The Place After the success of Folklore, Chef Damian D’Silva new dining concept is finally revealed officially this month. I made my reservation few weeks ago at Kin, as its website states that only a limited number of tables are opened for booking to public. For the uninitiated, Straits Clan is a members only club though the lobby area is pretty much a public space with Clan Cafe and now, Kin restaurant.

The interior of Kin is sophisticated chic, with a setting somewhat closer to fine dining though the dishes are very much a communal affair. With a dimly lit interior, I like the green tiles on the wall which are well-contrasted with the wood finishing. The table configuration is ideal for couples, or various dining sizes.

The Food Communal style dining is the way to go at Kin, which lies in the heart of the heritage cuisine to promote kinship over meals. It appear to me that the menu seem more extensive than Chef Damian Folklore days, with some familiar dishes spotted as well as newly created ones. Set menu is available for lunch and dinner, though this time I went for the ala carte option.

The ala care menu is primarily split into small plates, large plates, vegetables and desserts. From the small plate, I had the Chi Pow Kai (S$15), a Cantonese style paper wrapped boneless chicken along with a special marinade, served with garlic chilli sauce. Expect a flavourful and tender chicken here and if you fancy some spiciness, the garlic chilli sauce packs a good punch.

For large plate, I had the Ayam Tempra (S$36), which was recommend by the staff. This braised kampong chicken is served with soya sauce, sweet onion, chilli, lime and tomato. This Peranakan classic dish is best to have along with some white rice, as the gravy is rich while the chicken is delicious.

Even though I have tried the Buah Keluak Fried Rice (S$32) before at Folklore, I still couldn’t resist having this chef’s signature dish. This dish is quite rich and oily, and is good for sharing amongst 2-3 people. That said, it is very tasty and probably one of the best way to appreciate the buah keluak flavour instead of scraping it from the nut shell yourself.

For dessert, the Kueh Kosui (S$12) is an absolute must have at Kin. This dish is essentially steamed tapioca starch with gula melaka and grated coconut, and the texture is very soft. It is one of the rare dessert which I keep having over and over time.

Rants The dishes at Kin are more catered to larger groups than couples. Come with at least 3-4 people to try a greater variety of dishes.

Will I Return Again? Great to have Chef Damian back with his new venture at Kin. This is probably one of the most ideal restaurant in Singapore to have a taste of heritage cuisine. I am kin (pun intended) to return to try the other dishes which I missed out this time.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Kin
L1 Straits Clan Lobby
31 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089845
Tel: +65 6320 9180

Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday: 12pm to 2:30pm, 6pm to 9:30pm
Closed on Sunday

Ranted by The Ranter