This year, I promised myself that I would get out of my fried chicken and noodles rut and experience the full breadth of London's food scene. So far, I have explored Filipino, Japanese-Middle Eastern fusions and this time, I decided to try new Filipino-Colombian fusion spot KiliG.
KiliG is conveniently located near Deptford Station, occupying an arch on Revolution Way. Opening in June 2022, founders Anjelica Serra and Ivan Ruiz drew inspiration for their menu from their respective Filipino and Colombian heritages. Moreover, the pair's combined experience in the hospitality industry has inspired a company-wide commitment to the happiness of its employees, likely having a cumulative impact on the guests.
"KiliG" is a Filipino word for “inexplicable joy and happiness”, an overwhelming sense of delight that perfectly captures how our guests and employees will be feeling. Myself and Ivan are both from Deptford, so we’re familiar with the area and created KiliG to bring part of our homes, to our home” Angelica tells us.
The restaurant itself is sleek, dimly lit with a minimalist industrial décor, splatters of foliage, an open kitchen and lengthy bar. Tonight saw a full house of Deptford locals dining against a cool soundtrack of afrobeat, dance and hip hop. Co-owner Angelica gave us a warm welcome and started us off with two tropical Filipino enhanced Calamansi cocktails.
The menu is packed with culturally inspired dishes such as the lemongrass chicken arepas, calamansi sriracha & spring onion oysters and braised ox cheek empanadas. We let Anjelica take the lead, suggesting we order a few small plates to share. The pork & shrimp lumpia (spring rolls) were juicy, meaty and irresistibly tasty. Next we tried the empanadas - these crescent shaped, stuffed pastries are a quintessential tapas dish at any South American or Filipino dinner table. Drizzled with coriander and lemongrass yoghurt, the braised ox cheek had a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth texture, encased with a golden warm flaky crust. We also had the lemongrass chicken arepas with pico de gallo. There was not a single thing wrong with these crispy thick mini corn cakes which were topped with a flavoursome and colourful mix of chicken, garlic, onions and tomatoes.
We then dug into the crispy pork belly with papaya and mango chutney that came as part of the main course. The meat, cut into thick uniform cubes, was exceptionally tender and well matched with the tangy, vibrant chutney. It was the combination of a peanut based Filipino sauce and a golden crispy exterior that gave the perfect crunch, making the juicy kare- kare chicken wings our winning dish of the evening.
We also had a side of cola rice topped with sultanas, a staple Colombian dish. The fizzy drink added the right amount of sweetness and without knowing the recipe, you would have no idea what the main ingredient was! The cassava fries were delightful and lightly fried, accentuating its sweet, nutty flavour.
Even with all that, we managed to share the ube churros - not too crunchy on the inside but fluffy in the middle, served with dark chocolate dipping sauce and a slice of luxurious and creamy purple baked cassava and ube cheesecake. This was all washed down with what had to be the sweetest and most refreshing watermelon cocktail.
KiliG undoubtedly have a novel concept and vision in place. The cocktails and food are inventive with tons of flavour and texture, the vibe is effortlessly cool and its owners aren’t above getting stuck in with daily operations and demonstrating a clear passion for what they do. This spot needs to be high on your list!
