The only African cafe in Singapore: Ultra-Instagrammable Kafe Utu at Keong Saik has a cool new menu

When thinking of brunch food, the options usually revolve around pancakes, sandwiches and pasta — but have you craved African food for brunch?

You might think not many people do, but you’d be surprised. Kafe Utu is one of the most popular cafes in Keong Saik and it serves up African food.

It’s an extremely unique concept, being Singapore’s only African cafe.

There might be a handful of restaurants that focus on cuisine from Africa (including photogenic sibling concept Tamba), but you won’t find another cafe like this on the island.

Bacha Coffee may be a possible contender, given its Moroccan roots, but it’s not really devoted to African culture and flavours the way Kafe Utu is.

Since it opened in 2019, Kafe Utu has become a hot-favourite brunch spot and still draws in plenty of cafe-hoppers, even when there are more popular enclaves than Keong Saik, these days.

That’s partly due to the gorgeous decor on each of its three floors, carefully furnished with African design elements, each with different aesthetics.

The moment you step in, you are greeted by the smell of coffee and the darker and sharper aesthetics of the first floor, but the mood changes as you head up and the daylight-filled second floor welcomes you with its cosy living room-style setup.

The third floor is an intimate little nook filled with striking reds and nicely overlooks the second floor.

And if you’re one of those who loves getting photos taken, Kafe Utu’s communal couch area on the second floor, in particular, is stunning and great for those OOTDs.

New Kafe Utu menu

With the last menu change in late 2023, it was time for a bit of rejuvenation — it launched a new menu in July, which features more than 10 new items (some being reworked versions of older classics)!

One very eye-catching item on this new Kafe Utu menu is the Yaba “Wise Chief” burger (S$42), which comes with a hunking slab of smoked ox tongue atop the juicy angus beef patty.

Beef tongue isn’t as rare of an ingredient nowadays, but you rarely see it prepared at this size and thickness. If you’ve had it, beef tongue is usually sliced thinly to bring out a delicate and chewy texture, especially in Japanese cuisine.

Even with this ox tongue’s heft, it’s still spectacularly tender with a bit of bounce, plus it adds a massive amount of smokiness and umami to the ensemble — very decadent.

At the side, you also get fried plantains, a type of fried banana commonly found in Africa. These are super crunchy and sport a pleasant bit of starch and sweetness that’s reminiscent of sweet potato.

However, if ox tongue is too adventurous for you, the pulled pork breakfast (S$27) is another strongly recommended dish for meat lovers on Kafe Utu’s new menu.

It comes with a mound of pork shoulder, lavishly seasoned with smoked barbecue sauce and spice mix, then topped with a runny poached egg. It’s also served with Kafe Utu’s fried plantains and chapati to pair with the pork.

This is a simple but hearty dish, with the pulled pork cooked to luscious perfection, that’s loaded with flavour and pairs well with the chapati.

Say you’re not huge on meat in general, but still want all that flavour and smokiness, Kafe Utu’s smoking snapper (S$20) is a more-than-solid choice, too.

The star is essentially a saucy, almost chilli crunch-like concoction comprising smoked red snapper, prawn, fish stock, habanero, garlic, tomato, and fish crumbs.

Not only is it oh-so-fragrant, but those who enjoy seafood would adore the wealth of seafood flavour in every scoop.

Matcha and cheesecake, too

Although it focuses on African food, there are still plenty of more conventional cafe offerings on Kafe Utu’s menu.

In fact, it’s actually one of the better spots for coffee in the area.

If you want African-inspired coffee, Kafe Utu also provides some intriguing options such as the chai latte-esque Malindi latte (S$8) and the cacao Kali (S$10), a one-of-a-kind chocolate brew with cayenne pepper and smoked paprika!

But if you want to play it safe, new addition Hatsu-Koi (S$12) will satisfy matcha-girlie cravings with its ceremonial grade matcha base, jasmine, and homemade strawberry puree — very balanced and floral.

As for your second dessert stomach, the ultra tangy Grumpy cheesecake (S$12) will cut through all the heavy flavours at Kafe Utu.

The focus is the sour cream cheesecake that’s smooth, creamy and remarkably piquant. It’s good enough on its own, but we recommend it with the spicy roasted peanut crumbles for a dose of heat and nutty fragrance.

With everything considered, Kafe Utu is a wonderful place to hangout — be it for cute brunch dates, OOTD days, or just for those times you want to try out some more exotic flavours you can’t get anywhere else.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on KFC’s special chilli crab mantou release and the heartwarming story being a homegrown halal Fillipino restaurant.