Limitless lunch @ Kinu
Kinu, the Japanese word for ‘silk’, symbolises elegance, luxury and grace and this certainly sums up the first impressions of new Nottingham restaurant Kinu, located on Low Pavement, as they have taken over and stylishly refurbished this stunning regency style building formally Carluccio’s.
First impressions are that of stylish luxury, with the interior offering a neutral colour palette, comfortable seating and a two-story dining area, complete with a large marble table for group gatherings as a central feature of the space. Other features to note is the huge, illuminated wine fridge offering a selection of wines and sparkling options. Upstairs Goz, the restaurant owner proudly showed us the private dining room, which seats up to ten comfortably, as well as the second private dining room space, currently under refurbishment and yet to launch.
After being handed the well thought out menu, Goz explained the most popular options; their very well priced lunchtime offering of four dishes for £18.95 (available between 1pm-5pm), which many couples were taking advantage of as we contemplated our options and wow did we have food envy, overlooking the colourful dishes on their tables. Their most popular offering is what they call the ‘Limitless Menu’ and this concept is something unique and special to Kinu – to Goz in fact who decided to launch it to Nottingham as a first of its kind- think an all you can eat buffet with a classy twist served to your table, as you make your way through the menu, page by page, ordering two dishes at a time, allowing you to explore their entire menu at your own pace, with no fear of the bill at the end- genius!
First up were drinks (which are purchased separately), and whilst the cocktail menu looked impressive, cleverly themed with floral and citrus flavoured drinks such as the Crimson Silk, Velvet Lotus and Silken Whisper we went for a mocktail each – Yuzu Lemonade and Lychee & Jasmine Cooler – both equally as refreshing as each other.
The first page of the Limitless Menu offered light and vibrant bites, so we began our culinary journey with Hokkaido Edamame, Vegetable Spring Rolls and Chicken Gyoza. The Edamame had just the right amount of seasoning and I was delighted to discover that siracha mayonnaise came with the rolls- one of my favourites.
Page two was the Sushi- one of my husband’s favourites, so he ordered Beef Dragon Uramaki, the Tuna Nigiri and the Tempura Yasai from page three, which was accompanied by the Dynamite Cauliflower – a more than ample portion for me and thoroughly enjoyed.
For the main event, we once again turned the page to order a selection to the table, which included the Crimson Crispy Beef, Char -Sui Pork Ribs, Rayu Garlic Rice and Emerald Greens – a favourite of Goz’s, so I had to try.
Dessert could have easily been deserted due to full bellies, however it looked too good to miss out on, so we shared the Yuzu & White Chocolate Pavlova, which was the best choice, given its light and fluffy soft meringue base, perfectly with the tartness of the yuzu- the grand finale to what was a most impressive exploration of Kinu’s artistic dishes.
At £45 per person the Limitless menu and concept is one not to be missed, it turns dining into an experience, gives permission to sample foods you may not otherwise try and makes sorting out the bill at the end a pleasure rather than a pain, I would not hesitate to recommend Kinu. Goz has created something very special here in our city of Nottingham and a special shout out to Dom who looked after us on the day too- go check it out.
The Sleepy Vegetarian
Check out the limitless menu right here– https://kinurestaurant.co.uk/menus/Kinu-Limitless-Menu-01-2026.pdf – available daytime and evenings.
Check out the website here- https://www.kinurestaurant.co.uk/menu
