Getting Kinky at Kinki Lounge Kitchen! A Zomato Blogger Meetup!

Ottawa, the city I call home, has a reputation for being small, conservative and frankly – boring.  If you give it a chance though, our unassuming little town will thrill you with its amazing restaurants.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a city that is this small, but has so many great culinary offerings. From the charming Byward Market in the downtown core, to the faraway reaches of Manotick, there is a wealth of tasty delights at every turn.

This week, I attended a blogger meetup hosted by Zomato (previously Urbanspoon) at Kinki Lounge Kitchen. Kinki, a sexy little lounge which recently underwent a beautiful renovation, offers a wide variety of sushi, tapas, steaks and savoury, delicious cocktails which double as art.

I was stunned when I walked into the restaurant.  I hadn’t visited in years, and was thrilled to see its formerly dark gloominess transformed into a cool, modern space with some cutting edge décor.  Gone were the strange two-person booths that lined the walls of the restaurant.  In their place stood large, comfortable banquettes flanking heavy, beautiful wooden tables.  A large bar in the centre of the restaurant is the focal point, and bright chandeliers made of empty bottles illuminated the space.  The banquettes were backlit with neon purple lighting which was surprisingly flattering and the exposed brick walls were decorated with hilarious pieces of art such as cartoon panthers and scantily clad women.

The best part was the food.  Along with the updated space came an overhauled menu. We were served an amazing four-course meal including some of the tastiest cocktails I’ve had in ages.  One cocktail in particular I cannot stop thinking about – the Therapy Cocktail. This cocktail was not only refreshing and delicious, it was beautiful to look at! A refreshing drink consisting of Boodles Gin, tonic, fresh lime juice, aloe juice and cucumber, it transported me to vacations spent in Barbados, lying on Accra Beach without a care in the world. WOW.

Our dinner was extensive including Filet Mignon Nigiri, a variety of mouth-watering sushi, braised short ribs, pasta with shredded duck, cilantro, shrimp, bay scallops with thai curry sauce and for dessert, a lychee creme brulée that was so good I stared at it in disbelief.  *slow clap*

Here are some pics from our amazing night – thank you, Zomato!

Kinki is full of interesting design features, including walls covered with crazy graphic art such as the black panther shown above. Next to the recessed booth with the awesome neon sign shown below is framed art consisting of mugshots of famous people such as Jack Nicholson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Jane Fonda. #need

Shown above – a selection of tasty Stay Fresh and Old School Kinki sushi rolls and Filet Mignon Nigiri.  I highly recommend the Old School Kinki Sushi.

Kinki is a refreshing, cool spot perfect for after-work cocktails, fresh, delicious sushi and laughs with friends!  Next time you are in the mood for great food and great atmosphere – be sure to swing by Kinki Lounge Kitchen…and be sure to have a Therapy Cocktail!

xo,