PUBLISHED January 10th, 2017 06:30 am | UPDATED January 16th, 2017 06:09 am
Update (16 Jan 2017): Due to manpower issues, KITE will be taking a break, and the last day of service will be on Friday, 27th January 2017.
Fourteen months ago, Kite opened on Craig Road as a tapas-style restaurant serving up creative cocktails and comfort food with convivial communal dining in mind. Today, it’s become a contemporary Asian restaurant with more refined dishes on its omakase and degustation-style dinner menu in a bid to keep up with the times.
Does it work?
Personally, I do miss the cocktails by ex-bar manager Samuel Sim, but I also prefer the brigher, more minimalist look and feel of the restaurant, falling in line with the sized down one-page alcoholic menu of sake, wine, and beer.
An a la carte menu is available for lunch, but dinner is the best time to head to KITE with three set menus available – the 10-course Kite Essentials ($75), the 12-course Kite Experience ($90), and a seasonal omakase menu ($120 for 14 courses and $160 for 18 courses). Small eaters need not fret as the courses are relatively small, but larger eaters will not go home hungry either; that’s what we realized with the 12-course Kite Experience.
We were quite impressed by Chef’s Daniel ability to reinterpret the quintessential Singaporean dish as Chicken Rice Crackers, which were accompanied by a dip of chili, kecap manis, and mayo. More fowl work continued with the bourbon-glazed Chicken Skin. Light and crisp, folks who enjoy sweet-savoury combinations will love this.
The day’s Amuse Bouche featured blow-torched plum, sliced rose apple, vanilla salt, and Bandung candy – a textural delight in the mouth –, as well as Japanese tomatoes seasoned simply with salt. Hailing from the Yamanashi, these juicy tomatoes were grown at the foot of Mount Fuji, emphasizing Kite’s use of quality produce. Chef Daniel also plays around with the proverbial Bread and Butter course by changing the latter regularly; our herbed better was infused with coconut and a tinge of gula Melaka for complexity.
One of my favourite dishes of the night was the Ubin Red Snapper Kinilaw, Kite’s take on the Filipino-style ceviche. Farmed in Pulau Ubin (hence the name), it’s said that the fish retains its flavour and texture as the spine is broken instead of, I don’t know, being beheaded? The well-balanced coconut calamansi vinegar is superb.
Next up is the crowd-pleasing Mentaiko Somen. The hand-stretched wheat noodles are from Nagasaki, and other familiar, moreish goodies in the bowl include unagi, pan-seared Hokkaido scallop, and Sakura ebi – what’s not to love? Pork finally makes an appearance with the Iberico Pork Belly. Topped with pickled Szechuan cabbage, the Chinese-style braised pork is another comforting course on the Kite Experience menu.
The Bak Kut Teh (spiced pork ribs broth) inspired Mangalica Pork Collar, unfortunately, was a little too creamy for me, with the you tiao (fried dough fritters frequently eaten with bak kut teh) veloute somewhat clashing with the spiced broth. Thankfully, things bounced back with the Welsh Lamb, prepared with an Indian twist with tamarind mango chutney, chaat potatoes (spiced poatotes), and spiced jus.
Dessert is an uplifting plate of Yuzu Curd accompanied by milk soil, wolfberries, and lime yoghurt. By this time, you might not be stuffed, but your palate would have gone through enough exercise to feel satisfied, which is probably for the best.
Sake pairing is available with the Kite Experience at $70++ for five glasses of 75ml. Highlights include the pairing of Sensho Masamune Tokubetsu Junmai ($19 per 100ml, $135 for 720ml bottle) with the first two courses – the white wine aroma and sweet umami of Miyagi Kura No Hana sake rice went down well with the crackers. The refreshing Miyoshikiku Awayamadanishiki 60 Muroka Namagenshu ($18 per 100ml, $125 per 720ml bottle) smelled like pineapple tarts and also paired well with the kinilaw.
Kite is located at 53 Craig Road, #01-01, Singapore 089691, p. +65 6221 5965. Open Tue-Fri 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10.30pm, Sat-Sat 6pm-10.30pm. Closed Mon.