14 Purvis Street, Singapore 188593
Contact: (+65) 6643 9999
Email: info@hotelkai.com
Website: http://www.hotelkai.com/page/eat-drink.html
Nearest MRT: City Hall, Bugis
Operating hours: Monday - Sunday (last dinner order at 10pm)
Bistro Kai is housed in the lobby of Hotel Kai, a cosy boutique hotel located in Singapore's historic Civic district, and the restaurant has been decorated in a contemporary style — the dramatic setting of the original brick walls from the conservation of shophouse building is juxtaposed with modern finishes.
The hotel's in-house restaurant serves mouth-watering Western staples such as oven-baked salmon, succulent steak and lamb chops, and gourmet open-faced sandwiches. With 9 other fellow bloggers, I was cordially invited to a dinner food tasting session at Bistro Kai.
How could I begin a good meal without a drink?
There is an artisan bar within the restaurant and it offers a wide selection of cocktails and fine wine. Additionally, the bar serves Paulaner that is fresh from its Singapore-based microbrewery. For other beer fans, the bar also boasts a range of imports that would be suitable for any beer connoisseurs.
Here is the most important information for any alcohol lovers, Bistro Kai has an amazing happy hour system! Beer starts at $5 at 5pm, $6 at 6pm and $7 at 7pm with normal pricing resuming at 8pm.
Therefore, grab your kakis after work and go have a drink!!! It's happy hour time!
But of course, you should never have alcohol on an empty stomach so...
#1| Starters
Fresh oysters at $2.50/pc, with a min. order of 6 pcs
With a gentle squeeze of lemon, it brings out the sweet succulent flavour of the fresh oyster. Furthermore check out the price man, where else in Singapore can you find fresh oysters so reasonably priced?!
Baby squid deep fried to crispness, accompanied with a sweet dipping sauce
Ooo.. I love this starter dish. The sweet savoury taste of the squid combined with the crisp; it makes a great tapas dish that goes well with beer. **HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!**
Deep fried broccoli with 63 degree egg
I am so sorry to be frank, but this dish looked ugly and ordinary at first glance.
However the dish contains the most extraordinary flavours that shouldn't be missed out on — the crispy texture of the deep fried broccoli smothered with the rich flavours of a runny egg yolk. **HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!**
Deep fried brussel sprouts with midwestern classic pickled beetroot
This dish is easily a hit-or-miss with folks — you either like brussel sprouts or you don't.
If you are a fan of brussel sprouts, then do give this dish a try as deep fried brussel sprouts are easily over-oily but I didn't notice the case for the ones from Bistro Kai.
Furthermore, the pickled beetroot provides a tinge of sourness that elevates the sweetness of the deep fried vegetable and masks its natural bitter flavour.
Crispy fried wings coated in hot pepper sauce
Hohoho.. This dish is not to be taken lightly. They weren't kidding when they used the word "HOT".
The chix wings probably aren't as spicy as the ones from Hooters, but you can still breathe fire like a Hungarian Horntail.
#2| Mains
Thai style spicy tom yum based risotto with tiger prawns
One of my favourite mains out of the mix! I loved the tanginess and tinge of spice in the risotto, I couldn't stop putting spoonfuls of this tasty rice into my mouth.
The tiger prawns used were bigger in size, fresh and skilfully grilled as the meat was still firm and could be picked off from its shell easily. It tasted savoury and had a slight tinge of smokiness which made it incredibly alluring. This has got to be one of the best grilled prawns that I have ever had in my life!
A poached egg nestled on a bed of linguine with bacon, prawns, cheese, garlic, and chilli topped with parmesan cheese
Essentially carbonara with a twist to its name, this dish is a must-try for all carbonara lovers.
The yolk from the poached egg combined with the existing savoury flavour from the ingredients used adds a new level of richness to this simple pasta dish.
Braised bone tender pork ribs glazed with homemade barbeque sauce infused with Indonesian spices, served with seasonal summer vegetables and french fries
I can never say no to a good plate of barbecued pork ribs, especially one with meat that falls off the bone easily! The homemade barbecue sauce was tangy and had a tinge of smokiness to it, which accentuated the natural flavours of pork ribs.
Even though the fries were just a side dish, I have to give them a mention as they were irresistible and I could not stop popping them into my mouth. It takes true blue effort to present a good plate of fries that is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and even more so to create a spice blend made out of 13 different spices used just to season their fries and have it go well with the pork ribs! That's what I call 'effort'! 👍
Farfelle with tiger prawns, clams and scallops in spicy Thai green curry cream
This is a muted version of Thai green curry, which could come across as a 'yay' or a 'nay' to different individuals. The curry spices are present but less distinct, and the farfelle could do with a tad more salt.
Nonetheless it should be noted that the Thai green curry went surprisingly well with the accompanied choice of seafood (especially the clams) and for its price, the chef is indeed generous with his choice in seafood and the amount (of seafood) given.
Seared sirloin steak with brown sauce, served with summer vegetables and roasted potatoes
My third favourite main course out of the set — I like most steaks but it is hard to find one that I would rave about on and on, and this one from Bistro Kai has most certainly got my raves!
The steak was well seasoned and equally grilled on each side to a medium well. The steak was juicy and the natural flavours of the steak was revealed with each bite, and I must say that the seasoning is a major contributing factor in the accentuation of the flavours.
Apparently at Bistro Kai, another tapas dish available are their "Beef Cubes" which should not be missed out on! It is essentially grilled steak bite-sized pieces, which makes it easier to consume and without my saying, it goes DAMN DAMN WELL with beers and red wine.
If you choose not to try their beef cubes, I'm telling you right now that you are making a grave mistake which you might possibly regret for eternity! Don't be a fool, my friend!
#3| Desserts
Lava cake infused with Thai Tea
How could we forget about the best ending to any good meal — DESSERTS!
Here we have another Thai twist to a westernised dessert: Thai Tea Molten Chocolate Lava Cake!
The taste of the chocolate and thai tea was well-balanced, with neither overpowering the other's flavour. This dessert is great for those who are not a huge fan of chocolate as the presence of the thai tea helps in toning it down.
When consumed on its own, the lava cake was a tinge too sweet but still bearable — I found that it goes better when consumed together with the accompanied fresh fruits!
Freshly homemade Crème Brûlée
My dearest dearest crème brûlée, how could I forget you?
The trick to a good crème brûlée is hearing its crack when you hit it lightly on its surface, but it is still smooth and soft on the inside. This crème brûlée does the trick and I was incredibly amazed by the perfect caramelisation on the surface of this egg dessert!
The crème brûlée was made a bit sweeter as it came with fresh berries that were a tad sour in nature. When consumed together, it tasted refreshing and smooth with bits of its caramelised surface crunching between my teeth. Like I said earlier, this crème brûlée is the dessert bomb!
Rating: 4.2/5
My two cents:
Dining at Bistro Kai was beyond my expectation. I knew that eateries located within a prestigious lodging had to have some sort of standard, but this was way beyond the norm and they have gone all out to ensure that diners (be it those who are their hotel guests and those who are not) have a great time!
I was shocked when I had my first taste of the beer served and could not stop raving it to my beau — a beer connoisseur had taught me to be a strict critic with the alcohol that I am to allow my palate to taste — via texts about how fresh the Paulaner at Bistro Kai was as they carried the beer from our local microbrewery.
And then the food was served... there were fewer misses than hits, and on multiple occasions I was blown away by the flavours carried in each dish. For the starters, there were the Crispy Baby Squid and Broccoli with 63 Degrees Egg.
Then came the mains which kept me wow-ing for the rest of the hour, such as Spicy Tom Yum Risotto, Indonesian Style Barbecued Pork Rib and Australian Grade Striploin Steak. The portions served were huge and I would strongly advise couples, who are not big eaters, to order some starters and share your main.
The night ended off on a sweet note with their Homemade Crème Brûlée which kept me smiling through the rest of the night, and even till today as I write this post now.
Bistro Kai is an eatery worth visiting if you are in town or in need of a drink after work with your friends or colleagues. They offer good food and good beer at a reasonable pricing!
Do check out their Happy Hours (Monday to Friday, 5-8pm) and tapas which are available at $9 each during happy hour. To keep yourself up to date on their latest promotion, follow their facebook page here and instagram here.
quote "ChillAtKai" when you dine at Bistro Kai!
About Hotel Kăi
Hotel Kăi is centrally located in the heart of Singapore's historic Civic District and the hotel is housed in a beautifully restored conservation shophouse, re-birthed with a unique blend of history and modernity.
In the early 1900s, this shophouse was used to house immigrants and travellers from Hainan, China. Architecturally, these heritage pre-war shophouses were remarkably space efficient in its design even by modern standards. Kăi is about all the luxury you'd expect from a premium hotel – without the premium price tag!
Unusally high double-volume ceiling rooms framed with vintage timber slated windows, spectacular open sky terraces, fully equipped kitchenettes, private gardens, service apartments with private lift lobbies – our Suites series are made to wow.
With the philosophy of Small is More, Hotel Kăi is proud to introduce services that even 5-star hotels talk about:
- Free ultra fast 4G personal WiFi device with island-wide internet coverage
- Remote controlled, ergonomically adjustable bed with lumbar support
- Cutting edge Mood-Enhanced® LED lighting
Click here now to reserve a room at Hotel Kai, and here to find out more information about the hotel.
Note: This post was kindly sponsored by Hotel Kai.
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