ONLINE reviews are a blessing and curse – as illustrated by the story of Kaki. This Szechuan restaurant in King’s Cross has endured erratic reviews since it opened in 2018.

Search on Tripadvisor and you’ll find a jaw-dropping mix of highs and lows.

Comments range from “Avoid at all costs” to “KAKI is the best”, with little in between.

Kaki even sparked an inadvertent row about racism, which began when a journalist had a dig at the lack of fluent English when booking on the phone.

I had no idea about any of this before my meal. A friend had booked a table and I turned up late, with no time to investigate where I was going.

The large restaurant, painted black, sits in Caledonian Road at the foot of a bridge over Regent’s Canal. It’s cavernous inside, with a bar at one end and a neon sign at the other bearing the text “My love is you @ XXX” over a pair of turquoise angel’s wings.

A small terrace overlooks the canal itself – a secret spot that will be my port of call next time that I visit.

The menu here is lengthy and promises an authentic Szechuan experience characterised by spicy and pungent flavours.

There are boiled frogs’ legs and chicken feet; pigs’ trotters and sauerkraut fish.

The day’s specials are chalked up on a blackboard by the hatch to the kitchen. These included stir fried vegan “chicken”, beef tripe in chilli oil and conch slices stir-fried with coriander.

We had a large table by the door, complete with one of those rotating tops called a Lazy Susan.

I enjoyed the roasted sea bass: the whole fish, head intact, slathered in a sauce spiked with peanuts and handfuls of dried red chilli.

Hot pots are another feature. Our vegetable version was described as “numbing” from the use of Szechuan pepper corns, with slices of lotus root, potato, carrot, celery, tofu skin and black fungus – a fascinating mix of textures.

Cumin lamb was another pick: strips of sticky, fatty shoulder meat fried fast with onion and the fragrant spice.

Don’t come to Kaki expecting fawning service and dialled-down cooking. This is an uncompromising place to eat out, with generous portions, decent prices and occasionally abrupt service.

For our meal, however, the room was largely empty and the atmosphere felt rather flat.

We were a large group so barely noticed but this might jar if you crave a buzzy or romantic night out. I’m sure Kaki gets busier at weekends.

A meal at Kaki is a definitely a memorable experience and the menu would take weeks to fully explore.

By all means, read the online reviews – but best to make your own mind up.

Kaki
125 Caledonian Road, N1
www.thekaki.co.uk
0207 278 6848
kaki.london@outlook.com
@kaki_london