Housed in a historic unit of 87 Amoy Street, KULTO takes its customers on an insider trip to Spain through a sensory experience of Spanish food and decor steeped in history. KULTO, loosely translated as devotion and paying homage, was chosen as the name of the restaurant simply because of that - for the team to show respect and love for Spanish cuisine through their food. At KULTO, Spanish food is in its truest form, done better, and executed with precision.
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I am dreaming of Spain - the warm sun, the delicious food, the architecture and the welcoming people. Little did I know I could find that experience right here in Singapore. Let me introduce you to KULTO, a gem of a restaurant which is the passion project of Chef-Owner Jose Alonso. I am sure it will become one of your new favourites.
The first thing you will notice is its bright white exterior with Mediterranean blue trim housed in a historic building on the always happening Amoy Street. Enter the double doors and you are transported into an open Spanish kitchen with traditional Spanish blinds decorating the walls just as though you were in need of some shade on a hot day. The friendly staff will show you to your table and offer the sangria that is on-tap at KULTO. It’s fruity and refreshing and gets better with each sip. Get a pitcher for the table to enjoy as you peruse the menu. Our group of six ordered multiple tapas and main - vegetarian, shrimp, pork, chicken, octopus. I will focused on my favourites for this article.
KULTO’s roasted white cauliflower in a true standout. It is first blanched and then placed in the josper oven with charcoal oil. I had never heard of charcoal oil! Olive oil is combined with the previous day’s charcoal and left to infuse over night. The result is a beautiful smoky flavour on the charred cauliflower. It’s drizzled with housemade tahini, roasted hazelnuts, chives and chili filaments. The combination of textures explodes on the tongue. It was wonderful.
My favorite dish was the Ibérico chorizo, confit potatoes and soft eggs. This is dish that will bring notoriety to KULTO and create a waiting list for a table. Writing about it now brings back each marvelous bite. Potatoes are confit in olive oil for twenty-four hours and finished in a pan when ordered. They are served with the smoky and spicy chorizo and topped with soft eggs cooked in the josper grill. The eggs are gooey and runny and finish cooking with the heat of the potatoes. A simple whirl of the serving spoon combines the ingredients together and the eggs become a creamy coating to the potatoes and chorizo. It was the overall favourite dish of our group and it is a testament to Chef Alonso and his knowledge of and appreciation for traditional Spanish flavours.
KULTO offers the choice of four paella dishes. We chose the pork sausage and mushroom paella. It is cooked to order so it takes a bit of extra time. It is totally work the wait. Chef Alonso serves it in a massive pan with a thin layer of paella. This insures even cooking for the entire dish with just the right amount of crispiness on the edges. The bomba rice is cooked with a sofrito of caramelized onions and tomatoes. The liquid is reduced and the sausage and mushrooms are added with a house-made pork stock, umami, French beans, green peas and topped with a hint of garlic aioli, rice vinegar and sunflower oil.
KULTO is a lovely place and the experience was enjoyable from start to finish. A highlight was a visit from Chef Alonso. His passion for his restaurant, his food and his staff were on display. He clearly loves what he does and it shows. Rumour has it there will be some secrets revealed after the grand opening. I can't wait to see what KULTO has in store for us. Muchas gracias to Expat Choice for the opportunity to preview the soft opening of KULTO. Me encantó!
