This new restaurant and tea room in Singapore transports guests to a bygone Sri Lankan era

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.

Owner Kuntha Chelvanathan was born in Colombo but has lived in countries all over the world including France, Australia and, for nearly a decade, Singapore. She has a day job as a consultant but started cooking Sri Lankan food at home during the pandemic for her friends, who were so impressed that they encouraged her to open a restaurant.

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”.

She brings in whole spices grown on her family’s land, like enormous premium cinnamon sticks; Sri Lankan spice mixes; and even special Sri Lankan rice that is unique in grain and texture.

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.

One of the most interesting dishes is the Gundappam or fat appam: Small and bouncy, these fermented rice treats are served sweet and savoury, with roasted coconut chambal and a drizzle of coconut milk.

Other dishes like the cream of roasted butternut pumpkin soup with ginger, turmeric and nutmeg acknowledge the influence of the early Portuguese colonialists as well as Southeast Asian spices on the evolution of Sri Lankan cooking.

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.

Upstairs, there’s a cavernous studio space for yoga, Indian martial arts and wellness activities.

Kunthaville is at 18 Veerasamy Road.