Singapore is a melting pot of cultures, and this is reflected in our diverse food options.
But there are some cuisines — those outside of our predominant communities here — that we may not be entirely familiar with.
Ever tried Sri Lankan food here? Well, a new restaurant has just opened in town.
So if you’re curious, you can consider checking out Station by Kotuwa.
It’s helmed by Chef Rishi Naleendra, who hails from Sri Lanka and owns two-Michelin-starred Cloudstreet and Sri Lankan restaurant Kotuwa.
Station by Kotuwa, which is located at 21 Boon Tat Street, is an offshoot of Kotuwa and pays tribute to Rishi’s rich heritage.
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Previously, the same space housed several other eateries by Rishi such as Cheek by Jowl, Cheek Bistro, and more recently, casual wine bar Fool.
Some dishes diners can look forward to at Station by Kotuwa are Babath Crispy Tripe, Shishito Pepper and Kaliya Chicken.
Curious to try other less common cuisines in Singapore? Here are seven other establishments you can explore, from African cuisine to Filipino grub to Slavic food.
Kafe Utu
Located in a shophouse along Jiak Chuan Road, Kafe Utu has made a name for itself as one of the few places in Singapore to get African food.
It’s owned by Kurt Wagner, who spent most of his childhood living in various parts of Africa like Liberia, South Sudan and Kenya.
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In the day, diners can enjoy food from Kafe Utu’s brunch menu like Yassa Fish, Goat Curry and Liberian Peanut Chicken Stew.
Come night, the dinner menu has more offerings like Doro Wat (Ethiopian Chicken Curry), Charred Aubergine Lamb Stew and Shamba Plate.
Address: 12 Jiak Chuan Rd, Singapore 089265
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Fridays, 10am to 4.30pm, 6pm to 9.30pm
Saturdays and Sundays, 9am to 4.30pm, 6pm to 9.30pm
Closed on Mondays
Hayop
This Filipino restaurant was founded by The Moment Group from Manila, which has more than 60 restaurants in the Philippines.
Its Singapore outpost serves fine-casual Filipino fare, including timeless dishes as well as reinvented ones.
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Diners can look forward to dishes like Chicharon Bulaklak 16, where deep-fried pork ruffle fat is served with sour floss; and Caramelised Patis Manok 16, which are fried chicken wings in local fish sauce and bird’s eye chilli honey.
Hayop’s version of adobo, a popular Filipino meat dish, features a grass-fed NZ Wagyu bone-in short rib cooked with toyo, sukang tuba, bay leaf, red wine, and garlic clove confit.
Address: 104 Amoy St, Singapore 069924
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5pm to 10pm
Kapitan
For homely Slavic fare, check out Kapitan at Maxwell Chambers.
The family-run business is best known for its “ang moh” dumplings that come with a variety of fillings like salmon, beef and pork.
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Other dishes on the menu are cheburek, which is a shallow fried pastry from Cremia, and uzbek plov, which the restaurant describes as “angmoh briyani”.
Address: 32 Maxwell Rd, #01-05 Maxwell Chambers, Singapore 069115
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 11pm
Mother’s House Myanmar Cuisine
This relatively new eatery in the North specialises in hearty, authentic Burmese fare.
The stall, which is located at Woodlands Bizhub, is run by Burmese folk.
On the menu at Mother’s House Myanmar Cuisine is Garlic Oil Noodle, Burmese Vermicelli Soup and Myanmar Mix Rice.
There’s also a dish called Nan Gyi Thoke, which essentially is a thick rice noodle salad.
Address: #01-01 Woodlands Bizhub, Singapore 757516
Opening hours: Mondays to Wednesdays, 11am to 8.30pm
Thursdays, 11am to 6.30pm
Fridays, 11am to 8.30pm
Saturdays, 11am to 7.30pm
Sundays, 9am to 7.30pm
Canchita
Specialising in Peruvian and Latin American cuisine is Canchitta.
The restaurant, which is located in the heart of Dempsey Hill, has three dining areas — The Amazon Room, The Inka Room and The Outdoor Terrace — each resembling various aspects of Peruvian landscape.
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Guests can tuck into dishes like Seafood Rice, Octopus A La Brasa and Pasta A La Huancaina.
One recommended menu item is the Mariscada, which consists of calamari, fish, octopus, Argentinian prawns, grilled gem lettuce and Aji Amarillo sauce.
There’s also a vegetarian menu, with dishes like Roasted Cauliflower Taco and Vegeytarian Ceviche ‘Power’.
Address: Mondays to Thursdays, 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Fridays to Sundays, 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Coucou Authentic Swiss Restaurant & Bar
For piping-hot dishes of cheese fondues, Cou Cou Authentic Swiss Restaurant & Bar is the place to visit.
The cosy restaurant at Duxton specialises in Swiss cuisine.
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Their cheese fondues require there to be a minimum of two pax.
Diners can go for Fondue Moitie-Moitie, which is prepared with an original Swiss recipe. Other variations include flavours like wild garlic, chilli padi and porcini mushrooms.
Apart from that, the eatery has dishes Rosti Montagnard and Rigatoni all’Arrabbiata.
Address: 9 Craig Rd, Singapore 089669
Opening hours: 12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to 11pm
Nitty Gritty
In Singapore, we have oats and rice porridge. In parts of the US, they have grits, which is made from ground corn.
Nitty Gritty is a new restaurant at Outram that sells American-Singaporean soul food, including grits.
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Apart from fusion dishes like Hainanese Chicken Grits and Smoked Deboned Frog Leg Grits, the eatery also has authentic American-style grits like Shrimp and Grits and Beef Bacon and Cheese Grits.
Apart from grits, diners can also enjoy other dishes like All-American Breakfast and Duck Waffles.
Address: 21 Teo Hong Rd, #01-01, Singapore 088331
Opening hours: Wednesdays to Saturdays, Mondays, 11am to 9pm
Sundays, 12pm to 9pm
Closed on Tuesdays
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