Kee’s @ Carpenter Street - Modern Asian Brunch in a Heritage Remittance House

Set in a beautifully restored 1936 remittance house on Carpenter Street, Kee’s offers a refreshing take on daytime dining, bringing together modern Asian brunch, speciality coffee, tea, and house-made beverages in a heritage setting. Housed within the historic Chye Hua Seng Wee Kee building, the restaurant opens daily from 8am, making it a convenient spot for an early coffee, a leisurely brunch, a working lunch or a catch-up with friends.

Leading the new daytime menu is recently appointed Executive Chef Sujatha Asokan, affectionately known as Chef Su. Drawing from her Malaysian Chinese and Singaporean Indian heritage, upbringing in Singapore and fine-dining experience at MICHELIN-selected restaurants Quenino and Botanico, Chef Su presents a menu that marries familiar local flavours with contemporary culinary techniques.

Heritage Chicken Curry Shakshuka 4.2/5

The Heritage Chicken Curry Shakshuka ($25) is a creative interpretation of the Middle Eastern classic, replacing the usual tomato-based sauce with a robust heritage chicken curry. Slow-cooked until deeply aromatic, the curry features tender, well-seasoned pieces of chicken, delivering a comforting mix of spices and savoury richness. Farm eggs are baked directly into the bubbling curry, allowing the yolks to mingle with the thick, flavourful sauce. Instead of the customary crusty bread, the dish comes with six golden coin pratas. Crispy and flaky with buttery layers, they are ideal for scooping up the curry and tender chicken, adding a satisfying crunch to every bite. It is a clever marriage of local curry flavours and the communal appeal of shakshuka. The familiar taste of curry and prata makes this a particularly comforting brunch option, with enough character to distinguish it from the usual egg dishes on the menu.

Crossroads Benedict 4/5

The Crossroads Benedict ($28) gives the familiar brunch staple an Asian-inspired makeover. Instead of the usual English muffin, the dish uses a toasted bagel as its base, providing a chewy bite that holds up well against the generous toppings. Tender confit salmon sits atop the bagel, complemented by a Chinese olive and leek compote. The compote brings savoury, earthy depth with an umami character reminiscent of preserved Chinese olives, adding an interesting local touch. Poached farm eggs sit on top, releasing their rich, runny yolks when cut open. What makes this Benedict stand out is the calamansi brown butter Hollandaise. The brown butter adds nutty richness, while calamansi brings a bright citrus tang that cuts through the creamy sauce. Crispy enoki mushrooms add a delicate crunch, and a finishing dusting of nori provides a subtle seaweed note. With its combination of rich salmon, savoury compote, citrusy Hollandaise and contrasting textures, this is a thoughtful variation on the classic eggs benedict.

Filet-O-Kees 4.2/5

Inspired by the familiar fast-food fish sandwich, the Filet-O-Kees ($32) takes the concept up several notches with a premium black cod fillet and house-made curry leaf tartare sauce. The battered black cod is fried to a golden crisp, encasing moist, flaky flesh with a naturally rich and buttery texture. The contrast between the crunchy coating and delicate fish makes each bite satisfying, while the generous fillet gives the sandwich more substance. The curry leaf tartare sauce is a distinctive touch, introducing an aromatic, herbaceous quality to the creamy condiment. Paired with Asian pickles, which add a refreshing tang and crunch, the components help balance the fish's richness without overpowering its natural flavour. Served with straight-cut fries, the Filet-O-Kees offers the familiarity of a fish sandwich with more refined ingredients. It is a comforting option for those who enjoy a good fish burger but want something beyond the ordinary.

Kee's Big Breakfast 4/5

For those who prefer a traditional breakfast platter, Kee's Big Breakfast ($32) brings together familiar Western breakfast staples with a distinctly local twist. The highlight is the thick-cut bacon glazed with char siew seasoning. The sweet-savoury glaze gives the bacon a caramelised finish, adding a touch of Chinese barbecue flavour to the breakfast classic. Alongside it is a house-spiced pork sausage, which offers a more pronounced aromatic profile than a conventional breakfast sausage. The platter also includes soft scrambled farm eggs topped with chives, grilled sourdough and grilled Spore Gardens mushrooms. The sourdough has a lightly crisp exterior and chewy crumb, making it ideal for scooping up the creamy eggs and soaking up the savoury juices from the meat. Soy-pickled tomatoes provide a welcome burst of acidity and umami, balancing the richness of the bacon and sausage. The mix of familiar breakfast ingredients with char siew glaze and soy-pickled accompaniments gives the platter its own personality without straying too far from the comfort of a classic big breakfast.

Kee's Piccolo 3/5, Pandan Matcha Cloud 3/5

Beyond the food, Kee's offers a selection of beverages that incorporate familiar Southeast Asian flavours.

The Kee's Piccolo ($8) puts a local spin on the coffee classic with coconut, sea salt and gula melaka. The espresso provides the coffee backbone, while gula melaka lends a deep caramel sweetness. Coconut adds a creamy tropical note, and a touch of sea salt helps balance the sweetness. It is an interesting take on a local-inspired coffee, although the flavour combination may appeal more to those who enjoy sweeter, dessert-like coffee drinks.

For a non-coffee alternative, the Pandan Matcha Cloud ($8) combines matcha, milk and pandan. The earthy, slightly bitter notes of matcha meet the fragrant sweetness of pandan, creating a beverage inspired by familiar Southeast Asian desserts. Milk smooths the flavours, creating a creamy drink with a gentle herbal aroma.

Cham-Misu 4/5

The Cham-Misu ($16) is a playful reinterpretation of Italian tiramisu, inspired by cham, the familiar Singaporean combination of coffee and tea. Instead of the traditional coffee-soaked sponge, the dessert incorporates Teh Peng, or iced milk tea, to introduce a fragrant tea flavour. This is layered with kopi mascarpone cream, where the roasted bitterness of local-style coffee complements the richness of the mascarpone. Kahlúa adds another dimension to the coffee profile, bringing subtle sweetness and a hint of liqueur. The finishing touch is a dusting of Horlicks instead of the usual cocoa powder, lending a malty, nostalgic flavour many Singaporeans recognise from childhood. The result is a dessert that retains the creamy, layered appeal of tiramisu while giving it a distinctly local identity. The interplay of tea, coffee and malt makes the Cham-Misu a fitting way to round off a meal at Kee's.

BurBur Cha Cha French Toast 4.2/5

One of the menu's more imaginative creations is the BurBur Cha Cha French Toast ($18), inspired by bubur cha cha, the beloved dessert made with coconut milk, sweet potato, and yam. Thick slices of brioche are transformed into French toast and stuffed with kaya, adding a fragrant coconut sweetness to the soft, custardy centre. The toast is paired with house-made ube ice cream, whose earthy, gently sweet flavour complements the rich brioche. Caramelised sweet potato and banana add extra sweetness, while mini glutinous rice dumplings bring a pleasantly chewy, mochi-like texture. These contrasting textures make the dish more interesting than a straightforward serving of French toast with ice cream. A touch of makgeolli, a Korean fermented rice beverage, adds another layer to the composition, introducing a subtle fermented note to balance the sweeter components. While the dish draws on a traditional local dessert, it is presented as an indulgent contemporary brunch creation that can easily double as dessert.

Kee's Restaurant & Bar offers more than just a convenient café stop in the CBD. Housed within the restored Chye Hua Seng Wee Kee building, it combines a heritage setting with a contemporary daytime menu that draws on Singapore's multicultural food traditions. Open daily from 8am, Kee's is worth considering for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, whether you are stopping by for coffee and pastries or settling in for a more substantial meal. It is an interesting addition to Carpenter Street's dining scene, offering a modern interpretation of local flavours within a piece of Singapore's heritage.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Kee's
21 Carpenter Street
Singapore 059984
Tel: +65 63736985
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Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clark Quay MRT station. Take Exit E. Cross the road using the overhead bridge. Turn left and walk down New Bridge Road. Turn left onto Hong Kong Street. Walk to the destination. Journey time is about 5 minutes. [Map]

Birds Of A Feather @ Amoy Street - Refreshes Its Menu and Cocktails for Its 10th Anniversary

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, Birds of a Feather is entering an exciting new chapter with a refreshed culinary identity known as Progressive Chuan Cuisine. The iconic Amoy Street restaurant and bar has built its reputation on creative interpretations of Sichuan cuisine, and this milestone marks an opportunity to further explore the region's complex flavours through contemporary techniques and refined presentations.

Led by Chef-Partner Eugene See, the new menu explores Sichuan's 24 distinct flavour profiles, balancing the bold, spicy, and aromatic characteristics of traditional Chuan cooking with unexpected ingredients and influences from other culinary traditions. Alongside the refreshed menu, the restaurant has also undergone an interior transformation and introduced a renewed cocktail programme, offering a more mature dining experience while retaining its adventurous spirit.

Sichuan 'Kimchi' 4/5

We started with the Sichuan 'Kimchi' ($24, 2pcs), a playful reimagining of the familiar Korean fermented vegetable dish. House-made Sichuan-style kimchi is served atop crisp brioche toast, accompanied by yuzu jam, fresh Korean pear slices, bocconcini, shaved Parmesan cheese and mountain pepper oil powder.

Rather than relying solely on sourness, the kimchi blends Sichuan chillies and doubanjiang, with fermented glutinous rice known as laozao and Korean pear purée adding savoury depth and a touch of natural sweetness. The yuzu jam and fresh pear bring a refreshing fruity note, while the bocconcini and Parmesan add a creamy, savoury dimension to balance the chilli heat and acidity. Served on toasted brioche, each bite brings together crunch, creaminess, sweetness and spice in a distinctly modern interpretation of kimchi.

Abalone.Prawn.Clam 4.2/5

The Abalone.Prawn.Clam ($24) offers a refreshing start to the meal, inspired by both Chinese cold noodles and ceviche. The dish brings together steamed abalone, raw Argentinian prawn and torched clam, served with chilled Chinese wheat noodles in a vibrant green dressing known as green tiger's milk.

The seafood is dressed in ginger dressing made with fresh ginger juice and sugar syrup, while the green broth combines chicken stock, Chinese rice wine vinegar, vine pepper, green chilli, mint, chives and lime juice. Chive oil gives the liquid its striking green hue, while pickled green chillies, ikura, edible flowers, julienned celtuce and carrots add colour and contrasting textures.

The chilled wheat noodles, closer in style to somen than conventional stir-fried noodles, provide a smooth, delicate base for the seafood. With the ginger's gentle warmth, the citrusy acidity of the broth, and the freshness of the herbs, the dish delivers a bright, layered flavour profile well suited to Singapore's tropical climate.

Roasted Brussels Sprout 4/5

Vegetables take centre stage in the Roasted Brussels Sprout ($19), which combines deep-fried Brussels sprouts with a Sichuan sweet vinegar glaze and an assortment of nuts, greens and creamy accompaniments.

The brussels sprouts are first brined to help remove their bitterness, then deep-fried and cooked with dried Sichuan chillies, fermented black beans, garlic and shallots. They are then coated in a sweet-and-sour glaze made from reduced vinegar, sugar, ginger, onion and butter, with Huadiao wine adding another layer of aroma.

A bed of cannellini beans stewed with carrots and white wine provides a soft, comforting base. Roasted pistachio soil seasoned with Sichuan pepper, candied almonds, cashews and feta brings contrasting textures and flavours, while crispy kale and shallot rings add a final crunch. Cottage cream rounds out the dish, balancing the glaze's sweetness with the gentle numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper.

This elaborate preparation transforms brussels sprouts into a dish with multiple layers of flavour, from sweet and tangy to nutty, savoury, and creamy.

Burnt Chilli Eggplant 4.2/5

Another vegetable highlight is Burnt Chilli Eggplant ($18), a contemporary take on the classic Sichuan dish shaojiao qiezi (烧椒茄子). Japanese eggplant is deep-fried until tender, then tossed in a burnt green chilli sauce made by cooking the chillies in a hot wok without oil to bring out their natural sweetness.

The sauce is built with balsamic vinegar, Baoning black vinegar, light soy sauce, sesame oil and vine pepper oil, with sour cream added for a creamy counterpoint. The eggplant is topped with diced century egg, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled onion, coriander purée, chive oil powder and buckwheat puffs.

Served over house-made flatbread prepared with a 48-hour proofing process, the dish encourages diners to scoop up the eggplant and its accompanying toppings together. The flatbread is seared in a cast-iron pan, giving it a lightly crisp exterior while retaining a satisfying chew. The combination of smoky chilli, tangy sauce, creamy elements and the distinctive savouriness of century egg makes this a dish best enjoyed as a shared starter.

Journey to Chengdu Cocktail 4.2/5

The restaurant's renewed cocktail programme complements its culinary direction, with the Journey to Chengdu offering an exploration of two distinct baijiu styles. Priced at $45, the cocktail comes in two cups and features Shede and Moutai.

The Shede expression uses Sichuan's strong-aroma baijiu, known for its lifted floral fragrance, rounded sweetness and smooth texture. It offers a brighter and more elegant profile with a mellow finish.

The Moutai version, made with Guizhou's renowned sauce-aroma baijiu, takes a more robust approach. Its savoury depth, roasted-grain character, and fermented complexity create a bolder, more structured drink with a lingering finish.

Presented side by side, the two cups allow diners to appreciate the contrasting characteristics of these celebrated Chinese spirits. It is a fitting accompaniment to a menu that reinterprets Chinese culinary traditions through a contemporary lens.

Crispy Frog Legs 5/5

The Crispy Frog Legs ($21) showcase the restaurant's ability to bring together Chinese and European influences. A familiar ingredient in both French and Chinese cooking, frog legs are prized for their delicate, tender texture. Here, they are double-fried for a crisp exterior while staying succulent inside.

Before frying, the locally sourced frog legs are wet-brined with ginger, salt, sugar and yellow wine to build flavour. They are then coated in a flour-and-garlic powder batter and fried twice to achieve a crisp finish.

The frog legs are tossed with the house-made chilli sand, prepared from a blend of chillies, garlic and sesame seeds wok-fried in red oil. Rather than overwhelming the palate with heat, the chilli sand delivers a savoury fragrance. Green garlic purée, made with garlic shoots, confit garlic, parsley and lemon juice, provides a fresh, herbaceous contrast, while house pickles and lemon zest help cut through the richness.

The result is a dish that bridges the delicacy of French-style frog legs with the aromatic punch of Sichuan chilli seasoning.

Mushroom Mafaldine 4.5/5

The Mushroom Mafaldine ($26) is an interesting example of how Progressive Chuan Cuisine extends beyond traditional Chinese dishes. Instead of preparing the pasta with a conventional butter- or cream-based sauce, the kitchen borrows the Chinese technique of stir-frying noodles to create a distinctly different expression of an Italian pasta dish.

The mafaldine is fried in oil with aromatics, much like chow mian, and paired with a mushroom sabayon made using house-made mushroom oil. The sabayon is prepared with egg and cooked sous vide, then siphoned to create a light, airy texture without butter or cream.

A combination of dried and fresh mushrooms, including termite mushrooms, shiitake, tea tree mushrooms and black trumpet mushrooms, builds an intense earthy and savoury profile. Rye bread croutons add crunch and a subtle tang that cuts through the mushroom richness, while bullet head chilli provides a gentle Sichuan accent.

It is a creative meeting of Western ingredients and Chinese cooking techniques, demonstrating how the restaurant explores flavour and texture without being confined to a single culinary tradition.

Loup De Mer 4.8/5

For the seafood main course, the Loup de Mer ($98) features a whole European seabass served in a saffron yellow pepper broth with petite Napa cabbage. The fish is seared on both sides with its scales intact, creating an ultra-crispy exterior while protecting the flesh beneath.

The broth is particularly elaborate, beginning with a rich master stock made from corn-fed French chicken, pork trotters, chicken feet, fried and dried sole fish, leeks and ginger. Simmered and strained, the stock develops a gelatinous texture and deep savoury foundation.

Preserved yellow pepper is blended with shallots, garlic, and chilli, then cooked and strained into the broth. Dongqu Shaoxing wine adds fragrance, while saffron lends its characteristic aroma and golden colour. Iberico ham and sole fish powder contribute further savoury complexity, giving the broth a depth reminiscent of a French bouillabaisse while retaining the bold, distinctive character of Chuan cooking.

Sweet baby Napa cabbage is braised in the same broth, soaking up its layered flavours. The dish brings together European fish preparation and French-inspired broth-making with Sichuan yellow pepper, resulting in a substantial seafood centrepiece designed for sharing.

Steak Au Poivre 4.5/5

Meat lovers can look forward to the Steak Au Poivre ($220), a substantial 700g bone-in ribeye of Spanish Rubia Gallega beef. Known for its mature cattle and deeply beefy flavour, Rubia Gallega is prized for its robust character and satisfying bite.

Rather than following the classic French preparation of coating the steak in a peppercorn crust, the beef is cooked in lard and butter and served with a Sichuan-inspired pepper sauce. The sauce starts with a bordelaise-style base made from beef jus and red wine, then incorporates Chinese-style seasoning, grain mustard and a blend of Sichuan pepper, black and white pepper, green peppercorns and coriander seeds. Baoning and balsamic vinegars add acidity to balance the richness.

The accompanying baby coloured potatoes are cooked in lard and butter and finished with Parmesan, while sautéed broccolini and hazelnuts round out the plate. The beef's pronounced, umami-rich flavour and firm, satisfying chew make it particularly suited to the bold, layered pepper sauce.

This confident reinterpretation of a French steakhouse classic adds Sichuan pepper and Chinese seasonings, adding another dimension to the traditional combination of beef, wine, and pepper.

Sparkling Ice Jelly 4.8/5

For dessert, the Sparkling Ice Jelly ($15) reimagines bingfen, a traditional chilled jelly popular in southwestern China. The house-made basil-infused jelly is served in a martini glass with fresh kiwi and muscat grapes, accompanied by dill coulis and a mint-and-muscat grape granita.

The transparent jelly has a delicate, slippery texture that provides a refreshing base for the fresh fruit. Dill coulis introduces an aromatic herbal note, while the frozen grape and mint granita adds a cooling finish. The dessert is finished tableside with a pour of Moët Champagne, adding celebratory sparkle to the presentation.

It is a refreshing departure from heavier, cream-based desserts, with the combination of fruit, herbs, icy textures and sparkling wine creating a light finish to the meal.

White Pearl 4.5/5

The White Pearl ($16) takes a more delicate approach to dessert, combining airy mochi with diced lychee and osmanthus tapioca jelly. The mochi is siphoned to create an unusually light texture, contrasting with the chewy tapioca jelly beneath and the lychee's juicy sweetness.

Together, the components offer a mouthfeel reminiscent of Japanese warabimochi, with soft, springy, slippery textures layered in one spoonful.

Alongside the main dessert is a lychee and rose rice wine sorbet made with laozao, or fermented glutinous rice wine. Cacao nibs are sprinkled over the sorbet, adding bitterness and crunch to balance the floral fruitiness. Enjoy the components individually or together for a different interplay of flavours and textures.

Red Date 'Clafoutis' 4/5

The Red Date 'Clafoutis' ($28) brings together French technique and Chinese ingredients. Baked to order and presented tableside, the dessert is scooped from its baking dish, offering a warm, dense and chewy texture enriched by red dates and figs.

The clafoutis is accompanied by chilled red date jelly, fresh figs, macadamia nuts, buckwheat candy and mascarpone crémeux. The red dates appear in both warm and cold forms, creating an interesting contrast between the baked dessert and the refreshing jelly. Seasonal fruit, such as hawthorn-marinated strawberries, adds brightness, while the macadamia and buckwheat candy contribute nuttiness and crunch.

With its combination of warm and chilled components, fruit-forward sweetness and creamy accompaniments, this is a more substantial dessert that rounds out the meal on a comforting note. Please note that the clafoutis is baked to order and requires about 20 minutes of wait time.

With its refreshed interiors and renewed culinary identity, Birds of a Feather marks its 10th anniversary not merely by looking back at its achievements, but by charting a new course for the years ahead. For diners who enjoy contemporary interpretations of Sichuan flavours and inventive cross-cultural cooking, this next chapter is one to watch.


Note: This is an invited tasting.


Birds of A Feather
115 Amoy Street
Singapore 069935
Tel: +65 9755 7115
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 12midnight
Sun: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street towards Amoy Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Walk to the destination. Journey time is about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Follow the covered walkway to the junction of McCallum Street, Telok Ayer and Amoy Street. Turn left at the junction onto Amoy Street. Continue on Amoy Street to the end of the road. Walk to the destination. Journey time is about 10 minutes. [Map]