Kota Kai in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

So here's a question? When did you last feel like you were at home? Kota Kai has made us welcome all through a bit of a rainy Easter week. Every visit has been amazing for three main reasons (in order) 1. The team - Will, Jerry, Jen, Mariann, Ash and everyone else. They do everything right, with a focus on fun and making you feel at home. 2. The atmosphere - super relaxed, super friendly and just a sense of calmness under pressure. 3. Food - always excellent. Very strong menu with a focus on seafood and fantastic staples. We had the roast on Sunday (the best), flat iron steak, crispy squid, oysters, burgers...amazing deserts. 3.5 - amazing cocktails (try the pineapple & chilli margarita). The most fun restaurant in Cornwall.

A big thanks for a wonderful Sunday lunch, and for your incredible kindness to our daughter at this very difficult time. The refurb looks great and you are a wonderful team. Ingrid & Simon

Family dinner last night, we are not the easiest family to put up with...lots of kids, dietary requirements etc...the food was absolutely stunning and the service impeccable 👌 I will definitely return.

A very lovely evening and delicious food. The place has had a little facelift and feels lovely inside. Staff were friendly and service very good. Food standards were excellent and we will return.

Wow what an amazing meal; our first time for a Bao bun 😋 😋 😋, I also had the Cauliflower Pakora and my wife had the Kai fried chicken nuggets both incredibly tasty. We sat around the corner from the bar which worked well for us to chat in peace, recommend with anyone or own your own. Great service throughout

We had booked a table for 12noon and when we arrived we were the only diners so plenty of attention from the waiting staff. We ordered five dishes from the small plates menu together with a scallop and an oyster. The food was prepared to order and after 20 minutes or so it arrived. Each dish was a delight to look at and delicious. A real plus is that iced water was served without a fuss and free of charge. The bill came to around £50 which seemed reasonable for such excellent food and service. By the time we left the restaurant had started to fill up although tables were still available for walk ins . Most definitely worth a return visit.

Came here with My family ordered a steak and Fries the steak was Completely overcooked as I ordered medium rare and got well done/Medium well the fries were average and the service and atmosphere was good so I wouldn't come here again.

EDIT: THIS VISIT GAVE ME BAD FOOD POISONIN WHICH I AM STILL RECOVERING FROM! Where to begin. Me and my partner has eaten here before and the first time was absolutly amazing. Everything came quick and fresh and couldn't stop talking about this place. Yesturdays evening was the complete opposite. Service was quite slow, after you order your first drink it takes a while to try flag anyone down to order again, when we did the person said they would bring us a drinks menu then completely forgot about us. We ordered a bunch of starters and that alone took about 30+ mins to come to the table. When it finally arrived, the squid was very tough and stringy. The oysters were good so I will give them that, but it's hard to mess up something you don't have to cook! Our third starter was the ham croquettes. These were absolutely stone cold to the point I thought it was meant as a cold dish till my partner told me it wasn't. I can only assume things were sat at the pass for ages. Another worrying thing that happened was with their newly installed fireplace at the back. There was only one family of 3 sat at the back with us next to this fireplace and at one point it was bellowing out smoke into the back area causing all of us to cough. The smell of smoke was so strong and stayed for a long time, I felt very sorry for the family closest to the fire. The staff did not seem to know how the fire place worked and we're just hoping it fixed itself. Ok back to the review...We put the starters behind us and decided to look forward to the mains, they all sounded absolutely mouth watering! I went for the pork chop and my partner the Malaysian chicken thighs. Once again, from finishing the starters to getting our mains this took around 40mins or more to come out. Now I do not mind waiting if the kitchen is busy and wants to make everything perfect and fresh, however, there were not that many people in the restaurant at the time and what finally came to us was unacceptable at this price point. BOTH dishes again were very cold! My pork chop was quite underwhelming, I could taste the flavours and it went well with the side salad and apple sauce but I was expecting something a bit more special. The same goes for my partner, she liked the flavours in the chicken thigh dish, but it again was entirely cold. At this point we were so hungry we gave up and kept eating. Before we were asked how things were, the table of 3 next to the fire had called over the staff and were having a long discussion pointing to various plates on their table. In the end we managed to catch some of the conversation which turned out to be the same complaints as ours (food was nice but everything was cold and wished it was hot) when they took their plates away I could see quite a lot was left. When we finally managed to speak to somebody and gave them the exact same feedback we was told that "the dish came with side salad so you know, hot and cold together sometimes things get cold" I was a bit shocked by this as my chop was nowhere near my salad and neither was my partners chicken. It felt like she was giving excuses for the kitchen staff instead of acknowledging there was an issue or helping to find a solution (something again you wouldn't expect at the prices they are asking £30-40 a mains) We decided to leave it at that and both of us agreed we would never be returning. It wasn't until the end of our meal a lovely waitress came to clear things and asked again how we was doing and how our meal was. We explained our issues and she just stood and listened and apologised, she then thanked us for bringing it to her attention. After she came back with the bill she explained that she was not happy we had a bad experience and many items were cold so put on a 25% discount telling us that she remembered us from our first visit and didn't want this to be our last and hoped we would come back and give them another go. This was the only saving grace of the entire night for us and because of her we are willing to try Kota Kai again, hopefully when staff & food are up to standard.

Back in Porthleven and following our last review in April 2022 it was a pleasure to return on their reopening day after a winter refurbishment. Greeted by Mary Anne, it is encouraging to see the Maori/Malaysian chef and owner leading from the front in the open kitchen. As before, tap water offered at the outset. Very Aotearoa New Zealand. A range of three "small plates" for me. Two would have been sufficient! Absolutely delicious. A main course which was also of generous portion. Te reka a te kai! Ka kite ano. 🇬🇧🇳🇿

Never disappoints. The food, atmosphere and stuff are always lovely. We will keep coming back! We had rare seared tuna for starters followed by a delicately spiced fish mains. Wonderful.

Another fantastic meal at Kota Kai Jenna and her team are just fantastic. Always a warm welcome, we ordered satay chicken to start as they had run out of my favourite bao buns, which was delicious I went for the feather blade steak it’s always so good and my husband went for the same thing he always orders Seafood Laska which was lovely. The new wine was also a hit on our table. Can’t wait to see you all again soon.

Great food and service.Good atmosphere and comfortable seating.Although a trifle expensive.

We visited on the 2nd January and had a wonderful meal. The service was equally as good plus we were sat opposite the open kitchen, it was fantastic to witness how calm and organised everyone was but at the same time efficient especially a very young man on prep, he seemed to be very young but completely focused on his job I thought it was a joy to see that. Maybe a budding chef for the future. We will return.

Delicious food with some great vegetarian options. The Katsu aubergine was delicious, and the staff were friendly and attentive - thanks!

Superb restaurant. Friendly staff and great ambience. Hubby had a duck bao bun starter followed by seafood laksa and I had moules mariner's with excellent chips. Really tasty. Been here before and it didn't disappoint.

Wow, fantastic place, great atmosphere, fabulous food & helpful staff. Very busy for a Wednesday night in December, would suggest booking. Stunning views of the harbour. Looking forward to going again

Bit overpriced for what you get.

Wonderful food, wonderful service. A wonderful evening ✨️ 😊

We loved this place, lovely atmosphere, made to feel very welcome by all the staff we met. The food is outstanding, we even complimented the chefs as we left, as its a open kitchen. Really can't think of a down side?? Reasonable pricing on food & drinks.

Third time here, reliably good quality food and proper grown up service - decent array of cocktails and draft ales too.

A lovely evening meal here, the service was a bit slow to start with and took a while to get water and order drinks, but after that all was well and was a lovely evening. The food was really good and couldn't fault anything. A really good fusion of different cuisines that gives plenty of options to diners.

Excellent lunch. Great food and very friendly staff. Menu was very varied and quality ingredients.

Outstanding as always. Service perfect and everything I have eaten here has been amazing. Tonight had the laksa again!) - delicious.

Great food, great service. Highly recommended

Came here two years ago and was disaapointed so gave it a miss last year. Decided to try it again this year and it was much much better. My review two years ago said to avoid the small plates and stick with the mains so that we did. We shared a fish and chips main for a starter and I had the laksa and the wife the chicken massaman. all the food was excellent and we were too full for puds. with three pints and one large wine tyhe bill was £88 including 10% service so great value.

Amazing menu. Staff very friendly and service top notch 👌

Lovely food and great atmosphere

Great Sunday lunch cooked to perfection.

To say the food was salty is an understatement! I could not and would not recommend this to anyone! After having some amazing food in Porthleven during our stay, there are many better places to go.

I have reviewed Kota Kai before. All I want to say now is that the Mussels currently being served are monsters. Plump and sweet. If you’re a mussel fan don’t delay. My one negative is that they served with focaccia . A fresh chunk or three of baguette would be a better choice ( in my humble opinion). But the mussels were superb!

The best view of Porthleven is from the window in this upstairs restaurant. A really interesting and different menu offering huge flavours from great ingredients. I had scallops followed by featherblade steak while my partner had the fish and chips (hake). Both excellent. They have a range of non alcoholic cocktails that are refreshing and not too sweet. The service is exactly right, friendly and knowledgeable.

Great sea view, even better food. Got to be worth a try. Had several dishes which we shared.

Perfekt Laksa, everything full of taste and a nice Crew!

The best seafood I had in a long time. I am pretty sure these guys will be Michelin rated soon.

I had the seafood broth (laksa?). Totally worth it. Best restaurant in Porthleven.

The food was faultless. Incredible flavours, fresh and exciting.

The food was gorgeous. My kids finished all their food. Our Laksa was delicious. This is the third time we've been since it has opened, and it is still somewhere we couldn't visit Cornwall without having a meal there. Highly recommend it.

Excellent lunch which probably covers our dinner today! We couldn’t hold back on the small plate options, really tasty Asian touch on local fish produce, great service and dining space! Recommended!

Amazing food with a wide selection that is consistent and delicious, fantastic service as well in a picturesque location - chicken massaman was unbelievable!

The kitchen bar is exactly that and not a Michelin restaurant but the food is amazing. The portion are small (two pieces of pork belly for one dish) but the taste was wonderful. We only had small plates to share but it was enough without feeling stuffed.

10/10 me and the lady loved it ! Will be coming back the next time we visit !! 🙌🏽🙌🏽

Our regular place to eat when we are in Porthleven ever year. Fabulous 👌

Was blown away by the quality of the food.

Second visit in 3 weeks. Seafood Laksa is delicious as is the fish and chips, good food at reasonable prices. Excellent service on both visits

Three of us had a meal last night and all were very impressed. The service was attentive but not intrusive. The ambience was lovely and the restaurant felt spacious and tastefully decorated. Great view. The Laksa was delicious. Would certainly recommend. Also, they had Doom zero which was a real bonus. Thank you.

Delicious meal, would recommend booking in advance. I'm lactose free and they were really helpful with the menu, lots of options. Staff were great, good was amazing. Thank you

A1 experience food Asian themed.

Beautiful food and great service, have been many times

The best food experience we’ve had during our stay in Cornwall. Every dish was simply perfect! The portions are quite small so bear in mind you mind have to order a few dishes!

You guys aware that there is a wrestler called... Dakota kai? :o)

Very good original cuisine in a very pleasant setting. Very friendly staff. We have to go !!

No takeaway, and the restaurant only accepts booked people, even if empty.

portion are small and over priced but worst all … we saw one of the kitchen staff come down to the men’s toilets and he was wearing the same apron he wore into the kitchen and we saw him leaving the toilets still wearing the apron afterwards, should such terrible standards of hygiene be acceptable for anyone restaurants including yours? we will not be coming back again

Super good food at a reasonable price

Great venue for my birthday lunch. Food was outstanding and the service was top class, attentive but not intrusive, perfect. Will be back 100 % Thank you.

Top grub. Laksa was decent, fish and chips was a healthy portion, and the cauliflower starter was banging. Couple of good beers on tap too.

We love Kota Kai! We visit occasionally throughout the year and always have the best experience. Food is amazing, Staff are brilliant and the atmosphere is always relaxed 👍

First time at Kota Kai, absolutely brilliant. Great service combined with fantastic food and great value for money. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic food and service as always

Excellent! The salt and pepper squid with green mango salad, the feather blade steak with miso sauce and the white chocolate and ruhbarb cheese cake where amazing!

As always great food, but let down on this occasion buy a large amounts of sliced lemon gras in the sweet potato curry which were completely inedible. Same as normally fab food.

Great meal as usual staff lovely, looking forward already to our next meal ,fabulous

Lovely restaurant. I'll always come back here. Very pleased.

Beautiful and tasty food. Excellent service.

Lovely evening out. Great atmosphere, very friendly staff and tasty food. Recommend the seafood laksa!

Amazing food have eaten here many times. Only unfortunate thing is they have now closed the ay area, which was ideal as a parent for the kids to enjoy.

Great dinner. All dishes have a great spice side to them. Thai / South sea style to the cooking, using local produce. Oh and great cocktail drinks too.

One of our favourite places to eat. The duck bao bun and the scallops with pork are perfect starters for sharing. The pork ramen is especially good. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and attentive.

The best mussels, very good cuisine!

Updated review on repeat visit 2 years later. We were disappointed by the menus move away from shellfish dishes, such as no crab or lobster. The price point remains quite high for a restaurant without a standout menu and fairly generic choices. What we did have was quite nice, but it wasn't what I booked for.

Delicious food, friendly staff and reasonable prices. What's not to love? Ate there yesterday evening and will definitely be returning.

Absolutely beautiful location, lovely food, great service and very friendly staff.

Service and food we're excellent. Views from the restaurant are stunning as the sun goes down

Good selection of seafood dishes with wonderful desserts and friendly staff

Great food, great atmosphere and great service

Great food and excellent service. Well worth a visit

We booked table on Saturday the 25 looking forward to our dinner when we arrived I was shocked to see the tables lay out looks like a canteen on one long strip plastic cover banshes and plastic chairs food very average slow services long wait between the starter and main I don't recommend it and never go back again

Having booked for this evening a while ago, we had a wonderful meal this evening whilst on holiday in Porthleven. Our waitress Tania was amazing such a credit to you. The food was so tasty. Great evening our second visit we will be back.

Come to Porthleven most years and usually visit Kota Kai during my stay. I have to say the serving staff are lovely and a big shout out to the really pleasant German girl that served us. Enjoyed the food as always. Will come back!

The food here was incredible. The service was great. We will be back.

Great spot ,lovely plates full of flavour .....decent cocktails and wine menu was varied......really enjoyed the oysters ,just a shame they had a Welsh accent would of loved to eaten some cornish .

Delicious food, delicious drinks, lovely staff, perfect view. We had the best time here for our intimate wedding reception. Thank you so much for helping us and having us💓

Palettable and interesting Asian fusion seafood cuisine. Prices are high and portions are small. Mussels were slightly gritty. Laksah was ok. Scallops were good.

Excellent, friendly and very good value. A must every year for us.

Fantastic casual alternative to Kota, perfect for kids (they even had cutlery for our little one!). Wonderful having different flavours as an option in Porthleven. The Singapore bun was extraordinary.

Visited for the first time as it was recommended. The food was Lovely will go again.

This was our first visit and we both throughly enjoyed it. Our waitress Tanja was very helpful in explaining the different courses and she was very attentive to our needs. I must admit the different courses that we tried where all great 👍

Fantastic food and even the kids enjoyed trying the small plate options.

Oh it was great here can't wait to go back.

A friendly welcome and delicious food. Will definitely be eating here again soon. Thank you

Beautiful delicious food, lovely fresh seafood and gorgeous drinks. The oysters were incredible, the seafood laksa amazing, the soft shell crab bao was too notch. Definitely some of the best food we have eaten!

An amazing lunch. Tried all of the small plates and couldnt choose a favourite (maybe the tuna) as they were all brilliant. Great dessert too... Gert lush!

My family and I loved the tasting menu and we all came away with different favourites. The wine pairing was really enjoyable and staff did a good job telling us all the details of the food and wine. I was hesitant about the blue cheese ice cream but I actually really liked it! I also came here the day before for a Valentine’s Day meal with my boyfriend and again we couldn’t fault it. Had 3 courses and all were absolutely delicious. I will definitely be back for a third time (just maybe not so soon!)

Nice place, v friendly service and the food was good

A very original concept for this area, I loved it, the food and the setting. Three of us visited for lunch. We all had a selection of small plates rather than a large meal. All very tasty.

Unmissable asian flavours, everything was perfectly cooked!

Great food but a bit cold inside,no atmosphere

Very clean spacious dining area and kitchen. Food delicious, service excellent staff very friendly and attentive well worth a visit.

A group of us had Christmas meal here. Food was tasty but main courses were luke warm at best.

We had such a wonderful evening at Kota Kai. Relaxed and informal, but the food was exceptional. We enjoyed two small plates as starters to share, followed by a main each and a dessert to share - we were stuffed! Highly recommend the Kai Mojito, and soft shell crab bao bun - truly delicious! Thanks to all at Kota Kai