Local culinary icon Damian D’Silva’s Kin is a celebration of traditional ingredients and the simple joys of sitting around the dining table with loved ones.
Former Singapore Masterchef judge, Chef Damian D’Silva has opened a new restaurant known as Kin. Located in the lobby of the exclusive members-only private club, Straits Clan, the restaurant occupies 1,515 square feet with a main dining area that seats 48 guests. Kin pays homage to Singaporean heritage through not only its traditional cuisine but also its interior, through the clever use of textures, materials and colours reminiscent of Southeast Asia.
Boasting of handmade dishes that recreate traditional recipes, Kin’s menu encourages communal dining, emphasising our inherent kinship with food and with each other. Dishes such as Javanese Keredok, Cantonese Chi Pow Kai, Eurasian Aberjaw and Peranakan Babi Masak Assam celebrate the varied roots that make up Singaporean and Southeast Asian cuisine. The range of meats, fish and vegetables available on the menu reflect the traditional recipes as they were, with only minimal adaptations.
Image courtesy of Kin
Designed by renowned Singapore-based firm Takenouchi Webb, Kin’s aesthetic departs from the brighter interiors of Clan Cafe and Straits Clan. Bearing in mind the deep layout of the conservation shophouse, the team at Takenouchi Webb introduced a skylight at the centre of the space and added several other circular light fixtures. A striking feature wall and central display table draw the eye – along with wood-panelled columns, the latter strategically creates more intimacy for diners. A private dining room that seats up to 22 guests is tucked away behind concealed timber veneer doors.
Interestingly, diners can view the Clan Café and lobby area. This sightline helps to make the restaurant feel more expansive and creates a natural flow between the two spaces, further encouraging the idea of a communal dining experience.
Kin itself presents a moodier and more atmospheric palette of emerald greens, charcoals and blues, which is very different from the other parts of the club. But it stays consistent with the use of materials such as brass, timber, encaustic tiles and ceramic tiles, maintaining the touch of tradition and local heritage that envelopes the restaurant’s aesthetic. The flooring, for instance, is a custom-made encaustic tile that Takenouchi Webb produced in Indonesia.
Most of the furniture is from Stella Works, while the custom-made tables and fixed furniture use lux materials such as leather, timber and marble. Finally, different colours demarcate each section, fulfilling a more intimate nature of the space that forms the ideal backdrop to Kin’s equally cosy menu offerings.
Address
31 Bukit Pasoh Road
L1 Straits Clan Lobby
Tel: 6320 9180
www.straitsclan.com/kin
