Hidden Gem: Camp Kilo Charcoal Club @ Kallang

I love chancing upon hidden gems in Singapore, especially ones that not only has good food but amazing ambience too; and Camp Kilo Restaurant @ Kallang is just that.

(Photo from Kilo’s Instagram Page)

In all honesty thou, I didn’t exactly “chance” upon them, it was my birthday last week and my friends brought me there to celebrate. I didnt had any proper photography gear (Except for my trusty iphone) etc with me cause I thought it was just gonna be a casual dinner. But by the end of the night, I knew I needed to write about this on our Singapore Food Blog. So yes, it is safe to say that this is NOT a sponsored post.

From my limited understanding, the Kilo we went to at Kallang is part of a bigger group that includes a club also known as Kilo Lounge and even a restaurant at Bali. But all that didnt matter to me cause all i cared about was how THIS Kilo is suited right next to Kallang Basin and is relatively inaccessible which makes the whole place pretty serene.

They do have 2 levels, on the first floor Camp Kilo and their Kilo Restaurant on another. The Kilo restaurant is located at level M and provides fusion cuisine with ingredients that draws an influence from around the world, whereas Camp Kilo Charcoal Club (which we went), located at level 1, is a roast joint with some of the tastiest, and heartiest meats in town.

Camp Kilo, which is on the very first floor of the place, offers outdoor seating that allows you to embrace the serenity of this secluded place. It’s the kind of place that you would want to grab a beer with your friends and feel comfortable staying there/catching up all day at. The best part is that Camp Kilo is also pet friendly and you can bring your doggy pals along with you. Throughout the short span of time I was there, there were at least 3 dog owners who came with their furry partners and I personally witnessed how staff members would naturally offer their pets a bowl of water after everyone has sat down.

But ambience is nothing without good food and thank god Camp Kilo offers one of the best charcoal grills I’ve had in awhile.

(Photo from Kilo’s Instagram Page)

You cannot come to Camp Kilo without having their Roasted Pork that is cooked right in front of you on their home made spit for over 4 hours. The meat was soft, tender yet extremely juicy and you would be able to feel all that flavours explode in your mouth with the very first bite. The Char Siew Sauce it was served with also helped to add that additional sweetness to the mix, so you wouldnt get that “sick” feeling you would traditionally get from eating too much meat. We also ordered Crispy Pork Belly. But while the Crispy Pork Belly wasn’t bad, it was still a far cry from their “Roasted Pig”. Definitely a MUST TRY when you visit. However, do note that due to preparation needed etc, their “Roasted Pig” is only served on Friday and Saturdays from 6 pm onwards.

(Photo from Kilo’s Instagram Page)

The next MUST try on the list is their Grilled Tiger Prawns. Tiger Prawns’ meat has always been known to be relatively juicer and “meatier” than other types of shrimps/prawns. But the thing about grilling them is that they might dry out and lose their juiciness, so it takes a pretty skilled chef to do it well. Lucky for Camp Kilo, they have a pretty skilled chef and the prawns tasted perfect. But what truly was exceptional was the sauce it was served with. I do kinda regret not asking the staff what sauce it was, but god was it refreshing. Im not sure what it was and im not a chef, but I do believe that there’s some lime or something in it which gives the overall dish it’s acidity and wets your appetite to have more of the roasted pork. I swear I was just going back and forth between the prawns and the pork.

(Photo from Kilo’s Instagram Page)

If you’re the sort that wants to balance their meal between meat and something else. I would also recommend their Pomelo Salad that is served with lime vinaigrette and mayonnaise dressing. It was tangy, creamy and also very refreshing all at once. If you need a point of reference, it tasted something like Thai Papaya Salad yet a little different, and it’s that slight difference that makes this dish very unique.

The last recommendation I have for camp kilo is their Stingray which you would have an option to be served in either jerk or sambal. I obviously went for sambal cause first of all, I have no idea what “jerk” is and well, you can’t go wrong with sambal. The stingray was one of the last dish to be served as it needed slightly more prep time compared to the rest but it was well worth the wait. The first thing you would notice when the dish is served is the size of the stingray. It’s about twice the size of the usual Sambal Stingrays that I have at local zi char stores which means that you can truly taste a mouthful of stingray meat. The sambal mix was good, it was spicy enough for you to taste the sambal but too spicy that makes you want to stop eating.

There were other things that we ordered such as taco chips, beer etc which were alright but it was the above 4 dishes that still makes me salivate as I write this review. If you put everything together, the great food, amazing ambience, the “sea” breeze, the dogs/pets, beer and fairy lights, Camp Kilo makes for a perfect place be it to hang out with your friends, for a date, family dinner etc. It is one of the places that our travel blog would bring our visiting friends to and it’s definitely safe to say that it’s not going to be my last visit there.

Address:  66 Kampong Bugis, Singapore 338987 . The nearest MRT is either Kallang or Lavender MRT, but i would highly recommend people to drive there instead and turn into a slip road beside Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar (Sivan) Temple. There’s also a public carpark less than 200ms from the restaurant and we would discourage people from parking illegally along the road as it not only obstructs the traffic but also because the area is quite prone to summons and LTA visits.