Kilo@Pact: Brunch or Lunch?

I always have doubts about the food from any shop that is based on the concept of food and fashion retail. However, Kilo@Pact is an exception case because the food, especially those from the brunch menu are truly delicious.

 

 Located at a hidden corner of Orchard Central, Kilo@Pact is a food + fashion+hair salon. It was the place where I had mistaken as Tanuki, a restaurant which I was heading to for their oysters promotion in January this year.

Though it was meant to be a brunch gathering, we ended having more ala carte items then brunch items. 1st reason was because brunch service is only available after 12.30pm although the restaurant opens at 11.30am. 2nd, the brunch menu had only 5 items.

So to fill up time (and stomach), we ordered some items from the regular menu section called "Small Plates". The Baby Eggplant ($12) did not wow at the first bite because the egg plants were bland. But the dish miraculously hit the jackpot when the mascarpone cheese, bonito flakes and donburi sauce were mixed into a mess.

The Zucchini Pancake ($17) resembled a less crispy Korean Pancake sheltered under a green canopy of rocket leaves. There was no dip as the goat cheese crumbles and Iberico Ham were responsible for imparting the flavours.

Since the menu is a Japanese-Viet inspired one, there are dishes such as Prawn Spring Roll $8. The sauce tasted authentically thick and tangy-a perky dip that instantly whets your appetite.

However, the Crispy Quail Egg ($8) was forgettable except for its supposedly spicy Thai hot sauce called Siracha, which tasted more like a sweet mayonnaise.

Ahi Mango Poke with Deep fried Wanton skin $16

 

The next two dishes were quite normal and did not excite me. The Ahi Mango Poke with Deep fried Wanton skin $16 is raw tuna mixed with cucumber, shallots and mangoes to be self-filled into the wanton shells. The Salmon Avocado Sushiro ($15) is rolled up sushi served with Niigata rice served with plain-tasting soy flaxseed chips. I would skip this dish because it fell short of flavours.

Instead of sushiro, the salmon sushi ($15) was the crowd-pleaser. The salmon was so fresh that it was the first time I realized that sashimi could have a sweet taste.  And who doesn’t like super-crunchy chicken skin?

The kids had the Ebiko Pasta ($18)-Capellini in light cream, smelt roe and sautéed prawns and Beef Short Ribs Rice bowl ($17) below.

After having so much food, the kitchen was still, ironically, not ready to serve brunch items. But it did whip up a very decent plate of beef short rib steak($38), paired with mildly sweet red wine reduction. But what I liked more was its side dishes-- tenderly grilled yellow peppers and quinoa rice with a herb-buttery fragrance.

Having desserts for first meal of the day was no problem for me so I ordered Raw Chocolate Lava Cake with Basil Ice Cream ($9). Cake was predicatably normal but ice cream stood out for its sweet, earthy flavours.

Finally, the much-awaited brunch made entrance with Shakshuka ($22), a traditional Middle East breakfast of cooked tomatoes, capsicum, onions and carrots. I had a taste of it with the baguette and the gravy was richfully sour, especially with the chunky cuts of vegetables. However, some found the gravy should be thicker since it was a stew, implying that the vegetables should be cooked longer.

But the highlight of the day to me was the dish that I had picked with another dessert fan-The Banana Bites ($12). This was not your average French toast as it is so moist with cotton-like softness. Bananas have been mixed into the batter, which was already sweet enough so the maple syrup was rather unnecessary.

At the same time, I really liked the Portobello Benedict ($21) because the black giant fungi worked amazingly well with the piquant buttermilk-mozzarella sauce that was smeared on toasted English muffin. I did not know what “secret ingredient” the chef put inside but the taste was interesting, especially when you have everything in a one mouthful.

 

So overall, the food here was better than expected, with occasional surprises. My top 3 favourites were the Salmon Sushi with Crispy Chicken Skin, Banana Bites and Portobello Benedict.  Not a bad location for (late) brunch if you can wait till 1pm (including cooking time)

Kilo@Pact  
#02-16, Orchard Central
181 Orchard RoadSingapore 238896
Tues-Sun 11am-10pm
(Closed between 3pm-5.30pm)
Brunch: Weekends only from 12.30pm
http://www.visitpact.com/

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