Cafes, mashups of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, and more, in this guide on what to eat at Kada Singapore in Maxwell.
Kada is housed in a restored building next to Maxwell Food Centre. It first opened during the Japanese Occupation as the St Andrew’s Mission Hospital for Women & Children and functioned as a medical facility until 1998. Designed by the same firm behind Raffles Hotel, it is considered one of the country’s earliest Modernist structures. Kada also houses Singapore’s oldest electric lift, which is still operational today.
After a stint as CK Tang’s corporate headquarters and sitting empty for a few years, Kada Singapore was transformed into “downtown’s latest creative lifestyle hub” late last year. There are tenants from a longevity clinic to cafes spread across four storeys, and are meant to be integrated. Residents at Habyt, a co-living space, get access to Limitless Performance’s gym and ice baths at Shiruki Studio. For a refuel, head to Kit & Kaboodle cafe for their protein shakes.
Restaurants and cafes populate the building’s ground level. There is Kyuukei, which serves an omakase set that pairs coffee with dessert. Cheesecake and wine live under one roof at Haus. Origin Tea combines the best of a traditional teahouse and milk tea stand.
Making the short trek from Pearl’s Hill Terrace to Kada Singapore is Lavi Taco, which expands on its Mexican approach to become Lavi Tapas. Sharing the same space is Shou Handmade Dim Sum Restaurant and Daikoku, a Cantonese joint by day and izakaya by night. On the rooftop is Proud Potato Peeler presenting mashups of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, and has opened up a bakery next door. Check them out below.
(Hero and featured images credits: Kada)
Where to eat and drink at Kada Singapore
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Alani
Alani offers a taste of Proud Potato Peeler’s (see below) baked goods without having to commit to a tasting menu. The sister concept has both sweet and savoury bakes, from the challah-like tsoureki with chestnut, white chocolate, and marron glaze to porridge sourdough.
(Image credit: @alani.sg / Instagram)
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D'Penyetz Heritage
D’Penyetz is an Indonesian chain restaurant known for its ayam penyet, and it curates the crowd favourites for its new concept at Kada. The signature smashed chicken sits alongside fried beef ribs and gado-gado, as well as chicken two-ways: a black marinate from Madura Island and fiery taliwang sauce, which hails from Lombok. D’Penyetz Heritage also has some dishes exclusive to the outlet.
Daily, 11am – 9pm
(Image credit: D’Penyetz)
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Echo
If the weather is warm on Echo’s outdoor patio, the cafe has the Vanilla Twilight, a coffee cold brew topped with vanilla cream, as well as the espresso-, tonic water-, and passionfruit-based Here Comes the Sun. Pair them with pastries like truffle parmesan sourdough toast and banana bread.
Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 6pm
Saturday & Sunday, 9.30am – 5pm
(Image credit: Echo House / Facebook)
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Haus
Haus proves that cheesecake and wine can live together with a concept featuring their signature Basque burnt cheesecake and wines from lesser-known regions. Finger food is also on the menu, from Spanish pintxos to Italian cicchetti (small plates).
Tuesday, 1pm – 11pm
Wednesday – Sunday, 12pm – 11pm
Closed on Monday
(Image credit: @jneats_ / Instagram)
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Kit & Kaboodle
By Kada’s entrance is this cafe, which has sandwiches, pastries, and coffee made with beans from Burnt Ends. The menu also features fruit smoothies with Greek yoghurt and protein shakes boosted with whey powder and oat milk. Kit & Kaboodle does not charge service charge and GST.
Daily, 7.30am – 4pm
(Image credit: Kit & Kaboodle)
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Kyuukei Coffee
Kyuukei was inspired by founder Jonathan Teo’s time in Japan, where during breaks in between his language classes, he would pop out for a bite and a rest, or “kyuukei.” From a coffee cart in 2023, it grew into a permanent space at Alexandra Village and now at Kada. Like at its Bukit Merah outlet, the cafe runs a coffee omakase programme that pairs two brews with two desserts. Individual items from the Spro Soda (double espresso with soda water and ice) to the Jam-packed Thick Toast with sourdough slices, butter, and three-berry jam are also available.
Monday – Saturday, 8am – 4pm
Closed on Sunday
(Image credit: @heythere.ch / Instagram)
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Lavi Tapas
Lavi Tapas is a new concept by the people behind Lavi Taco at Pearl’s Hill Terrace. The cuisine here is sharing-style Mexican food with worldly influences, such as the 72-hour birria sticky beef ribs, chicken satay tacos, Chinese lamb skewer-inspired fire-roasted lamb rack, and tomato stracciatella, with the cheese stuffed into the fruit.
Contact them on WhatsApp to book.
Daily, 6pm – 11.30pm
(Image credit: @lavi.tapas / Instagram)
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Origin Tea
Take a traditional Chinese teahouse, combine it with a milk tea stand, and you will get Origin Tea. The cafe prioritises high-quality teas like Jin Jun Mei black tea from Fujian and green tea from Zhejiang as well as fresh milk and fruits for concoctions like triple citrus jasmine tea and gardenia milk tea.
Daily, 11am – 9.30pm
(Image credit: @chip_alice / Instagram)
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Proud Potato Peeler
Former private home dining concept Proud Potato Peeler now has a public-facing space on Kada’s entire fourth storey. Founded by chef Alberto Simillides, he combines his Greek-Turkish heritage with influences from Cyprus and Lebanon into what he calls “Middle Easterranean” cuisine. There is only a prix fixe menu offering seven to eight courses that change daily, but there is always freshly baked bread, seafood, bright flavours, and dips.
S$178 per person
By reservations only
(Image credit: @ballywallyfoodybaby / Instagram)
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Pacto by Parchmen
Pacto highlights premium coffee beans and tea leaves grown in Asia, from Indonesian Arabica to ceremonial grade matcha. They also serve beverages like hot matcha “muddied” with espresso or chocolate and a bean-less, non-caffeinated cold brew.
Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday, 9am – 5pm
(Image credit: @eatwithfelz / Instagram)
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Shou Handmade Dim Sum Restaurant / Daikoku
During the day, this restaurant is home to Shou Handmade Dim Sum Restaurant, which serves classic Cantonese dim sum from siew mai to egg tarts. In the evening, it morphs into Daikoku, an izakaya with meat skewers and hand rolls.
Update: Shou is temporarily closed for about a month from 6 January 2025. In the meantime, Daikoku will serve Japanese food during lunch.
Monday – Friday, 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
(Image credit: @the_xw / Instagram)
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Jethro enjoys wine, biking, and climbing, and he's terrible at all three. In between them, he drinks commercial lagers, and eats dumplings and ice cream.
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