Restaurant Review: Kulto on Amoy Street Takes You On An Authentic Spanish Culinary Experience
PUBLISHED April 16th, 2021 05:00 am | UPDATED April 25th, 2021 02:04 pm
Shophouses may have historically been a place filled with Singaporean merchants and Peranakan families, but Kulto transforms its lot at 87 Amoy Street into a Spanish-inspired space. Opened by Chef Jose Alonso, Kulto is straightforward in their approach – simply to serve an authentic Spanish meal with the freshest ingredients available.
Kulto does a good job in channeling a Spanish getaway. It’s elegantly and simply decorated in colours of salmon pink and white, with large wooden rolling shutters placed along the wall – a defining feature of Madrid and Barcelona apartments. The place is filled up quickly, which is already a good sign of the food to come.
We’re first served with a refreshing Red Sangria (S$15 per glass, S$48 per jug) that Kulto has on tap. The drink is light and fruity, filled with chunks of freshly cut watermelon, orange, grape and pineapple. It’s a welcome beverage to start the meal, and a great offset from walking in the hot Singapore weather.
Some of their most authentic dishes are the tapas, light but full with flavour. The Jamón Ibérico Bellota 36 months with Tomato Bread (S$29) is an excellent choice to start the meal. Neither the home-made tomato spread nor the grated tomato is too overpowering on the house-baked sourdough. Since the tomato flavour is so light and natural, a small slice of Jamón Ibérico does the trick, adding a layer of savouriness to the dish.
Although Kulto’s menu prides itself on sticking to their roots of traditional Spanish cuisine, some dishes are a nod to Singapore. Take their Chili Crab Croquette (S$12) for example, a roux of butter and flour cooked with milk, stuffed with shredded crab meat and served with chili crab sauce. The same goes for Kulto’s Grilled Prawn, Garlic, Chili & Homemade Sambal (S$26). The prawns are cooked in golden brown garlic and xerez (sherry) wine until plump and pink. Both dishes are satisfying to eat and their respective sauces present a lovely Singaporean twist on Spanish cooking.
Their tapas and Spain-meets-Singapore dishes are fun to dabble in, but if you’re planning to eat a full meal, the Squid Ink Paella (S$38, S$62) is the real showstopper of our Spanish culinary journey. Bomba rice, caramelised onions and tomatoes are cooked down until liquid, while a housemade seafood stock and and squid are added for an umami flavour. French beans, mussels, clams and baby squid top it all off.
This I could not stop eating – the richness of the seafood was complemented nicely by the light sauce that the paella was cooked in. Served as a sharing size, it’s an ideal dish for when you know you can’t finish a meal by yourself, although we didn’t seem to have a problem doing so.
Dessert at Kulto is probably the heaviest dish you’ll be served. But considering we’ve been treated to an array of fresh savoury foods, it feels indulgent to be served with the KULTO Cheesecake (S$12). Kulto’s cheesecake uses Manchego cheese, from La Mancha region in Spain, as their base. It’s baked for 20 minutes and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’m usually not a fan of cheesecake but once again, Kulto delivers on its fresh but flavourful approach. The cheesecake itself was more creamy and sweet than cheesy, making for a satisfying ender to our Spanish experience.
Kulto is located at 87 Amoy St, Singapore 069906, p. +65 9620 5626. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 10.30pm. Monday, 12pm – 2.30pm & 5pm – 10.30pm. Closed Sundays.
