In our earlier interview with Kipos, we heard from the dynamic duo, Stanley and Brian, about how they developed Kipos and their plans for bringing it forward in 2019. Before we review the food from Kipos, let’s start off with a little culinary tidbit by exploring two cooking techniques featured on their menu: sous vide and onsen. We also explain poaching as well, to provide a contrast to the other two.
The Cooking Techniques
Cooking Techniques | What is it? | Best Foods to cook with this method | Recipe to try |
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Poaching |
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Easy Poached Cod
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Sous Vide |
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Sous Vide Mushrooms
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Onsen |
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Mainly eggs | Onsen Tamago With Soy Broth
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The Food Review
The Food Psychologist decided to try two different bowls – one that is on their regular menu and the other is customisable!
Build Your Own Bowl – BYOB | Quinoa Nasi Lemak |
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My first option was the Build Your Own Bowl. I stared at the order form and felt confusion set in at the sheer number of options, but in a good way because I liked what I saw.
As my base, I chose the Buckwheat Soba Noodles. If you like your soba soft with right amount of chewiness, then you’d love this one. It was well cooked and you could tell that it was of high quality. The second step, the greens, I was allowed up to five: spinach, radish, beetroot, edamame and broccoli. Props to them keeping them fresh and retaining their crunchiness. Even after being mixed with the sauce, they did not get too soggy. Next up, the proteins. You get to choose three, but some have additional charges. There is also an option to add “Aburi Mentaiko” to any protein. For those who don’t know, Mentaiko is made from the roe of a type of cod, which are cured and marinated in various seasonings and spices. It is commonly mixed with mayonnaise to create a condiment for sushi and sashimi. My three proteins were tofu, sous vide chicken breast and aburi salmon mentaiko.
In the fourth step, I had to choose a sauce. The options all sounded so good so I got two:
Step five, I got to “Luxe it Up” with one additional topping. I saw the onsen egg, how could I resist? The egg was perfectly poached. The white was soft and silky, yolk firm yet bright, yellow and creamy. Stir it into the soba to give your bowl a rich, creamy taste. Lastly, there’s the crunch, up to three: almonds, crispy seaweed and sesame seeds were pretty standard. Personally, I think the almonds were unnecessary in my selection, but the flakes on their own were very good. The best way to eat this bowl? The Food Psych’s tip: mix everything thoroughly to get the perfect play of textures and tastes. Lovely. |
Who doesn’t like a good bowl of nasi lemak? Honestly, it’s not likely that anything could replace a solid plate of nasi lemak with a fried egg, peanuts, ikan bilis and runny-nose inducing sambal. If only it would taste as awesome minus the fats and calories. Kipos attempted to come up with a rather clever alternative: a quinoa nasi lemak, one of their most popular bowls on the menu. Let me break it down for you:
This bowl left me feeling light, unlike the sleep-inducing heaviness nasi lemak usually brings with it. For the health nut in me, this is officially my go-to nasi lemak when the craving strikes (if I can resist the real thing).
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Making my aburi mentaiko salmon
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed both bowls. The BYOB option made me feel in control of my meal while allowing me to play around with different flavours and textures. On days when I’m in a state of tired indecision, it’s good to know that the ready-made bowls are tasty enough to satisfy me.
With all this in mind, here are my ratings for Kipos’ food bowls:
Quality and types of ingredients – 9/10 | A diverse variety of high-quality ingredients widely sourced to ensure customers get a healthy range to choose from. |
Taste – 8/10 | There were not many misses really. My taste-buds were generally delighted. |
Cooking Methods – 9/10 | So much healthy innovation with their cooking. Hoping for more on this front! |
Overall Wholesome Factor – 26/10 | From the generous portion of meat and ingredients to the feeling of lightness following each meal, Kipos is soon to become one of my favourite lunch places in the CBD. Looking forward to more exciting this from this little joint! |
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Photo Credits: Natasha Mitter and Kipos Gourmet