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| - I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Ki today for a business lunch. From the other Yelp reviews, I was expecting a place that reeked of whiskey and testosterone -- but I'm pleased to report that it, indeed, did not smell.
The food was good -- there was a bit of a wait, but it wasn't extraordinary for noon at a classy downtown place. The decor was nice, and the atmosphere was relaxed but businessy, perfectly suited for conversation and placid digestion. Our server was very nice and prompt.
I ordered the ki beef maki and the tempura butterfish, and both were really fantastic. The butterfish was particularly melt-in-your-mouth wonderful, and it was delicately fried in a crisp but light tempura batter. With some prodding, I ordered the chocolate truffle "cake" with Gran Marnier sauce -- while it was delicious and quite filling (orange and chocolate is definitely my favourite confectionary combination), it should really be described as a torte, as it's almost entirely a thick ganache. Don't order it and expect lava cake, which is what it sounds like.
Ki loses a star for two reasons: one, the relatively high price (a light lunch with small portions for 6 came to $250 plus tip), and two, the edamame. The executive who took us out ordered the spicy edamame for the table, which was pretty underwhelming -- not particularly well-salted or flavourful, but still good to snack on. It was also a bit less than crisp, and rapidly turned into a green, unbreakable leather as soon as it cooled off.
I obviously didn't experience Ki in its late-evening hot-mess time, but the belt-loosening, sushi-stuffing experience I had there was very positive. Consider it the next time your boss buys you lunch.
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