CUDO at Stanley — Restaurant in Singapore

CUDO, the latest concept from the team behind Siri House and Moxie, radiates warmth and vibrancy, pulsing with the rhythm of Latin comfort food reimagined.

Chef Steven Chou, whose culinary voice was shaped in the kitchens of New York and New Jersey and enriched by friendships within the Latin-American community, infuses CUDO’s menu with affection, memory, and reinvention. It isn’t about rigid tradition - it’s about soulful reinterpretation. Every dish hums with Latin heat, tang, and depth, creating food that feels both familiar and freshly reimagined.

🥑Cudo Cado Guacamole with avocado, jalapeño, yuzu, and chipotle oil, topped with Cotija, roasted pecans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame. Served with plantain chips. 🦀Warm Crab Queso A molten medley of smoked mozzarella, chilli cheddar, and confit onions, enriched with ricotta and sour cream. Topped with lump crab, diced zucchini, and a drizzle of sakura ebi oil. Served with crisp fried tortillas. 🐟Torched Truffadito Soy-macerated yellowtail, torched and dressed with chipotle aioli and ancho-truffle tiger’s milk. With pickled cucumber, radish, and tortilla strips. 🍟“Disco Fries” A Latin twist on New Jersey’s diner classic. Fries baked with mozzarella and Cotija cheese, layered with rich beef gravy, smoky chorizo, salsa Rosada, and pickled red onions. 🎃Calabaza Roasted Japanese pumpkin, dressed with chipotle aioli laced with yuzu kosho, drizzled with pomegranate molasses, Cotija cheese, and pistachio dust. 🍝Spaghetti Con Camarones Squid ink pasta tossed in a rich ancho-chilli lobster bisque, studded with grilled tiger prawns and finished with chipotle oil. A striking balance of briny depth and smoky heat. 🐟Grilled Seabass Fillet Dressed with a bright parsley-lime sauce and topped with a zesty pineapple salsa of bell peppers, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. 🥥Coconut Tres Leches Rum-spritzed sponge soaked in a trio of coconut milk, condensed milk and cream. Topped with coconut cream, toasted coconut flakes and berry compote. 🍌Toffee Plantain A lush plantain-banana sponge topped with banana mousse, caramelised plantain slices, vanilla ice cream, and a kiss of orange zest.

🍸From Mondays to Fridays, the whole cocktail menu is on 1-for-1 from 3pm to 7pm, along with select wines and beers; even simple G&Ts, martinis, or Aperol spritzes...

It's difficult to miss CUDO when you walk past as it definitely stands out. It has a cosy alfresco and a gorgeous interior with warm lighting that exudes an initimate yet casual and fun ambience.

A sharing affair, we were more interested in their wide variety of starters. Starting off with Cudo Cado, it is an elevated twist to guacamole made with smashed avocado, yuzu, Cotija cheese, and smoky chipotle. I liked the tang and savouriness behind the creaminess, and the textures from the nuts and seeds. The plantain chips were thin and crisp, best I've ever had and perfect for the dip.

And the Warm Crab Queso is best eaten upon serving. A mix of molten Scamorza cheese, toasted sakura ebi and lump crab, it was smoky, sweet, creamy with bits of crunch. My guess is that there's crispy onions as well. The fried tortillas were crispy and light - totally addictive on their own.

The Chipotle Butter Roasted Prawns saucy smacking good. They were charred to smoky perfection and lathered with the most decadently delicious garlic confit and chipotle spice, and glazed with agave molasses.

We only had one main which is the Seafood Moqueca. The broth was rich, sweet and savoury with a velvety texture of coconut milk. Very comforting. It was deeply flavourful yet light and bright. All the seafood in it were fresh though perhaps more fish and less of the frozen prawns would be preferred. The tomato rice deserves a special mention. It was soft, fluffy and deliciously spiced and sweet that I kept reaching out for more.

Ending off with a sweet, the Coconut Tres Leches is made with a vanilla sponge cake soaked in three different milks, and topped with coconut crema and toasted coconut flakes. The cake was moist and spongy and the coconut flavours were natural and light within being overpowering. I liked that they have added tarty berries compote to pair and balance the sweetness.

I have to commend that the service was impeccable that enriched the evening experience paired with flavourful and comfort-inducing dishes.

One small note is that the tables are spaced rather closely to each other. So avoid big bags and watch when sliding in and out...

Don’t understand how this place has a 4.9 star review. Despite having 5 starters, 1 pasta and 2 drinks, there was nothing that wowed us at all.

Starters Snapper Crudo was the best dish of all, refreshing and fresh Warm Crab Queso was on the saltier side but went well with the fried tortillas. Torched Truffadito was not too bad. Fish was fresh and the pickles were not bad. Garlic & Saffron Clams was bad. Some clams had sand in them and the dish was very bland tasting. Saving grace was the toast that came with it. The worst dish of all dishes, Chipotle Butter Roasted Prawns. This dish is an ultimate disappointment. The first time they served the prawns, they were mushy and not fresh. We informed the manager about it and he took it back and changed a new plate for us. Second plate was still the same but by then, we weren’t really keen to change again as the prawns were likely all mushy and not fresh. (See main dish below)

Main Spaghetti Con Camarones is a confusing dish. If you don’t look at the description of the dish, you would think you’re eating curry pasta. There wasn’t any lobster taste and the pasta looked store bought. The way they presented the dish was not the greatest. They just dumped the whole portion of pasta on and put two grilled prawns on top. Sadly the prawns weren’t fresh. Mushy and rubbery at the same time.

By this time, we weren’t keen to try anything else and decided to skip the dessert in fear of disappointment again.

Service was not it. 4 out of 5 starters were served rather fast, but they forgot about our prawns and we had to remind them about it. Manager did nothing for service recovery despite us telling him that the prawns were not fresh and the pasta was not great. He didn’t seem too bothered by our feedbacks and just said he will inform the chef about it.

Overall, it’s definitely not worth the price tag. You can find nicer food and better service...