It's fair to say my first experience with Kith on Roberston Quay was a disaster (here) which put me right off the place for almost a year (I don't forgive a bad brunch easily). When I saw they'd opened a new place in Park Mall on Penang Road I thought the time had come to give them a second chance and they just made it back... just.
The menu covers brunch, lunch and dinner, with an extensive drinks menu. I had more trouble deciding what to drink that what to eat. I decided on a ice blended latte which they obligingly left out the ice cream and swapped the milk for soy (my August dairy-free challenge). Feeling virtuous, I ordered a grilled vegetable salad and Caro ordered a grilled chicken sandwich - both of which disappointed from the moment they were set on our table. My salad fit the description to a tee - grilled eggplant, zucchini, tomato and green apple with balsamic dressing. Two long strips of eggplant, three zucchini rounds, two halves of a grilled tomato with a quarter of a fresh tomato, two thin green apple slices, all very lightly drizzled with balsamic. Each was spread around the plate to maximise coverage with absolutely no artistry. What a disappointment! I wouldn't put in this little effort if I was making this for myself at home, let alone pay $14 for it.
Caro's chicken sandwich was worse. Four huge bits of bread covered the plate, two of which were clearly for decoration purposes only and were completely plain. Riddle me this - what is with the excessive serving of bread in Singapore cafes? The 'sandwich' was a thin layer of gherkin topped by grilled chicken cubes, completely unadorned. No mayo or relish to stick it all together - completely dry.
This is where the redemption occurred.
When Caro politely enquired as to whether the chicken sandwich usually came like this the staff very quickly picked up she wasn't happy and offered to replace it with another item from the menu, which she did. When her eggs arrived (very quickly) I was asked whether I was happy with my salad, to which I replied that I was a little disappointed with how plain they were. After apologies all round, she returned with an offer of a drink, coffee or smoothie for each of us on the house, and an explanation that the chef was brand new chef. We both decided to get a ginger, lime and mint cooler which was delicious.
So, would I go back? I think I'll give them one more chance - the food coming out around us looked much better than our order, and the coffee needs a trial run. It is just around the road from my house, and a peek at the wine list showed surprising value.
Third time lucky perhaps?
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