Kaixo : A Spanish Gem in Tanjong Pagar

19th March 2013.

Restaurant Week started just recently and I managed to find a slot at Kaixo, a restaurant helmed by Issachar Lee serving food influenced by the Basque cuisine in Spain.

The Lunch Set for Restaurant Week was priced at an insanely affordable price of 25++ SGD with items from the a la carte menu. For a start, I opt for the Pan-Seared Scallops with Braised Leeks (14++ SGD). This beautifully and skillfully executed dish marks the start of a good meal. The scallops were perfectly done, it was nicely seared with crispy brown edges and the flesh was succulent. On top of that, the scallops was paired with the savoury braised leeks with some sort of crumble. The textures, flavours and not to mention the aesthetics was top notch.

The next dish was an Iberico Pork with Caramelized Apple Puree, Potato and Bacon Millefeuilles (ard 24 SGD). Once again, this dish didn’t disappoint, the meat was very tender, juicy and the caramelized sweet, fruity apple puree worked wonders for the iberico pork.

Lastly, I had the Valrhona ‘Gypsy’s Arm’, also known as Brazo de Gitano. Brazo de Gitano is kind of swiss roll found in Spain and it normally comes with a cream filling. At Kaixo, chocolate fanatics would enjoy  this rich and indulgent chocolate dessert which has a smooth, bittersweet chocolate cream wrapped around with a chocolate sponge and dusted generously with fine cocoa powder. The dessert was also infused with alcohol. However, the dessert can be a little heavy for the palate.

Although the set menu only allows the choice of one dessert, I was lucky to have two very kind men who sat next to me offering me to try the White Tiramisu with Orujo (a kind of Spanish liquor) because they really enjoyed it (they had seconds of it!). The alcohol in this variation of the tiramisu is rather strong but not overwhelming and it is quite different from the classic tiramisu, this was light, fluffy with a delicate cheese flavor and not too sweet.

Without Restaurant Week, a meal could easily cost up to 60++ SGD and we were told that the portions are the same as what you get in the a la carte menu, making this one of the best lunch deals for Restaurant Week unlike those boring lunch sets you get even from some of “star” restaurants. In my opinion, I thoroughly enjoyed the food at Kaixo, it is comparable with the nearby Ember but I also have to point out that the amazing food here don’t come cheap, but there you have it, another spot to celebrate a special occasion with real delicious food.

Kaixo
96 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088517