorful? explosion of happiness on your tongue and tickles your tastebuds? and if you wanna charge $47 for 8 bites of filet.. and the order comes out messed up-- good customer service is making a brand new plate CORRECTLY. this says "we care about your experience. it's not about the money. it's how we value our ability to provide and serve good food." but bringing out the same plate.. with meat you recooked... at a so called "fine dining" establishment is like.......... idk what to say. the complimentary dessert did not make up for that. so all in all. experience was not memorable enough for me to return. quite bummed as i was excited to come here due to the good reviews.

We dropped by for lunch on Saturday no reservations needed as we were one of the first ones there in an empty restaurant. The ambiance and decor is nice with picture perfect blossom tree and a pretty couch with floral wall at the entrance, and Murakami artwork on the walls. I can see this place becoming more busy in the evening. A few people dropped in took a look at the menu prices and walked out. It's an expensive lunch. It's not authentic Japanese cuisine it's more fusion. The sushi chef is also not Japanese. Our party of four ordered: Hamachi crudo - good Watermelon salad - good Japanese black cod - good Jidori curry noodle - fair, it's spicy with peppers Spicy garlic noodles - good flavor garlic and spice Shiitake mushroom chicken noodles - fair but too salty All the noodle bowls use the same noodles but different sauces. Huntington Beach cut roll Hash brown cut roll This place is on the expensive side $$$ for lunch would be nice for an evening out with friends.

Right off the bat, minus one star for the fact that the Mixed Tempura had a full slice of lemon that they battered and fried and I bit into unknowingly and had to spit out. The rest of the tempura plate was nothing to write home about either. The batter was not the light airy kind. All of the tempura was overcooked and dark colored. The dipping sauce was heavy on the soy sauce.On a happier note we discovered a new favorite being the Cod Nigiri requested seared. It seems to be Black Cod, and has a nice buttery sauce on top. Speaking of butter, the Edamame has butter on it, but that causes the other toppings like the garlic not to stick. I suggest they omit the butter and use roasted garlic puree to stick better, like I've seen other places do.As usual we loved the hash brown roll and ordered it without any modifications. My wife who normally doesn't like seaweed, agreed that at this place and on this roll the seaweed is nicely delicate and not chewy.We also ordered the snow crab Nigiri that we like but now that we discovered the Black Cod Nigiri, that is our focus from now on.The crispy rice spicy tuna was great as usual.The Echigo rice lager beer was fine but next time I'd get the Orion beer. One big disappointment was that they no longer do discounted wine on Thursdays. I wonder if they even participate in Wine Wednesdays. Also their corkage fee is a pricey $25. Nevertheless my wife got their Chasing Venus Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wine, and this time it tasted fresher than last time. So she was happy.The service was great.

Just a heads up that portions are VERY small for the price point. Best tasting dishes were the SFR wagyu strips, oysters, and pork buns. Carrot cake was also very decadent and nice.The stir fried beef and rice was good, but not justified by the price. Good quality dishes with ingredients, but the miso cod, "wagyu" meatballs (very tough and def not wagyu), and plum ribs weren't too good. Very tough to chew and flavor wasn't what it should've been.Good spot to try once and experience different dishes, however it doesn't hit the spot in terms of a higher end dining with flavor and quality.

Kai is such an underrated and gorgeous spot! Came here with wifey and some friends for lunch and we were not disappointed! We made reservations in advance and were seated right away upon our arrival. This spot is located within the Pacific City mall where there is underground parking. Parking is validated by the restaurant so make sure you bring your parking slip with you! As for the menu, Kai is serving up some unique Japanese fusion foods with sushi rolls, hand rolls, burgers, and more! I tried the Kaiseki burger and every bite was as delicious as the last! Wifey and our friends tried multiple rolls and all of them were fresh and delicious. Interior wise, this spot is a blend of coastal with Japanese cherry blossoms. The ocean backdrop with the sprinkles of Japanese culture make it such an aesthetically pleasing spot to dine at. Overall, our party had a wonderful experience dining here. The staff here are incredibly welcoming and helpful. We will definitely be back next time to try their dinner menu!

Excellent Omakase! My wife and I really enjoyed the service and the sushi. We really liked the oysters and the shishito pepper appetizer to start. Great option in Pacific City

The rolls were excellent, clean place, the service was good, but you pay for it, but we enjoyed it and would recommend, I especially liked the roasted chili peppers as an appetizer!