For a novice traveller or the seasoned jet-setter, Kai’s Kitchen is a warm and nurturing experience that presents the best of Paris in an intimate setting.
The meals may qualify as rustic but the concept is quite sophisticated. In a world of uncertainty, when we are all looking to friends and family for comfort, and to spending the moments that matter together, a great meal with your favourite people in a city that qualifies as extraordinary on pretty much every level just makes plain good sense. Today when you ask most of the folk in the chic set “what’s hot?” the startling answer is consistently “family and friends” or “honesty and integrity”. We are hard pressed to find a single person interested in the rise in popularity of the high-waisted pant, or the status of the status bag. Travel is the new ‘must have’ luxury and unique experiences have become collectible.
Kai’s Kitchen was designed and built by Kai von Ahlefeld born of his passion for beautiful design and food that inspires.
Kai’s Kitchen – an Air bnb experience like no other, is born of an agglomeration of talent from one quietly brilliant human being. Since his fashion student days, followed by fashion designer days, then fashion documentarian days to today and what he calls his “visual hacking” days, Kai von Ahlefeld has been gathering friends and family (and friends’ families) and delighting them with erudite, witty brunches and dinners – and we’re talking about the food here. We suspect there’s even a bit of mad-scientist in Kai, an example being the sheer number of ways he can cook octopus.
The idea germinated when he thought a pied à terre in Paris would become a necessary part of his globetrotting career as a visual hacker (more on that another time). He found the perfect spot in the 11th arrondissement, just a short bike ride from his office and the pieces fell into place rapidly. After a remarkably quick renovation with attention paid to every clever detail, the flat was transformed into one big dining room with the kitchen at the head of the table, an efficient bedroom and a quirky little bathroom with industrial touches and a copper pot for a shower head. But the real focal point of the place is the chopping block – the stage upon which the culinary dance takes place.
The table seats 10 comfortably and once you have booked, Kai will propose a completely original, fresh, tailored menu for you and your guests. If you wish, he will take you shopping at local markets and specialty stores. Listen closely as he haggles in a charming Germano-French with a hint of an American accent – and wear comfortable shoes because he’s quick and there’s no telling how far he’ll venture to find the perfect cheese pairing.
For a novice traveller or the seasoned jet-setter, Kai’s Kitchen is a warm and nurturing experience that presents the best of Paris in an intimate setting.
What do we recommend? If you dare, ask for the biker chicks.
To find out more about this “visual hacking” which is not the crime described on Wikipedia, and to find out what he was doing at Colette in Paris this fashion week, stay tuned.