It has been a quiet three and a half years for Kki Sweets, but the pastry restaurant is back in a brand new space on Seah Street.

Kki Sweets, founded by City Harvest couple Delphine Liau and Kenneth Seah, was a step of faith taken to bring Christ into culture in 2010.

The shop, which was first located at Ann Siang Hill together with collaborating retail store The Little Dröm Store, quickly earned a reputation and following for its exquisite Japanese-style pastries.

It moved to SOTA thereafter, but an economic downturn plus lower footfall in the area led to Delphine and Kenneth shutting their store in 2017.

“The closure was necessary for us to rethink and pray for God’s purpose in us,” explains Delphine.

“If the talents were given to us, we shouldn’t be struggling to make ends meet. What more should we be doing, to pursue our purpose in more sustainable ways?”

In the wilderness

Turning to God for answers, the couple have spent the last two and a half years persisting in prayer, seeking God earnestly for the next steps to take. Delphine asserts: “You just have to keep asking and search for the answers, God will show the way.”

That’s no small faith – three and a half years is a long time, during which Delphine gave birth to their second daughter. But God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His timing has its own rhythm.

The closure of the SOTA store “was necessary for us to rethink and pray for God’s purpose in us”, says Delphine.

The answer to their prayer came out of the blue one day, from a past regular customer. The customer messaged the couple to ask why they had not reopened their store, and Delphine replied honestly that they didn’t have the finances to do so.

Without thinking twice, the customer asked “How much do you need?” And within three days, Delphine and Kenneth had themselves a new investor, and the deal was sealed to bring back Kki.

New beginnings

“How do you sell a vision to somebody?” Delphine marvels. “It’s a miracle. You keep talking about it, and pursuing it. You share with 100 people and it takes just one person to say, ‘Okay, let’s try.’”

“Now is the perfect time for us to be back,” says the couple.

Now parents of two daughters aged nine and three, Kenneth and Delphine hope to build a culture for future generations.

“We can’t just be a business and our space can’t just be another space,” declares Delphine. “We want to keep Kki as a sanctuary; we built this as a home.”

Over the 10 years of Kki’s existence, its purpose to bring Christ into culture has never changed. “Kenneth always tells me ‘We’re doing ministry. Someone comes in not just to eat a piece of cake but to also be inspired and leave the space feeling happy.’”

The newly opened Kki Sweets sits at a quiet corner along Seah Street. You might miss it at first, thanks to its unassuming exterior and the lack of a shop sign, but when you step in, it’s like stepping into another world.

The Lord was all in the little details, down to the timing of reopening.

The couple had planned to reopen during Christmas in 2019 but it could not come together in time. Next thing they knew, COVID-19 happened. They felt that they were spiritually covered for all that had happened – they have not suffered loss from the delayed opening.

Delphine was not worried at all about re-opening Kki. “Now is the perfect time for us to be back,” she says. “The seating space is smaller and our table length is perfect for the required one-metre social distancing.”

God indeed worked all things for good for Kki.

Re-invented

Kki now operates on a reservation-only basis, where customers can book their seats and their desserts on their website ahead of their visit. This prevents wastage and ensures crowd management in line with Covid-19 social distancing regulations.

The space boasts natural lighting with a one-metre wide countertop that cuts through the centre of its interior. It also features a paper roof installation.

At the new Kki Sweets on Seah Street, the exterior is an unassuming shop front that opens up into a sanctuary-like space. The reservations-only system prevents wastage and ensures crowd management in line with Covid-19 social distancing regulations.

Diners are mostly seated around the countertop and with plants in the centre. It feels almost like you’re sitting at someone’s dining table at home. The couple’s vision for the new store revolves around making it a sanctuary, where customers can escape for a while from the fast pace of society.

Their menu features an all-new selection of mousse cakes and plated desserts, some of which were inspired and named after their friends.

“We want to keep Kki as a sanctuary; we built this as a home,” says Delphine.

“This comeback is really to build the next 10 years of Kki,” reflects Delphine. “We’re excited to follow God’s lead and see what He’s going to do through this business.”

This story was first published on City News, a ministry of City Harvest Church, and is republished with permission.