A delicious place but the menu ended up being more expensive than the same selection à la carte: Restaurant KIN (7. September 2022)
After having booked the restaurant, I had checked if I had been here before, and turns out, I have about 3 years ago. I don’t really recall this, but apparently I was quite happy with the place already back then. The whole concept is that you can either pick a menu (CHF 75.00 per person) or you go à la carte. We decided to have the menu and indulge a bit. The evening started with “carrot laab (carrot laab, rice powder, rice chips)” (usually CHF 18.00) and “tiger salad (pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, fennel, ponzu, puffed barley)” (usually CHF 16.00). While the carrot laab was interesting and new in terms of flavour profile, I really liked the tiger salad as it was an interesting combination of textures and flavour profiles.
The second course was more of a little bites course, consisting of “tapioca cheese fries with chilli jam” and “beef knuckles with basil mayo”. While the tapioca cheese fries were great comfort food but didn’t do too much in terms of flavour experience, the beef knuckles were absolutely down my alley when it came to flavour profile.
As another starter, they had served the “miso salmon (Swiss salmon, miso-marinated, grilled, wild broccoli, pickled cucumbers)” (usually CHF 32.00) with “Italian Koshihikari Rice” (usually CHF 5.00). I mean, I love wild broccoli, so this dish was great since it had plenty of it. The miso-marinated Swiss salmon on the other hand left me a bit clueless. The fish was cooked perfectly, but the miso marinade somehow didn’t work out too well for me. It just didn’t really fit. If you mixed a bit of rice in it, it would work better, but still not perfect.
As a main course, they went for the “Black Angus chain steak (beef Black Angus chain steak with cauliflower purée, caramelized; with cauliflower salad)” (usually CHF 38.00) which was quite lovely. The meat was tender, rich, full of flavour – so, perfectly aligned with my priorities when it comes to taste. What was even better though, and I would never have expected for me to say that, was the cauliflower salad with chilli, onions, and herbs. Just wow!
Last but not least, they served “caramel pudding with plum compote” (usually CHF 16.00) which was overall nice. I like caramel, so of course this would be a great base to satisfy my taste buds. However, the crumbles added a bit of texture, and the plum compote which was semi-frozen added the ‘temperature effect’.
The place is simple, but nice – and even though it’s full, it’s not too loud, and it doesn’t feel too crowded. The staff makes sure you have everything you want and need – they are friendly, attentive, and make sure you don’t have to wait too long between the different courses.
Overall, the Restaurant KIN is a nice place which offers great dishes in a nice atmosphere with friendly service for a fair price, although, it feels a bit weird that adding up the single dishes actually would make you pay less than the menu. Something I have to inquire about in the future, since this does not seem right to pay more for the set menu than if you would individually assemble it.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant KIN
Meinrad-Lienert-Strasse 1
8003 Zürich (CH)
Tel.: +41 77 531 52 03
E-Mail: table@kin.restaurant
Homepage: http://www.kin.restaurant
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
