Keong Saik Road is home to many buzzworthy joints, and Kafe Utu is on the list. It's the first African-themed café in Singapore, and you’re greeted with scenes from this diverse continent the moment you step foot into the coffeehouse. If Instagram is your main agenda, you’ll be glad to know that the café's wood and leather decor make a good rustic backdrop, plus a rooftop lounge with views of the neighbouring shophouses and the CBD.
Brunch offerings include the Mbuzi Breakfast ($33) with goat sausage, marinated carrots, scrambled eggs, goat cheese, and batbout (Moroccan pita bread) with smoked harissa sauce. And if you don’t mind a little spice in the morning, try the Shamba Plate ($28) with cassava greens, bean stew, and scrambled eggs served with chapati and kachumbari (a fresh tomato and onion salad relish).
Skip the usual flat whites and long blacks when dining at Kafe Utu. Instead, opt for one of its 10 special drinks, like a latte mixed with homemade ginger syrup ($8) or the Karanga ($12) – an iced white topped with peanut butter mascarpone cream. And if you’re visiting in the evening, check out the rooftop lounge overlooking the neighbouring shophouses while you sip on a nightcap crafted with African spirits.