Kanpai was founded by Iris, originally from Hong Kong, and Pako, who was born in Luxembourg. Both of them are huge fans of authentic Japanese cuisine, which they wanted to bring to Luxembourg.
Pako is not completely new to the world of hospitality. He previously managed La Cuisine de Pékin in Esch, a restaurant opened by his parents more than 30 years ago. For Kanpai he sought help from a friend – a chef at Dotori restaurant in London – with whom he developed the menu.
The result is a Japanese izakaya experience. An izakaya is a casual Japanese pub or bar, where food is ordered in smaller dishes and shared over drinks. At lunch, the restaurant caters more to those in a hurry, offering donburi, Japanese rice bowls.
We started with the yakitori (€5), traditional Japanese grilled skewers often made with meat, though this one was made with baby squid instead.
Personally, I would have liked mine a little more grilled, but that is also very much a matter of taste…
Then came the vegetable tempura (€15). The portion was generous, and the lightly battered vegetables were nicely crisp.
One of my favourites of the evening was definitely the soy-grilled aubergine (€12). When done right, aubergine is one of the best flavours out there, in my opinion – and this one paired particularly nicely with the glaze!
When asked for recommendations, the Tsukune with egg yolk (€5) was suggested, Japanese chicken meatballs, which were in this case made with minced chicken and served on a skewer. While the egg yolk is a matter of taste, it did give it a rich element mixed with soy sauce, so it’s something I’d actually recommend trying!
Service-wise, everything was kind and quick.
And then, something I was very happy to see on the menu: highballs (€13+).
For those who might not know, whisky highballs are a big thing in Japan. In its simplest form, it’s whisky mixed with sparkling water over ice (I can already see the heads shaking from our British readers, who might see this as blasphemy). But I for one believe it to be refreshing without feeling too heavy.
We managed to find some space for dessert: Japanese Ice Cream (€6). You normally choose two flavours, but they very kindly let us choose three: matcha, red bean, and black sesame. The latter was my personal favourite – a distinct, rich, and nutty flavour that I find hard to resist in any dessert form!
I think Kanpai manages what they set out to do: showing Luxembourg a different side to Japanese cuisine beyond sushi and ramen, in a setting that is lively without feeling chaotic. By sharing a few dishes and having your side of highball, you get to enjoy this place in a more social way than your usual traditional sit-down restaurant.
They also don't want Kanpai to become a place people visit based on hype, or because there is some impossible waitlist. They simply want it to become somewhere people can go to for great company, great food, and most importantly, a place for kanpai, which roughly translates to "cheers".
So cheers to that!
Food quality: 4/5
Family-friendly: 4/5
Budget-friendly: 3.5/5
Date-friendly: 4.5/5
Veggie-friendly: 3.5/5
Carolina Reinertz, former RTL Today editor turned contributor, is testing every hotspot in Luxembourg with honest reviews on whether a place is date-friendly, budget-friendly, or worth the hype – so you can spend your money wisely.
