Kai’s Chinese Restaurant

total garbage. not for human consumption. worst restaurant in nob hill.

Local restaurant supporter here! I’ve been to Kai’s before I ever heard of Unilocal.Now I get to write about it. So, one night I was driving aimlessly home (Downtown) with my stomach telling me to stop for food. I actually avoid this area when school is in session as I find parking tricky for my pickup truck. So, I gave it a shot and parked nearby. Walking into Kai’s is of course like walking into a house because it used to be a house. Where would the world’s restaurants be if zillions of homes weren’t converted to eating places across the globe? So, growing up with the likes of New Chinatown and THOSE buffets (I avoid those now) I’m not sure what good Chinese is. I usually order lemon chicken here but this time opted to something with lots of veggies. I forgot the name already. Sorry Unilocalers! The folks who run the place are nice even though they don’t really speak. Just nod everyone. The food was good. I was content. Since I’ve discovered Thai food and became clinically addicted to NM Chile (notice I capitalize it to give it honor) I think some Chinese dishes could be spicier. These folks try super hard and they have lots of regulars. You go Mr. and Mrs. Kai! =))

Strong points include friendly service, reasonable prices and ample lot parking in a neighborhood where parking is pretty slim.
My soda was refilled quickly. There was lots of seating. Service was pretty quick. Décor was minimal.
There was lots to choose from on the menu; in fact, many traditionally Chinese items were available normally seen in U.S. establishments. I only tasted a few items and they were ok.

This is my go-​to — can’t beat the location. I’m a fan of their Kung Pao chicken — a little heavy on the celery if anything, and could be spicier, but really satisfying and awesome sauce/​peanut combo. What I really love are their crab rangoons. Generally solid choice for Chinese food in Nob Hill if you don’t want to drive to the east side.

I have been waiting to try kais for a while now but it’s always Sunday that I am in the mood for Chinese ironically.
On the upside… I ordered the Kung pao chicken and was very impressed by the tiny Fresh not frozen chopped veggies. It also had just the right amount of heat. I really enjoyed their Kung Pao!
Now, I wouldn’t say that this is a «bad place to eat» — it was just very different and because of that it didn’t «hit the spot» for me. I think it’s one of those love it or hate it places so for the price I would say go check it out…
If u order the chicken and veggie lunch special you get a side of fried rice (just fried white rice period) with a side of the stuff you make chow mein with. I was thinking I was ordering sautéed veggies and chicken not a cornstarchy mushy mixture. Also, I know a few places do this but if I am ordering fried rice it’s because I want egg and veggies in it… Why no eggs or veggies?
The egg drop soup that everyone raves about has a different flavor to it. I wish I knew what it was so I could explain but I don’t. It is way thicker than I would like and I think has little bits of shredded carrot and some other veggies? It’s just odd.
The egg roll was small and greasy and not very good at all. I think it was frozen but it also tasted different than any other frozen egg roll I have eaten before.

5 out of 5 for affordable, fresh, simple Chinese staples. I have been eating at Kai’s forever, and probably once a week when I was in college (circa 1998). Today, while visiting Albuquerque, taking a break from New Mexican food we opted for Kai’s. What a treat. It is just as I remember, fast, friendly, crazy affordable and fresh. I had the Kung Pao chicken lunch which comes with soup and an egg roll. My Mom had the Shrimp in Lobster sauce. Both items were tasty and made to order. For college kids, and non-​college alike, Kai’s is still the best Oriental food in town. A.

Best Chinese I’ve had in Albuquerque so far. The place itself is a dive, yellow cinder block walls and old hand me down tables and chairs. With that said, the dining room (and kitchen, I stole a peek when they weren’t looking) were very clean and tidy. There is plenty of seating and the food was phenomenal. I walked in off the street and ordered to go, pork fried rice and chicke pot stickers. The meal was made fresh basically right in front of me. From the time I oredered until I was out the door was approximately ten minutes on a Tuesday around 5:30 PM. There is parking in the back, so don’t just drive by and think there’s no street parking to be had. The back can be accessed from the alley or from the driveways on either side of the building.

Kais has some of the best Chinese food. It was just remodeled (mainly the outside). You get a good amount of food for the amount you pay. It’s the most authentic mandarin food I can find in town.

Albuquerque Chinese food is, as a whole, a far cry from great Chinese food in places like San Francisco and New York. Kai’s is the exception. It is simply amazing and we are lucky to have him in our midst. What to expect at Kai’s: personal attention from the owner and his wife, hot, perfectly prepared food and lightning service. Lunch special: $ 6.70 gets you a huge entrée with fried rice, egg roll, AND egg drop soup! That’s when you realize you’re not in NY or SF and you want to get on your knees and thank the mighty Sandia Mountains for the man called Kai.

My family and I have been going Kais since I was a teenager, and I’ve been taking my daughter since she was a baby. I adore this place. The egg drop soup is literally the best any of us have had anywhere! By far the best Chinese food in Albuquerque.

Made a brief stop with parents at the restaurant late night for take out. It took a bit for the food to come out, but it tasted well.
The Food: We got take out of rice and some stir fry vegetable and meat. Both tasted pretty good and my parents thought it was well made also.
The Environment: The inside have decent amount of seating though not very big. The kitchen is an open kitchen so you can kind of see your food being made, which is kind of cool.
Overall there’s no complain, and will probably try again if the chance arise.

Ordered the cashew chicken dinner combo to go tonight and was somewhat bummed. The egg roll that comes with the meal is the smallest egg roll I think I’ve ever seen. The egg drop soup was more like egg drop gelatin. It was thick, slimy, and had no flavor at all. Yuck.
The entrée itself was pretty good though. The chicken and all the veggies were cut into small pieces, making it possible to get a little piece of each component all in one bite. That’s a big bonus for me.
For $ 8.50, I would say this is a pretty decent deal, but if I come back, I absolutely will not order the combination dinner. The soup and egg roll were both a joke. Unfortunately though, I likely won’t be back because there are just so many other options here in Albuquerque that care more about quality control. I can’t imagine the person who served me egg drop gelatin cares in the slightest about the food they’re handing out or retaining customers.

It’s a good lunch place around UNM. The food is good and price is reasonable with students in mind. Definitely the best hot and sour soup in town. Everytime I go there for lunch, I order an extra cup of hot and sour, its that good people!

My fiancé and I visited Kai’s while on vacation. A classic hole in the wall. They had very good wonton and egg drop soup. the general tsos chicken had a real kick of spice at the end (my fiancé thought it was a little too much but I liked it) and a lot of sauce and moist. The shrimp lo mein was tasty.

So everything is 5 bucks on the menu for the dish, rice, soup, and and egg roll so you sorta can’t complain. But I shall anyway. The broccoli in the brocc and beef was terrible and bitter. Not rotten but it’s this really weird horrible taste. The kung pao was pretty good. The sesame chicken was really damn sweet. Images of bags of sugar came into my head as I ate it. Nice service. No problems there.

What this place lacks in décor it blows away in amazing food
Egg-​Foo Young Shrimp, my new favorite, portions so large you have to take them home but eat them quick or the sensual aroma will taunt your roommate into delierrium and you may find yourself one styrofoam box out of luck in the morning…
Seriously the shit was great, I would say the rice was a bit saltier then most would like it, but thats how i love it…
Large Portions, Great Price, AMAZING taste, make this a WIn WIn WIN

I was all set to love this place based on the other reviews — what a disappointment.
The food was bland (Szechwan eggplant), the café was hot & stuffy, I had stomach cramps afterward, and I had to wait for takeout (I had called ahead and showed up when they told me to).

A hole-​in-​the-​wall near the UNM campus. Kai’s has plenty of seating, but was close to empty when I visited at noon on a Wednesday. The staff was very friendly and you could tell they love what they do. Throughout the course of my visit, three different staff stopped by my table, all smiling.
They offer an awesome lunch special – about five dollars for a bowl of egg drop soup, an entrée with rice, and egg roll and a fortune cookie. I ordered the sauteed vegetable entrée. There definitely could have been more flavor in the sauce, but the rest of the meal was very tasty.
If you’re craving Chinese or if you just want to see a smiling face, Kai’s just might be the place for you.

Best Chinese food I’ve had anywhere in the Southwest. I love Kai’s and hope every week that they decide to stay open on Sundays.
Five great things about Kai’s:
1. Friendly! They are always nice when they greet you, when they take your order, when they forget something, when they come check on you, and when you leave. It’s like the opposite of every Chinese place in San Francisco except maybe Sam Wo’s, but if you’re looking for Chinese in Albuquerque that probably means nothing to you. Sorry.
2. Random photos of dogs framed on the wall. And on the menu. I can only assume they are the owner’s dogs and they are just *that* loved.
3. Actually good food. No, it’s actually good. I promise. Really good.
4. Super-​authentic Chinese horoscope place mats. Every Chinese place I’ve been to in Albuquerque seems to have these, so maybe you don’t think they’re all that special, but trust me, they are.
5. Place. So convenient to other cool places. And the actual inside is perfectly dressed down — not too dark and serious like lots of Chinese places try to be, which I think helps keep the attitude at bay. They let some sunshine in and have a little bit of fun with the handwritten specials on the wall.
I heart Kai’s. Open up on Sundays!

Best Chinese food in Albuquerque no questions asked just go! try the sesame chicken it is really good.