PUBLISHED April 17th, 2021 05:00 am | UPDATED April 25th, 2021 02:23 pm
Tucked away in the lobby of Straits Clan is Kin, helmed by the “Grandfather of Heritage Cuisine” – none other than Head Chef Damian D’Silva himself. Kin brings our melting pot of local cuisines to the fore with heirloom recipes and local ingredients, accentuated by a dash of nostalgia from Chef Damian’s anecdotes. It’s comfort food and familiar flavours executed to the next level of gastronomic sublimity.
Eurasian on his paternal side and Peranakan on the maternal side, Chef Damian’s childhood revolved around food, especially Eurasian dishes made by his grandfather, “Pop”. These influences imbue themselves into Kin’s menu, and set the tone for a restaurant that enshrines the Singaporean identity in our food.
The local convivial dining spirit finds itself best in the Pork Knuckle Debal (S$68), traditionally made by Pop from leftover meats from Christmas feasts. Fall-apart smoked pork knuckle basks in a hearty pool of spicy rempah, with chunks of siew yoke and potatoes for company. The beautiful additions of English mustard and vinegar add a kick of acidity to balance out the fiery flavours.
Another personal favourite was the King Prawn with Dry Sambal (S$48). With a base of stone-ground dried chilli, the sambal is bursting with rich, full-bodied flavour and an after-kick of spice that does not forgive. Stir-fried with succulent king prawns, it’s easy to see why it was worth the painstaking grinding by hand Chef Damian did for Pop as a kid. Give the sambal a second run as a gravy on your plate of rice.
As a meat lover, vegetarian alternatives to meat dishes almost never hit the spot. But not only did the Nangka Rendang (S$28) offer a delicious vegetarian option, I actually loved it. An Indonesian dish that was cooked by a close family friend, Aunty Zainab, Chef Damian recreates it with 7-hour braised unripened jackfruit in rich garam masala coconut gravy. The result? Morsels of jackfruit with a texture akin to tender beef, flavoured with coconut-infused spices.
A century-old Malay dish of Indonesian heritage, Daging Sambal Hijau (S$42) evokes a different type of spiciness with marinated striploin and green chilli sambal, and distinct notes of cumin from the marinate. Locally Harvested Greens (S$12) come to the rescue to cool the fire in your mouth, with juicy dragon tooth cabbage wok-fried in nothing but oil, garlic, and artisanal soy sauce.
For tipples to accompany local flavours, Kin has concocted 3 spice-centric cocktails too. The Chilli Padi (S$18) is a tequila-based cocktail with calamansi, and garnished with green and red chilli padi. A rather eccentric mix, as spice dances with the familiar duo of tequila and citrus. Jamu, a rum-based concoction of lime, tumeric, black pepper, and ginger make for a refreshing tipple to pair with the spice-forward dishes.
To finish off your feast in true Peranakan fashion, go for Kin’s homemade Kueh Platter (S$25). On the platter that day were pulot panggang, kueh ubi kaya, and kueh cangkit, with my favourite being the latter for its melt-in-the-mouth silky texture. Needless to say, the crowd favourite Kueh Kosui (S$12) was a home-run for me. Steamed tapioca kueh with gula melaka and a generous topping of grated coconut… The best way to explain this is: mochi, but better.
Kin is located at Straits Clan, Lobby Level, 31 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089845, p. +65 6320 9180. Open Mon-Sat from 12pm-2.30pm and 6pm-9.30pm. Closed on Sun.
Top image: Heritage Dishes, Kin