Kafe Utu African Restaurant in Singapore
Living in Tokyo, we have access to plenty of international cuisine. However, there are some things you can’t always find in Japan (like good bacon and sausage). When we travel, I always run a Google search for certain kinds of restaurants that are more common in the places we’re traveling than here.
In Singapore, in addition to Malaysian fried chicken, I also searched for African food. I love eating Ethiopian in Los Angeles, but there’s not a lot of similar stuff in Tokyo. Not only did we find a place with African food in Singapore, but it was a really cool date spot.
Singapore’s Kafe Utu: African cuisine in a cool atmosphere
Kate Utu is located in the Maxwell area of Singapore, not far from Chinatown. It was a ways from the Conrad Singapore Orchard, where we were staying. However, the brown line makes it very easy to get there. You can tap a credit card going in and out of the train so there’s no need to buy a ticket, and the train was mostly empty while we were there.
We made a reservation at Kafe Utu, and it seems like you definitely would need one on a weekend. Maybe on weeknights you can roll the dice, but I’m glad we didn’t. The restaurant is also open for brunch.
Inside, it’s a low-light spot perfect for date night, with big pictures on the walls. The staff is very helpful since they know you probably haven’t had this type of food before. The menu is also laid out simply enough and offers plain explanations of all the food so it isn’t intimidating even if you aren’t familiar with the dishes. The food comes from different parts of Africa, but nothing sounds too crazy when you read it. There are plenty of vegetarian options and a lot of plates to share. We found it hard to whittle down our choices to one appetizer and two meat-based mains.
We started out with lamb samosas with yogurt sauce. They were crunchy and spicy and tasty enough that I hoovered up all the bits left over. We did not find ourselves waiting long for food at any point.
Curries and meat dishes at Kafe Utu
I love curry, and knew I had to get one here. I went with the Zanzibar Curry Goat, which featured “Fresh goat meat, house spice, habanero, cardamom seed, cinnamon, star anise. Served with jasmine coconut rice.” They nicely delivered our food in such a way that we could try each other’s. However, mine was so spicy that Eriko wanted no part of it. I wouldn’t call it crazy spicy, but it definitely had some kick.
Eriko went with the Kondre, which looked just like a curry and contained “Cameroonian plantain, beef brisket. Served with jasmine white rice.” It was not spicy, but I tasted a few bites and actually found hers to be better than mine. Everything we had was really good, and I immediately thought of how much I would like to come back here if we lived in Singapore so I could try other stuff on the menu. It reminded me of the type of cool restaurant in LA that people with money might go to before a night out. Definitely a fun time.
They asked if we wanted dessert, and we said we were too full. So of course, they brought us dessert.
Dessert at Kafe Utu
For our “anniversary.”
I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating: always tell restaurants and hotels that it’s your honeymoon or anniversary, even when it isn’t. You sometimes get free stuff. In this case, we got free ice cream. It was delicious. We were full, but I valiantly shoved more food into my face because that’s the kind of hero I am.
Verdict: is Kafe Utu worth going out of your way for on a trip to Singapore?
The one drawback of Kafe Utu is that it’s pricey. Definitely not expensive for Tokyo or LA, but we were in Singapore, a place famous for hawker centers, kaya toast, and places like Satay Street where you can eat super cheap. For a tourist to go out of their way to spend money on a nice meal here is a big ask.
I totally understand if you balk at the idea of eating at a trendy restaurant in Singapore. But I’m here to tell you that if you choose to eat a nice meal, this is a great pick. It’s not overly fancy, the water glasses are square-shaped, the restaurant is cool, and the food is delicious. And it felt like an experience we weren’t likely to have anywhere else. If we go back to Singapore, we’re definitely eating here. And if you live in Singapore, you have to try Kafe Utu.
Where to find Kafe Utu in Singapore
Address: 12 Jiak Chuan Rd, Singapore 089265
Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-4:30pm & 6pm-11pm
Website: Kafe Utu
Kafe Utu is located on the east side of Singapore, not far from tourist attractions like Marina Bay Sands and Gardens By the Bay, and relatively close to Chinatown. Most tourists stay in this part of town, so it probably won’t be that far for you. We also recommend grabbing a coffee at Chapter One by Fables before or after your meal.
