Authentic Rustic Basque Cuisine and French Wines at Kinou with Sylvia Fernandes

Word to the wise - Kinou is not a Japanese restaurant even though the word in Japanese means - yesterday. The name is inspired by a similar-sounding french word - kinouign - which refers to the crusty ends of the baguette which Chef-Owner Benjamin Tilatti’s mother loves. 

Hailing from the South West France in the Basque Country - known as the Pays Basque in France - Chef Benjamin is focused on offering authentically Basque cuisine that features the richness of flavours that come from the coastal area of South West France and Northern Spain.

In its new digs along Teck Lim Street in the Keong Saik area since March this year, Kinou was previously located a stone’s throw away on Tras St. It is both a relief, and not a surprise that Chef Ben and his team have weathered through the pandemic years, and to bring rich, deep depths of flavourful umami using carefully sourced ingredients from Basque Country.

This place is about keeping things real - from the food to the service and its people, Kinou is down-to-earth and focused on delivering Basque authenticity through its food, drinks and hospitality.

During my visit on a Friday for lunch, the vibe of the place was relaxed and casual. As I walked past the bar which was well stocked with all kinds of spirits and mixers, I was drawn to the middle of the restaurant, in front of the open galley kitchen, to a table under the overhead air well. It was covered, but allowed ample natural light into the industrial-themed interior. The wondrous aromas from the kitchen was titillating, but not overpowering. The Manager, Christopher, came to greet us and said he hoped that we were hungry - I assured him that I was ready to rumble.

While waiting for starters to be served, I sipped on an Armagnac Sour cocktail. It is similar to a Whiskey Sour, except that it uses Armagnac - a brandy. Garnished with a slice of dried orange, the cocktail was creamy, smooth and deliciously mildly fruity. What followed nicely after was a glass of rose - lightly minerally, a perfect accompaniment to tapas and starters.

If you are a fan of food that is unapologetically rich, warm and hearty, you’ll love Basque Cuisine. Butter and duck fat are the main choice of oils used in Basque cooking, so be prepared to savour deep depths through the umami in the dishes Kinou has to offer.

The Txistorra is one of my favourites from the selection of tapas. It is a slim, long, traditional Chorizo sausage from South West France that’s flavoured with paprika, seared, and served with red pepper sauce and squid ink aioli. Be sure to tear up some bread and use it to mop up the sauces - it’s a gorgeous combination.

I’ve never had Padron peppers as large and juicy as the ones from Kinou. Mixed with Comte Cheese and Squid Aioli, these grilled peppers were moorish and a great way to start the taste adventure.

The home made Traditional Foie Gras is airflown from France. Even though I’m not a fan of foie gras, I was tempted to try it since it's as authentic as it can get. It was wonderfully buttery, and the onion relish that accompanied it was a lovely touch.

As the decadence ensued, the Kinou Beef Tartare was served. Chopped tenderloin black angus MB2+ is tender and juicy, with a gentle flavour, dressed with Chorizo cream, Uni Aioli, Ponzu, and topped with Caviar. An amazing combination!

Another crowd favourite was the Xipiron. Tender, baby squid is lightly grilled while retaining its salty juiciness, and accompanied by Chimichurri and Aioli. This was also one of my favorite dishes, as I really enjoyed the flavour profile - salty, a hint of sweet and smokiness.

Speaking of smokey goodness, the Pluma Iberica is not to be missed for meat fans. This cut from the end of a lion is juicy, yet relatively lean, and very tender. Cooked over 57 degrees, and served with piquillos - a type of sweet pepper - and smoky corn sauce, this dish is drool-inducing and very satisfying.

Thanks to Chef Ben’s generosity, we were treated to an item that is off the menu - Veal Chop. A Veal Rack is sous-vided for 24 hours before it is seared, and then served with morels, white wine sauce and agria potato puree that’s cooked in duck fat. The meat was terrifically tender and tore apart like pulled pork, while the morel sauce and the potato puree coated each bite with such rich, pleasurable flavours which simply melted away with every bite. The good news is that this item will join the menu in September 2022, so mark that in your calendar.

The perfect sweet ending to this authentic Basque taste experience was the Basque Cake - no, not the one with cheese though. What Kinou calls - The True Recipe - this is a traditional egg flour cake with pastry cream in the middle, with red fruit sauce on the side. It tasted very homemade, and simple - something I would imagine Chef Ben’s late grandmother used to make. It was the perfect kind of simplicity and honest-to-goodness way to close a warm, rich and hearty meal.

I love how Kinou is down-to-earth and focused on the food. It’s a great place to gather with closest friends and family, and simply get lost together while sharing a heartwarming journey of good food and laughter.

One of the best tastings I have ever done, Kinou on Teck Lim Road introduced me to Basque cuisine, a region south-west of France bordering Spain. With such fresh produce in this Region, it is no wonder that there were so many Michelin star restaurants found here.

Pronounced “kinu” we asked Chef Benjamin how he came up with the name. Illusive initially and mistaken for Japanese, Kinou sounded in French like crusty ends of a baguette which were a favourite of his mother’s. It was far more than baguette’s I can tell you.

I loved the vibe of music in the background and light furnishing that lent a comfortable ambience, as sunlight streamed through the restaurant. With a great patronage of five years in Tras Street, Kinou moved in March 21 bringing with it their tagline of “fat is life.” You can imagine what we were in for! 

My favourite chorizo Txistorra, a Basque traditional sausage was served with red pepper sauce on one side and chorizo sauce on the other, drizzled with squid ink. Ingenious! Salty flavours blended with sweetness of peppers and fat of chorizo, the very three flavours that gave depth and breadth to this dish.

Of course by this time we were sipping on an Armagnac cocktail, equivalent to a whiskey sour - lovely start to the afternoon. Air flown from France, traditional foie gras had to be the order of the day. Crusty bread diminished fast as we polished every last bit on the plates, a sign of hearty appetites perhaps? But definitely great chefs in the background who knew what they were doing.

I found out later that Kinou was also the nickname of Chef Benjamin’s mother. A strong influence in his life, many recipes hailed from generations before. The open demeanour of Chef Benjamin, welcomed patrons to organize private events and enjoy the communal dining that he advocates.

Seating 40 pax comfortably and up to 70 pax standing, I could see how this would be a great option for an office get together. A private room for 10 to 20 pax depending on seated / standing capacity is also another space available. 

Next up, the baby squid in chimichurri and aioli which was oh so tender. Every mouthful was a delight as we sipped a glass of rose that complemented so well. I had never seen such large Padron peppers before, mild compared to the almost scary look it gave me. Chargrilled to perfection the undertones of heat were do-able, no comparison to the bird’s eye chilli of Thailand or Habaneros of Mexico.

A beef tartare with a difference, made with tenderloin signature black Angus that sat in a sauce of chorizo cream, ponzu seasoning, sea ocean mayo and caviar. A treat indeed for those who worry about raw meat. So well marinated, I couldn’t taste the raw. Topping some of the divine sauce that came with it, this was certainly lifted by the uni and caviar.

We were just done with starters. Mains arrived as we switched wines to a Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Pinot Noir. Perfectly blended with the food and light enough for the heat of the day.

Realizing that all dishes at Kinou were hand-made from scratch with most ingredients from France, I loved the fact that food waste was kept to a minimum. Fully purposed in multiple dishes this was the way to go. No way Chef Benjamin was going to let any of us off lightly when he informed us that only duck fat and French butter were used as cooking oils.

An amazing cook herself, my mother believed in using good oils to make food tasty. She would have been happy to visit Kinou and put her official stamp on it if she were here today. The mains arrived.

A stunning dish of veal with Morel sauce drizzled down the bed of mash potato which was fried first then mashed. No wonder the flavor of duck fat and the not so smooth texture of mash, contrary to what we are accustomed to. Pulling apart chunks of veal we were surprised at how tender this meat was. So full of flavor, it was obvious when good meat was used.

The Pluma Iberica cooked at 57 degrees with Piquillos and smoky corn elevated our experience completely. With these two mains we could see the quality and authenticity of food, unique to Kinou. Not found in too many restaurants, this was a cut above. I was already writing a list of friends I could bring.

Not a morsel was left behind as Basque cake was served with pastry cream in the middle and fruit sauce on the side. To accompany this delightfully light dessert was a Grappa-type Eau-de-Vie made from French wine grapes. A huge rush of heat down my throat I thought this would be great in the height of winter. Alas we were in the heat of summer, so a sip or two was enough.

You might ask what my takeaway was from this glorious afternoon. The warm and casual service coupled with outstanding food from top-of-the-range ingredients. A highly recommended restaurant if you are looking for something new that will have you leaving totally satisfied.