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
Website
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]
