Last weekend I went for a buddy’s backyard BBQ. Well, not quite. Not my buddy’s BBQ but Kilo’s new joint – Camp Kilo Charcoal Club at Kampong Bugis. Previously occupied by Loysel’s Toy, home to many a caffeine sesh with my ex-colleagues, Camp Kilo is the latest in the spurt of BBQ joints sprouting up in Singapore.
Meatsmiths, Red Eye Smokehouse, Decker BBQ, Smokey’s – names that roll off my rib-loving hubby’s tongue, and he can add Camp Kilo to the mix now.
Just opened over the weekend, the only “opening glitch” was the lack of liquor license (they’re working on it) but that’s a plus if you ask me. Free BYOB adds to the whole chillax, just heading over to my friend’s BBQ vibe.
Asides from the warming, comforting smell of charcoal grilled meats greeting you as you walk in, you’ll see a 30kg whole pig being roasted, along with some little poussin (young chicken) that are marinated in either a jerk or thai dressing.
I chose a half portion of jerk-marinated poussin ($10), a good blend of spices and herbs flavours the skin, with tender meat beneath. It was good, but the ribs ($15 for ½ slab) stole the show from the little bird.
Fork-tender and flavourful, we loved the charred yet sweet taste of the marinade that penetrated the meat. We were told that the ribs were on the grill for 2 hours, clearly that was long enough for succulent, tasty meat. The whole pig meanwhile is roasted for at least 4 hours, so i can just imagine that crackling on the skin succumbing to juicy meat – we’ll save that for our next visit!
Moving on to more decadence, we tried the crispy-skinned pork belly ($10 for 100g). Again, a winner, needless to say nicely crisped fat bits giving way to more juicy fat bits.
There’s a good range of sides to accompany your meats, with some interesting options like Tom Yum Stewed Beans ($12), Patatas Bravas ($8) and Burnt Carrots ($14). I loved the lime-leaf and lemongrass flavoured beans – a refreshing kick to the tongue between bites of grilled meats. The Burnt Carrots were great thanks to the sweet peaches and creamy cheese.
Despite being a tad dry, the Corn Bread ($5) tasted buttery and had just the right amount of sweetness to it.
With huge fans providing a steady flow of breeze, we didn’t feel the heat or humidity, but it could also be because that was already a cool evening. Regardless, dress down, head on over, and chill the night away!
Camp Kilo Charcoal Club:
Address: 66 Kampong Bugis #01-01
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campkilosg/
Opening Hours:
Fri – 5.30pm-11pm
Sat/Sun – 11am-11pm
Walk-ins only. Reservations for 8 pax and above accepted.
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