KEI

Check out KEI, a modern Japanese dining bar located in the heart of Chelsea, and indulge in authentic Izakaya and Yakitori delights! Sip on delicious cocktails and catch up with friends while you feel the harmony and warmth in every dish.Some of our favorites at KEI include the Agedashi Tofu, Chicken Karaage, Pork Katsu Sando, and Unagi Bowl. The Pork Katsu Sando is made with shokupan, a Japanese style milk bread, that will keep you wanting more, and the Unagi is perfectly grilled with a hint of sweetness in every bite. Perfect to warm up in this winter weather! Exceptional service, delicious food, and wonderful ambiance.

I wanted to gatekeep this so badly but this new Japanese hidden gem in Chelsea is legit so good!! KEI Izakaya is a cute date night spot combining warm, friendly service with exceptional food and drinks. Every corner of the restaurant has been thoughtfully curated. The space feels cozy yet elegant. The food was so incredible that I would give them 10 stars out of 5 if I could. ＊Handrolls - Tuna Creamy $10, Salmon Yuzu $8, Scallop $12, Yellowtail $9 *Must get!! They offer fresh and premium cuts of fish, as well as plenty of vegan options. My favorites were salmon yuzu and scallop. ＊Kushikatsu Set $18＊Kushikatsu Vegetable Set $12**I was so excited to see kushikatsu (fried skewers/串揚げ) in NYC! The meat and veggies were deep-fried to a golden crisp, dipped in a sweet and savory sauce. I preferred vegetables esp eggplant and shitake mushroom. ＊Chicken Karaage $13The caramelized sugar lemon took the karaage to a new level. It might be the juiciest lemon I've seen lol. Drizzle the lemon juice over the crispy karaage for a tangy, citrusy and umami flavor contrast. ＊Pork Katsu Sando $18 ***Star of the show was undoubtedly their pork katsu sando. The pork katsu was juicy and tender, sandwiched between fluffy shokupan. The pickles and coleslaw added a refreshing touch. The fries were surprisingly so addicitve and not overly oily. ＊Pork Cutlet Curry $22 *The curry was not your typical store-bought cube curry. It was rich and fruity, serving alonside shredded beef, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, grapes (yes grapes!!). A heavenly combo with katsu pork. ＊Tokyo Banana Creme Brulee $12 *It tasted exactly like Tokyo Banana, the popular souvenir snacks! The creamy custard was packed with a banana flavor. The caramelized sliced banana skewer complemented with the creme brulee beautifully. ＊Yuzu White Peach Sparkling $8

A great little Japanese place with a good selection of izakaya food, drinks, and solid vibes.Food was super tasty and accomplished my goal of pretending I was back in Japan eating a katsu sando

Kei offers a large range of dishes from ramen to katsu curry to teishoku - so many that it was difficult to choose from. However, we thoroughly enjoyed everything we got.We ordered the kushikatsu set (fried skewers: chicken and shiso, pork loin, scallop, and shrimp), tuna creamy hand roll, pork katsu sando, and a teishoku set with salmon saikyo. The kushikatsu was fried well. My teishoku salmon was delightful.We love to come back and try their katsu curry and dons!

I truly hesitated writing a review for KEI because of its underrated ambience and slept on menu; their speakeasy in the back-more to come on updates which I can't wait to stop in for. We ordered:Salmon-Yuzu handrollYellowtail handrollTonkotsu ramenSpicy Vegan Tan Tan ramenGuava High BallStrawberry CocktailThe appetizers aren't really anything to write home about, and I'd probably wait until they are more unique since they're the typical chicken karaage/agedashi tofu/shoshito peppers/skewers that you can practically order at any Asian restaurant in the city. The mains and cocktails though...worth trying almost everything in their respective category!

Been meaning to try this place out for awhile now, so glad I went tonight. Did a walk in with the family - no issues.Ordered a few appz to share - chicken karaage, tempura squid and gyoza. All were very delicious. For mains we ordered Shoyu ramen, tonkotsu and the udon with cod roe for a change. All were very tasty and made with care. The restaurant is a hidden gem. Service was awesome, place is clean and most importantly, decently priced too.

Agedashi tofu was definitely the highlight of our meal here. The tsuyu sauce was super savory. I could dip noodles into it and be happy and done. The tofu had a very light breading and surprisingly it had nice pull. This appetizer was such a delight. We also got the Kushi Katsu Set- apart from the scallop, each piece was fried well, made tastier by its katsu sauce. I had the Pork Cutlet Curry (surprise!). Once again the pork cutlet was both tender and crispy and the curry sauce was a bit on the thicker side with pieces of carrots. It came with a couple of sliced grapes. Now, I've never seen that. It went well with the dish. Nice. We were welcomed warmly by the staff. He had a knack of making you feel comfortable right away. The place had an intimate feel. It had an elegant bar. I overheard that they just opened 3 months ago.

The staff was really friendly but didn't know the menu well. We asked a couple of ingredient questions about the vegan ramen that they were unable to answer. The food was fine, came out quickly, but a little bland/1 note.

The service was great The food was even better We have a new star in the Chelsea food scene

Wow! I am so glad to find this restaurant. Wonderful food and staff. I want to come back as many times as I can and try different menus.