In the heart of Little India is a lovingly restored heritage shophouse that offers an elegant respite from the bustling street it sits on.
Kunthaville is a new “Ceylonese” restaurant and tea room that transports its guests to a bygone era in Sri Lanka’s history through its food, decor and wellness studio on the second floor.
When she found the perfect shophouse property, she renovated it completely, and even designed the interiors herself. Her family owns tea plantations in Sri Lanka and she wanted guests to enjoy the experience of sipping quality tea directly from the country’s highlands, in an atmosphere reminiscent of a colonial manor looking out onto a landscaped garden.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find more than a couple of restaurants serving Sri Lankan food in Singapore, and as far as Kuntha is concerned, this is “the most authentic”.
The food here is plant-based, with dishes like fried beetroot cutlets and jackfruit curry. Sri Lankan cuisine is traditionally very vegan-friendly, with an abundance of vegetable and fruit dishes; and coconut milk and coconut oil are used instead of dairy or ghee products – in fact, cows were not introduced to the island until fairly recently, Kuntha told us.
There are also sweet treats like vegan cheesecake and vegan brownies to pair with a pot of tea, or even tea-based cocktails from the bar.