Home & Decor Malaysia – July 2019

HOT SPOT

text ELIZA HAMIZAH

KAFE UTU

SINGAPORE

Named after the Kiswahili word
for humanity, Kafe Utu is the
place to experience the warmth
of African hospitality.

A

s someone who

grew up in various

African countries

• namely Liberia, South
  Sudan and Kenya – Kurt
  Wagner yearned for a taste of
  authentic Africa in Singapore,
  where he now resides.
  Kurt Wagner is the owner
  of Kafe Utu, a three-storey cafe
  near Keong Siak in Singapore.
  Together with his brother,
  Jon, Kurt conceptualised a
  menu and cafe design that
  is true to the diverse and
  vibrant cultures of Africa.
  Kurt says: “We believe that
  Kafe Utu is the only place in
  Singapore serving authentic
  African cuisine.
  “Our African dishes are
  true to their origins, using
  the freshest ingredients, and
  prepared lovingly to give you
  a true taste of Africa. Our
  dishes come from Monrovia,
  Marrakech, Lamu, Malindi,
  Bhanga and beyond.”
  Try their signature “Mama

African” dishes, which include a

Swahili fish curry and a Liberian

peanut chicken stew.

The decorative wooden

door, panels and mirrors

in Kafe Utu were carved by

hand for the cafe, by a master

craftsman from Malindi

and in motifs that reflect

Zanzibari traditions. You’ll

also spot water glasses that

have been handblown by

the experts at Kitengela Hot

Glass, in their workshop

just outside of Nairobi.

Another impressive feature

is the 8m banquette, cut from a

single ancient African Mahogany

tree grown in Singapore.

Kafe Utu also takes its coffee

seriously. Its house blend,

Ubuntu, is selected, blended and

hand-roasted in small batches

from beans grown in Uganda,

Mexico and Brazil. The result is

a rich buttery texture with hints

of cashew nuts and red wine.

Complementing this is creamy

milk from Hokkaido.

Visit Kafe

Utu at 12 Jiak

Chuan Road,

Singapore,

http://www.kafeutu.

com.

LEFT

When designing

the space,

brothers Kurt

and Jon Wagner

envisioned a

place where

customers would

feel at home.

BELOW

A decor

highlight of

the cafe would

be the wall

photographs,

depicting four

African women

from different

nomadic tribes.

They were

taken by Mario

Gerth, a German

documentary

photographer.