KIN, Restaurant Review, Clerkenwell

When visiting Asian restaurants, I have two rules: no menus that feature photos of the food, and no ordering with numbers. Thankfully KIN, a new Eastern eatery in Clerkenwell, caters to my pedantic ways. Located on the decidedly untrendy Leather Lane, strewn with the unwanted clothes from the weekend market, KIN is a multicoloured gem. Normally, to get a decent green curry, you have to brave gaudy dogmatic décor; walls splattered in reds, golds and watercolour art so bad you’ll want to weep into your hoisin sauce. At KIN, stucco design is abandoned in favour exposed bulbs, open brick work and tarnished wood stairs. It has a distinct basement feel, as if you’re attending a secret opening for a Hirst exhibit. But unlike that luvvie slicer of bovines, KIN is completely devoid of pretension. Owner Kwok Tang left a life of IT to pursue the KIN dream with his wife Lisa, and their unwavering enthusiasm channels right into the meals on offer.

The pared down menu is a refreshing change from the usual pan-Asian manuscript (and on recycled paper, too). The starters are gloriously heavy, from chicken satay to pork potstickers. I plumped for the salt and cracked black pepper calamari, and never looked back (until I had to pilfer a seriously meaty potsticker from my guest). Normally starter squid is lost in a baggy batter jacket of calamari; but KIN’s creation is a generous helping that favours intense sea salt seasoning over grease. And for those who shudder at the sloppy texture of dumpling, you will be converted by Lisa Tang’s hand rolled morsels of porky goodness.

For the main, I heard the double cream of the red curry calling, but couldn’t resist Kwok’s recommendation of Nasi Goreng. Translating from Indonesian as ‘fried rice’, I began to panic that my meal would arrive in an aluminium box. Instead, it came out Masterchef style in a flawless mould with artsy side salad and, yes, a fried egg. I assure you – everything tastes better with a fried egg in tow. As rice dishes go, it doesn’t get better than Nasi Goreng; a veritable bounty of fresh prawns, greaseless chicken and the sweetest carrots this face has ever tasted.

Don’t leave until you’ve tried the Vietnamese coffee, a two tiered enigma of an inexplicably dark, chocolaty roast and condensed milk. As Kwok tells me, “I hear they cook the beans in butter to get that flavour.”

Anyone who has ever visited the now defunct Viet Baguette on Goodge Street will sequel at the sight of Bánh mì on the menu. A strangely delicious bi-product of French colonialism in Vietnam, it is essentially a meat filled baguette, but the pork is hugged by pate, herbs, and mayo.  

KIN is delicious, unostentatious and completely unique. The Tang team have created something special, so go and find it before everyone else does! (Catherine McCabe)

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