Here’s a cuisine that is somewhat rare. Kafé Utu is an African Fusion Restaurant in the Tanjong Pagar area that has a lot to offer. It is housed inside a renovated shop house, which offers a sense of stepping into another world.
Ambience, Service and the Staff
Kafé Utu definitely takes you into a place that feels completely different from Singapore. The ground level is your typical coffee shop that serves breakfast. The upper floors house an outdoor bar, and a communal eating area that is casual and a great place to meet new people. The top floor has a loft that is a great area for a private party. They open this up for parties where the bill is $500 and above.
The decor is very chic, with authentic artefacts from Africa adding talking points around the dining area.
They also have a gift shop area where some of these items are for sale.
The staff were super accommodating, showing us around the restaurant, and seating us in a nice, upholstered area that felt like we were dining at home.
They were very helpful with the menu and suggestions, and brought out our food quickly.
The Food
I had visited Kafé Utu for the first time with some friends for dinner.
Exotic is perhaps a really good word to describe the food here. Everything on the menu is spicy. Not overwhelmingly… but rather interestingly in a good way. We were a party of 5, and ordered the Moroccan lemon chicken, the Caribbean goat curry, and the Nigerian fiery peppered pork stew.
We also, on the recommendation of the staff, got ourselves a starter platter.
The food is AMAZING! We found that the 5 of us went very silent as we savoured every bite of our food.
Following the main course, we got some dessert. We got the Lush Carrot Cake and the Nakupenda. Both desserts were interesting. They were thoroughly outdone by the main course which is definitely their strong suit.
The Price Point
Among the 5 of us, including drinks and dessert, we spent just under $300, which comes in the reasonable range for a nice place like this.
The Final Verdict
I’d definitely go back. I am curious to try their breakfast.
Kafé Utu is a really nice place to meet with friends and family. It is also the sort of place that you would take your significant other to as a surprise, or to celebrate special occasions. If you have friends visiting from outside Singapore, and want to take them out for a unique experience, this place will do just that!
Address: 12 Jiak Chuan Rd, Singapore 089265.
Phone: +65 6996 3937.
Website: https://kafeutu.com/
