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.