KANTIN - Anthony Bourdain Called This Laksa "Breakfast of the Gods"

Singapore has no shortage of regional cuisines — but Bornean food? That’s a first. Tucked on Level 5 of Jewel Changi Airport’s iconic glass dome, KANTIN is the only restaurant in Singapore dedicated entirely to the bold, wild flavours of Borneo’s rainforest. Nominated for Asia’s Best New Restaurant 2025 at the World Culinary Awards and fresh off winning Best In-Store Dining Experience at Jewel’s own Fans’ Favourites Awards, this isn’t just a novelty concept — it’s the real deal.

KANTIN traces its roots to Kuching, Sarawak, where it first opened in 2021 under the creative direction of Sarawak Eye, a media and arts agency founded by Carmen Toh. Her approach was unconventional from the start — she hired not chefs, but cultural custodians: storytellers, artists, and creatives who understood Borneo’s culinary soul. That ethos has translated into a restaurant that operates less like a typical F&B outlet and more like a living museum of tribal food traditions. Singapore became its first international outpost in 2023, and the response has been nothing short of remarkable.

Headhunter Pansuh Set — $32++

This is the dish that defines KANTIN. Named after the Dayak headhunter tribes of Borneo, the Headhunter Pansuh Set is an experience more than a meal. Tender chicken is slow-cooked inside a hollow bamboo stalk with tapioca leaves, lemongrass, and wild aromatics — a Bidayuh tradition passed down through generations. The result is a deeply comforting, soul-warming broth that carries a subtle woody sweetness from the bamboo itself. It arrives at the table accompanied by purple Sarawak highland rice, keropok lekor, and a rotating trio of Dayak side dishes that keep every visit slightly different. On any given day, diners might find themselves presented with Paku (foraged Bornean wild fern stir-fried with belachan), Rebung (bamboo shoots tossed with aromatic spices), or two of KANTIN’s most talked-about starters — Pusu Bawang and Umai Jellyfish.

Umai Jellyfish — $12++

A signature of the seafaring Melanau tribe, Umai is Borneo’s answer to ceviche. Strips of jellyfish are dressed in a traditional Melanau citrus-chilli marinade of calamansi juice, ginger, vinegar, shallots, and chilli — clean, tangy, and refreshingly light. The texture is surprisingly pleasant: springy and soft, somewhere between konjac noodles and lightly poached squid. It’s a dish that challenges expectations and wins every time.

Sotong Bakar — $18++

From KANTIN’s Borneo Smokehouse series, the Sotong Bakar is a crowd favourite that announces itself by scent alone. Whole squid is marinated Dayak-style and grilled over fire until smoky and deeply caramelised — but never rubbery. The flesh stays succulent and tender, paired perfectly with a robust sambal chilli. This is one of those dishes where the simplicity of the technique is the whole point.

Sarawak Laksa — $24++

The late Anthony Bourdain once called Sarawak Laksa the “breakfast of the gods” — and KANTIN’s version lives up to the legend. Built on a broth of over 30 spices, tamarind, and coconut milk, it strikes a balance between creamy richness and herbaceous depth that sets it far apart from Singapore’s own laksa tradition. Poached chicken, plump prawns, and silky ribbons of fried egg sit atop thin rice vermicelli, soaking up every drop of that complex, aromatic broth. It’s a bowl that converts first-timers into regulars.

Rainforest Fried Rice — $18++

For those wanting something familiar but distinctly Bornean, the Rainforest Fried Rice delivers. Fragrant rice cooked with wild jungle herbs is loaded with shiitake mushrooms, deep-fried cauliflower nuggets, and scattered fried tapioca leaves for crunch. It’s a solid plate on its own and an excellent companion to the smokehouse dishes.

KANTIN’s cocktail programme is as thoughtfully conceived as the food. The Cloud Forest ($24++) is crafted with rum and tuak, a fermented Dayak rice wine, resulting in an earthy, lightly sweet drink with soft botanical layers. The Borneo Elixir ($24++) leans bolder — a rum-based riff on a negroni with deep herbaceous notes. For non-alcoholic options, the three-layer Sarawak Teh C Special ($10++) is made with gula apong syrup and tastes like liquid crème brûlée, while the Three Sour Crush ($12++) — an ice blend of lemon, calamansi, and sour plum — is a perfect refresher after a round of fire-grilled plates.

KANTIN is the kind of restaurant Singapore’s dining scene genuinely needed — a window into a cuisine that, despite its geographic proximity, has remained largely unknown here. Every dish carries a story, every ingredient has a provenance, and every meal feels like a genuine discovery. Whether it’s a stopover before a flight or a dedicated outing, there’s every reason to make Level 5 of Jewel a destination in its own right.

Address: 78 Airport Boulevard, #05-206/207, JEWEL Changi Airport, Singapore 819666
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 10pm
Instagram: @kantinjewel