Greeted with a warm smile and seated almost immediately, my friend and I take a few moments to soak in our surroundings at the quaint Shophouse byKylin. This establishment can seat 30 people inside and around 28 outside. The interiors are an ode to the shophouses of China, where families would reside and work (usually own a shop) on the same property. Clean cut lines¸ simple yet sturdy furniture and an open kitchen all help to create that ambience. My olfactory senses enjoyed the aroma of enticing spices and boy, I was prepared to dig in!
We started with a sampling of Kimchi which was spiced well but needed to be fermented for at least a couple of more days. Then came the Non- vegetarian Sushi Platter, and by now I’m sure most of you are familiar of my love affair with this delicacy, how could I not try it?! The platter consisted of the Prawn tempura roll, SAT roll (salmon, avocado, tuna with chilli mayo) and Nigiri (salmon and tuna). In one word excellent! Also, the wasabi had a sharp but not overpowering kick to it.
We moved on to the starters – Edamame, Prawn Tempura and Double cooked pork spare ribs. The Edamame came with the salt and soya dressing on the side and it was just right. The tempura was the way it should be, all crunch outside and succulent inside. Now the pork needs a moment of silence out of sheer respect! Literally falling off the bone, spiced to perfection and the stuff dreams are made of. The bowl was licked clean with no guilt. From the dimsum range we tried Chicken Shanghai and Prawn Water Chestnut and while they were difficult to peel off from the butter paper, they were just as easy on the palate.
Just when we thought we were done we realized we hadn’t tried Shophouse by Kylin’s claim to fame the DIY (Do it yourself) bowl! I built my bowl by just placing a tick mark against the ingredients I wanted. I’ve always been a fan of these no fuss, one bowl meals that are nutritious and delicious. Plus cleaning up afterwards is so convenient! One does have the option to go with their signature bowls if you don’t have the time or inclination to build your own bowl.
For the DIY bowl, I chose sticky rice with bokchoy, snow peas, mushroom,fungus, kailan (also known as Chinese broccoli), sole, Korean chilli sauce and topped it with crushed peanuts, fried garlic, prawn crackers and spring onion. Magically my already stuffed tummy made room for this wholesome and outstanding dish. This came out so good that I had no qualms about taking a little credit for building this bowl of awesomeness!From the signature bowl section we tried the most agreeable Dan Dan noodles, which along with the noodles had hot and spicy chicken mince, greens, Sichuan pepper, peanuts and chilli flakes.
The one thing that did let me down was the dessert, the Mango mousse. It was dense and lacked the “airy” quality we all associate with a mousse and the mangoes weren’t fresh. They took our feedback graciously and ensured they would work on it. What more can one ask for?Some exciting news, they do plan to serve alcohol in the near future.
Shophouse by Kylin works well whether you’re looking to grab a quick bite or having a relaxed long meal. Go on and give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Ratings (Out of 5)
Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0
Meal for Two: Rs1500 ++ | Wheel Chair Friendly: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Alcohol: License Awaited
