A place we kept returning to
We first found Joo Chiat when it was still fairly new, on the way to another café in Kabira. We have returned many times since. The owners have always been happy to talk, and those conversations are part of why the café stayed with us.
Singapore in Kabira
The family told us that they had previously lived in Singapore. They also told us that the café is named after Joo Chiat, the Singapore neighbourhood where they lived: a place they remembered for its food and for many different communities living alongside one another. They hoped their café would carry something of that spirit.
That connection is part of the food, but it has never felt like a theme added for visitors. It is simply part of the family’s story and of the place they made here in Kabira.
The house and garden
Joo Chiat is in a traditional Ishigaki house, surrounded by a garden with herbs, fruit, flowers and other plants. We have spent slow afternoons on the veranda, with air moving through the house and garden. It feels more like sitting at someone’s home than stopping at a generic café.
Over the years, we have seen ingredients from around the house appear in food and drinks. The garden is part of the café, without being made into a claim that everything on the menu grows there.
Small gatherings
Over the years, Joo Chiat has also occasionally been a place for small gatherings: live music, yoga and other community activities. Those gatherings are another reason the café has stayed with us, but they are not a fixed programme. For anything currently planned, check Joo Chiat’s own channels directly.
Before you go
Opening days and hours can change, and Joo Chiat’s own website currently gives different details on different pages. Check Joo Chiat Café directly ↗ before visiting.