It’s no secret that home-based cafes in Singapore are part of a growing trend. Over in Loyang Rise, tucked inside a quiet landed estate, sits one of them. Room Cafe is a cosy, dog-friendly spot run by 26-year-old Bryan Kuah, who’s juggling being a Mass Communications student at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) while running a cafe from the porch of his parents’ terrace house.
Before Room Cafe, Kuah spent two years working as a floor manager at the now-defunct bar Stickies from 2022 to 2024. “After my experience working in nightlife, I realised I enjoy interacting with people. I did consider venturing into nightlife but it’s not a very sustainable industry right now, so the next best thing was a cafe,” Kuah shared.
Bryan Kuah runs the cafe from the porch of his parents’ terrace house. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Kuah opened Room Cafe in May 2025, fuelled by his love for cooking. “I like to cook for myself, especially Western food, and I usually cook for family and friends during Christmas, so that’s where my passion grew," he recalled.
His family’s home has a spacious porch that transforms into his cafe setup during operating hours. He lives with his parents, his girlfriend, his older brother and his sister-in-law.
When the cafe is open, the family cars are moved out, and the space is transformed with foldable camping chairs and tables Kuah bought from Taobao. The setup has four to five tables that seat around 20 diners.
The dining area of Room Cafe. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Where did he learn to cook? “I learnt how to cook when I was 15. It started from cooking for myself for supper. I love spicy food, so I always cook aglio olio with chilli, fishballs, and canned mushrooms for myself. From there, my love for pasta grew,” he said with a smile.
Most days, Bryan Kuah runs the cafe entirely on his own: Taking orders, cooking every dish, and preparing all the drinks. During busier periods, his girlfriend and parents step in to help.
“They help out less now though because I try not to trouble them too much,” he said.
Some of the items sold at Room Cafe. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
But his parents have had a hand in shaping the menu.
“One of my signature dishes, the Curry Baked Rice, is actually inspired by Pizza Hut’s curry baked rice, which was a childhood favourite of mine,” Kuah told 8days.sg.
“My dad helped me with the curry recipe, it’s a Nyonya-style curry.” His mum, on the other hand, taught him how to make her Basque burnt cheesecake.
“My family and I are still learning along the way,” Kuah admitted. “We face challenges like having to compromise on our personal space and time. Sometimes arguments happen, but I know it’s out of love and because they’re worried for me.”
Has running Room Cafe affected his studies, or vice versa?
“It hasn’t affected my studies, but the time I spend on schoolwork could definitely be used to think about how to improve my cafe,” he said.
Time with his girlfriend also takes a hit. “It’s a challenge [finding the time to] spend with my girlfriend. I think she gets bored on weekends when our friends are all out,” he shared.
Bryan Kuah preparing dishes for his cafe. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
His solution? “I try to prioritise whatever I want to do. If I want to take a break, I'll just announce on Instagram that we won’t be open on a certain day,” Kuah explained. “So far, I think most of my customers are pretty okay with it, no one has been upset if I close up which I really appreciate.”
He typically takes one Friday off each month, depending on customer flow. So check his Instagram account before visiting.
How is business so far?
“I’d say business is pretty decent – I can make a profit. The crowd is pretty substantial, and I don’t really have to worry about whether people will come,” Kuah said.
His lunch crowd usually consists of customers from beyond the neighbourhood, while dinner sees many neighbours dropping by or taking away food. “So far I’ve not gotten any complaints from neighbours, in fact they’ve been very supportive!”
The home cafe, Kuah said, is his way of learning the ropes before eventually opening a proper cafe someday.
“The goal is to open an actual cafe, but I’m not there yet and I don't have the capital yet,” he explained. “I’m not super confident to be the sole boss of a legit cafe, so I would say running a home cafe helps me learn the back-end stuff and [improve my] cooking. Eventually, if I open my own cafe, I’ll have a certain standard at least.”
With one last module before he graduates, Bryan Kuah is already thinking about his next move. “I’ll probably work another job as well after graduating to save up [for the cafe] as fast as I can. Media isn’t out of the question, but I think the fastest route would be to become a property agent as I’m also interested in that industry.”
Why real estate? “My parents move house a lot – we’ve relocated about eight to nine times already. So I kind of have an understanding of how it works. Definitely not to the technical detail, but that’s something I can learn,” he revealed. “My parents enjoy moving house because they enjoy the change of environment every few years and it’s kind of like an investment in a way.”
According to Kuah, his degree is simply a backup “I think my parents are happy with whatever I choose to do as long as it’s an honest living,” he said.
At Room Cafe, the menu isn’t fixed. “I don’t have a fixed menu for now to keep it interesting,” Kuah explained. “I try to rotate it every week, but I maintain popular dishes like the Smoked Duck Aglio Olio.”
His menu also includes a selection of coffee and matcha drinks, along with a Basque burnt cheesecake for dessert.
The dishes are neatly plated and look straight out of a proper cafe, though some flavours feel a little too understated – understandable for a young home cafe boss still finding his groove.
When we visited, these were some of the dishes we tried:
Truffle shroom carbonara, S$12. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Mafaldine pasta cooked nicely al dente, tossed in a light, creamy sauce with sauteed mushrooms and an egg yolk, finished with a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano. A decent pick if you prefer your carbonara on the lighter side.
Curry chicken baked rice, S$14. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
If you’re visiting, here’s hoping the curry chicken baked rice makes the menu. It’s comforting, cheesy and filling. It’s packed with tender, well-cooked chicken and potatoes, while the curry carries a gentle, warming spice that hits the spot. It’s finished with gooey-crispy cheese that ties everything together.
Smoked duck aglio olio, S$15. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Toothsome bite spaghetti slicked in chilli and olive oil, with a dollop of truffle paste on top. The pan-seared store-bought smoked duck is the star here: Tender, savoury, and properly smoky. That said, the dish could use a heftier hit of garlic.
Burnt cheesecake, S$6. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Creamy, rich, and velvety without feeling too heavy. While the cake delivers on texture, there’s a distinct flavour profile we can’t quite put our finger on that we found quite overwhelming and an acquired taste.
Iced matcha latte, S$6. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Made with oat milk, this is a simple, no-frills matcha latte. Easy to drink with a mild earthiness.
Super creamy Biscoff latte, S$7.50. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
This latte is creamy with a gentle sweetness from the Biscoff. The Biscoff flavour isn’t very pronounced, with the coffee leaning mild and milky rather than rich and strong.
Room Cafe is located at 148 Loyang Rise, Singapore 507453. Opening hours change weekly, check Instagram before heading down.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Continue reading...
Before Room Cafe, Kuah spent two years working as a floor manager at the now-defunct bar Stickies from 2022 to 2024. “After my experience working in nightlife, I realised I enjoy interacting with people. I did consider venturing into nightlife but it’s not a very sustainable industry right now, so the next best thing was a cafe,” Kuah shared.
Bryan Kuah runs the cafe from the porch of his parents’ terrace house. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Kuah opened Room Cafe in May 2025, fuelled by his love for cooking. “I like to cook for myself, especially Western food, and I usually cook for family and friends during Christmas, so that’s where my passion grew," he recalled.
His family’s home has a spacious porch that transforms into his cafe setup during operating hours. He lives with his parents, his girlfriend, his older brother and his sister-in-law.
When the cafe is open, the family cars are moved out, and the space is transformed with foldable camping chairs and tables Kuah bought from Taobao. The setup has four to five tables that seat around 20 diners.
The dining area of Room Cafe. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Where did he learn to cook? “I learnt how to cook when I was 15. It started from cooking for myself for supper. I love spicy food, so I always cook aglio olio with chilli, fishballs, and canned mushrooms for myself. From there, my love for pasta grew,” he said with a smile.
Most days, Bryan Kuah runs the cafe entirely on his own: Taking orders, cooking every dish, and preparing all the drinks. During busier periods, his girlfriend and parents step in to help.
“They help out less now though because I try not to trouble them too much,” he said.
Some of the items sold at Room Cafe. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
But his parents have had a hand in shaping the menu.
“One of my signature dishes, the Curry Baked Rice, is actually inspired by Pizza Hut’s curry baked rice, which was a childhood favourite of mine,” Kuah told 8days.sg.
“My dad helped me with the curry recipe, it’s a Nyonya-style curry.” His mum, on the other hand, taught him how to make her Basque burnt cheesecake.
“My family and I are still learning along the way,” Kuah admitted. “We face challenges like having to compromise on our personal space and time. Sometimes arguments happen, but I know it’s out of love and because they’re worried for me.”
Has running Room Cafe affected his studies, or vice versa?
“It hasn’t affected my studies, but the time I spend on schoolwork could definitely be used to think about how to improve my cafe,” he said.
Time with his girlfriend also takes a hit. “It’s a challenge [finding the time to] spend with my girlfriend. I think she gets bored on weekends when our friends are all out,” he shared.
Bryan Kuah preparing dishes for his cafe. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
His solution? “I try to prioritise whatever I want to do. If I want to take a break, I'll just announce on Instagram that we won’t be open on a certain day,” Kuah explained. “So far, I think most of my customers are pretty okay with it, no one has been upset if I close up which I really appreciate.”
He typically takes one Friday off each month, depending on customer flow. So check his Instagram account before visiting.
How is business so far?
“I’d say business is pretty decent – I can make a profit. The crowd is pretty substantial, and I don’t really have to worry about whether people will come,” Kuah said.
His lunch crowd usually consists of customers from beyond the neighbourhood, while dinner sees many neighbours dropping by or taking away food. “So far I’ve not gotten any complaints from neighbours, in fact they’ve been very supportive!”
The home cafe, Kuah said, is his way of learning the ropes before eventually opening a proper cafe someday.
“The goal is to open an actual cafe, but I’m not there yet and I don't have the capital yet,” he explained. “I’m not super confident to be the sole boss of a legit cafe, so I would say running a home cafe helps me learn the back-end stuff and [improve my] cooking. Eventually, if I open my own cafe, I’ll have a certain standard at least.”
With one last module before he graduates, Bryan Kuah is already thinking about his next move. “I’ll probably work another job as well after graduating to save up [for the cafe] as fast as I can. Media isn’t out of the question, but I think the fastest route would be to become a property agent as I’m also interested in that industry.”
Why real estate? “My parents move house a lot – we’ve relocated about eight to nine times already. So I kind of have an understanding of how it works. Definitely not to the technical detail, but that’s something I can learn,” he revealed. “My parents enjoy moving house because they enjoy the change of environment every few years and it’s kind of like an investment in a way.”
According to Kuah, his degree is simply a backup “I think my parents are happy with whatever I choose to do as long as it’s an honest living,” he said.
At Room Cafe, the menu isn’t fixed. “I don’t have a fixed menu for now to keep it interesting,” Kuah explained. “I try to rotate it every week, but I maintain popular dishes like the Smoked Duck Aglio Olio.”
His menu also includes a selection of coffee and matcha drinks, along with a Basque burnt cheesecake for dessert.
The dishes are neatly plated and look straight out of a proper cafe, though some flavours feel a little too understated – understandable for a young home cafe boss still finding his groove.
When we visited, these were some of the dishes we tried:
Truffle shroom carbonara, S$12. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
TRUFFLE SHROOM CARBONARA, S$12
Mafaldine pasta cooked nicely al dente, tossed in a light, creamy sauce with sauteed mushrooms and an egg yolk, finished with a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano. A decent pick if you prefer your carbonara on the lighter side.
Curry chicken baked rice, S$14. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
CURRY CHICKEN BAKED RICE, S$14
If you’re visiting, here’s hoping the curry chicken baked rice makes the menu. It’s comforting, cheesy and filling. It’s packed with tender, well-cooked chicken and potatoes, while the curry carries a gentle, warming spice that hits the spot. It’s finished with gooey-crispy cheese that ties everything together.
Smoked duck aglio olio, S$15. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
SMOKED DUCK AGLIO OLIO, S$15
Toothsome bite spaghetti slicked in chilli and olive oil, with a dollop of truffle paste on top. The pan-seared store-bought smoked duck is the star here: Tender, savoury, and properly smoky. That said, the dish could use a heftier hit of garlic.
Burnt cheesecake, S$6. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
BASQUE BURNT CHEESECAKE, S$6
Creamy, rich, and velvety without feeling too heavy. While the cake delivers on texture, there’s a distinct flavour profile we can’t quite put our finger on that we found quite overwhelming and an acquired taste.
Iced matcha latte, S$6. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
ICED MATCHA LATTE, S$6
Made with oat milk, this is a simple, no-frills matcha latte. Easy to drink with a mild earthiness.
Super creamy Biscoff latte, S$7.50. (Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
SUPER CREAMY BISCOFF LATTE, S$7.50
This latte is creamy with a gentle sweetness from the Biscoff. The Biscoff flavour isn’t very pronounced, with the coffee leaning mild and milky rather than rich and strong.
Room Cafe is located at 148 Loyang Rise, Singapore 507453. Opening hours change weekly, check Instagram before heading down.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Continue reading...