[CLOSED] Kin

MUST ORDER:
> Buah Keluak fried rice
> Rendang Chicken
> Otah paste thing

Do you like Nonya kuih? If you’re a fan of Nonya kuih or Eurasian cakes just like I am, keep reading and find out more. Think Kuih Kosui, Kuih Bingka and Sugee Cake. I’m not particularly a fan of Kuih Kosui in general but Restaurant Kin’s version blew me over. Pictured here’s the dessert sampler ($24++).

Kuih Kosui (Individual portion $10++). What’s Kuih Kosui? A kuih made from tapioca starch and rice flour that’s mixed with gula melaka (palm sugar) before steaming. It’s then served with grated coconut for texture and flavour. A good kuih kosui will be soft, bouncy and wobbly. Kin’s version hits all these notes and melts in your mouth. I can fathom why people can’t stop asking for more.

Kuih Bengkah/ Bingka (Individual portion $10++). I like kuih bingka in general. But Kin’s version is mind blowing and has kept me yearning for more. Served warm unlike many other places, And I think that’s partially cause it’s served warm. The top is crusty while the tapioca custard is soft, moist and fragrant.

Sugee Cake (Individual portion $12++). A Eurasian classic that’s served during Christmas. It’s made from semolina flour, chopped almonds, butter and egg yolks. Taste wise - rich, dense and buttery.

Kedondong & Coconut Sorbet (Individual portion $12++). With all the rich and sweet treats, this refreshing frozen treat was much needed. Creamy yet distinctively tropical with fruity nuances from the kedondong fruit. Add a bit of gula melaka for additional sweetness.

By luck or fate, both restaurants decided to collaborate for a four-hands dinner for two evenings, and we managed to snag a slot for it. Through the minds and creations of Chef Damian and Rishi, we were presented with over 15 courses of dishes throughout the evening and as what was mentioned in the communication materials, we were truly taken on a culinary journey from Sri Lanka to Singapore. As it was our first time trying out Sri Lankan food, many of the dishes and flavours were foreign to us, that made it even more exciting and surprising from each bite. By the end of the night, we were truly stuffed and fulfilled with the different textures and spiced creations from this collaboration. From the Devilled Cashew to the heavy hitters of Sri Lankan Crab Curry and Fish Briyani before ending off with the Watalappam Tart, this is truly one of my meal highlights of this year.
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✨ The Heritage Table (Kin x Kotuwa)
📍 31 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089845
🍴 [Not Sponsored]

T R E A T
The incredible flavours of Chef Damian D’Silva’s food can now be savoured in the comfort of your own home. Thanks to @lobeholdgroup’s @ameliayjt, my family and I had the privilege to try it this afternoon. One of the two available Heritage Meals ($138, serves 2 to 4 pax) was delivered to us and these are what it comprised of:

1. Ayam Lemak Chilli Padi - The wonderfully aromatic, rich dish packed a kick of spiciness. Chef Damian champions traditional cooking methods in his kitchen, so this chicken was most likely simmered for hours on end to achieve that state of tasty tenderness.

2. Ikan Selar with Chilli Garam - A life-long favourite of mine, the fried fish was slit and stuffed with a chilli paste. Simple but divine.

3. Sambal #BuahKeluak - I have always thought the Indonesian black nut’s naturally earthy flesh tastes perfectly fine naked. Trust Chef Damian to elevate it by blending the nut with spices, and by doing so, flung a door open to a different flavour dimension, one that deserves an enormous welcome mat.

4. Okra with Dried Prawn Sambal - I wouldn’t mind multiple helpings of this aromatic, bright and crisp vegetable item.

5. Aberjaw - A traditional Eurasian dish, the soulfully-satisfying stew was the outcome of pork ribs cooked with special spices and fermented bean paste.

6. Sunday’s Fried Chicken - Ignore the name. Those marinated mid-joint wings are worth munching on any day of the week.

7. Kueh Kosui and Kueh Bingka ($12 each) - From the Heritage Picks section of the menu, these are the to-die-for desserts that every KIN meal needs to end with.

The Takeaway Menu also lists Set Meals for the individual priced at $18 or $22 that would make lunch or a weeknight dinner so much more interesting.

To order, WhatsApp or Call:
97237028
at least 45 mins in advance.

H O S T E D
Resonating strongest with me from the lunch at @restaurantkin.sg was this - the “Selar”.
Yes, it is probably seen as simple compared to the more labour-intensive dishes (hellooooo Nasi Ulam) but it is #Noshtalgia for me as I grew up eating this very often at home.
My late maternal grandmother who looked after us, use to prepare it at least once or twice a week. And when I got to my tween years, I was roped in to help. The process would involve cutting big red chillies (and shallots if we were going to have the other rempah that incorporated belachan), then hand-pounding it with buah keras (candlenut) using a traditional stone pestle and mortar. I would then carefully stuff the spicy paste into the Selar which I had made a lengthwise slit in prior. Later on, I was also put in charge of the frying which would see me skittishly hopping around the wok to avoid the splitter-splatter of the hot oil when I slid the fishes in. After a few attempts, I managed to produce much better looking results. The earlier fishes I fried looked like a mess as I had a tendency to flip them too soon, which made their not-yet-completely-crisped and hardened skin stick to the wok and tear. At the table, we would pour some light soya sauce over before digging in. But ah, those were the good ol’ days before we were told to watch our sodium intake.

H O S T E D
I’ve been a huge fan of Chef Damian D’Silva’s cooking for years and have followed him from restaurant to restaurant. It had taken a while for me to dine at @restaurantkin.sg though (he heads the kitchen there now) because for months, I‘d been under the impression that only members of the Straits Clan could do so. I was wrong - oops (FYI: About half of the tables in the restaurant are set aside for non-members). Regardless, the key thing here is that my forlorn pining finally came to an end last Friday, with a banging feast to boot!
After we toasted with the welcome “Gibette”, a traditional Eurasian celebratory concoction of ginger, aged rum, honey, lime & aromatics, a bowl of Nasi Ulam arrived. An authentic rendition of this herb rice is nigh impossible to find nowadays so we treasured every bite. Served at room temperature as an appetiser, it exuded a beautiful fragrance, the result of chiffonaded herbs. Chef Damian also shared that the dish originated as a test by Peranakan matriarchs for prospective daughters-in-law.
Next was a platter of appetisers comprising of Chi Pow Kai (paper-wrapped chicken that’s juicy and tasty), Hakka Fried Pork and two Asian salads - the herbaceous Daun Pegaga and the brighter Heritage Salsa.
We then progressed to the large dishes which numbered enough to almost cover our entire table. Meant to be eaten with either plain rice or Nasi Kuning - a tasty, albeit slightly oily “kunyit” (turmeric) flavoured yellow rice, they consisted of:

- Braised Babi Assam: A pork rib and pork belly dish cooked with “tau cheo” (preserved soya beans), tamarind, Chinese mustard and “kiam chye”. Chef Damian’s is an unusually wet version, so it is ideal for those looking to splash their rice with a non-spicy “zhup” (gravy).
- “Selar”: The big fish, stuffed with a chilli and “buah keras” (candlenut) rempah and fried till crispy, brought back happy memories for me as my late grandmother use to prepare “selar” the same way for my brothers and I during our growing-up years.
- Ayam Lemak Chilli Padi: I really enjoyed its aromatic, spicy and coconut-rich gravy. What’s more, the chicken was properly “serap” (well-saturated) in the gravy, a vital point some places seem to overlook.
- Sambal Brinjal and Prawns: The slightly sweet and spicy dried chilli sambal used in the frying was so appetising and I could’ve eaten it on its own.
- Chap Chye: chef Damian revealed that he added “rempah titek” to the classic recipe to get the stewed mix of vegetables and beancurd ablaze with spiciness. Ingenious.
- Beef Gulai: The braised meat was unbelievably tender and the sauce, only mildly spicy. Those who can’t handle too much chilli can relish this with no issues.
- Dou Miao: The succulent vegetable was stirfried with garlic for a straightforward yet satisfying fix of greens.
- Kedongdong Salad: We were surprised with this off-the-menu salad too was a genuine saliva-trigger. Its intense sourness was a perfect foil for all the richness.

Even though nearly every dish was an innate flavourbomb, resisting the siren call of the housemade condiments, namely the Sambal Belado, Sambal Hijau and fiery-hot Sambal Belachan, was futile.
Finally, it was time for desserts. Let me just say, Chef Damian’s creations are so overwhelmingly good, eating them was an almost religious experience for me. I loved the Kedongdong and Coconut Sorbet which managed to taste simultaneously familiar and novel, but when I dug into the #SugeeCake, #KuehKosui and Kueh Bengkah, a sense of euphoria welled up so strongly I thought I was going to burst into tears.
In not so many words, Restaurant Kin is a MUST GO.