From Singapore to Thimphu: How Gikuna and Kizuna Built a Community Through Hospitality

A collaboration between Bhutan's Gikuna and Singapore's Kizuna has created new opportunities for hospitality training, cultural exchange, and community building, demonstrating how local businesses can connect across borders.

A collaboration between community café Gikuna in Thimphu and neighbourhood hospitality venue Kizuna in Singapore has evolved into something much larger than a guest bartending event. A three-day hospitality exchange held in April brought together a Singaporean bartender, Bhutanese café staff, and local guests, beginning with a cocktail masterclass by Jonathan Tan from Kizuna for Gikuna's Bhutanese team on 16 April, followed by two sold-out guest shift evenings on 17 and 18 April.

While the event introduced new drinks and bartending techniques, it also created an opportunity to exchange ideas, strengthen local skills, and explore how hospitality can foster meaningful connections across cultures. What began as a simple introduction eventually revealed remarkable similarities between two businesses operating thousands of kilometres apart, both built on family roots, community values, and a shared vision of creating welcoming spaces for people to gather.

Two Businesses Shaped by Family Roots

Gikuna, located in Thimphu, takes its name from the Dzongkha phrase meaning "in the corner". The property was once the childhood home of co-founder Kinzang, who lived there with his six siblings before the building was rented to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for nearly 25 years.

After JICA relocated following the COVID-19 pandemic, Kinzang and Carolyn began discussing how to bring the space back to life. Renovations started in 2024, with a focus on reclaiming and repurposing existing materials. Over the following year, the property gradually expanded to include a yoga studio, café, guesthouse, and a row of small retail spaces.

Their vision was simple: create a green space in Thimphu where people could step away from urban life, connect with others, and participate in community activities. Since opening, Gikuna has hosted book launches, dance classes, thangkha workshops, panel discussions, and art exhibitions.

In Singapore, Kizuna emerged from a similar story.

The venue occupies a shop space originally secured by founder Shen's grandfather in 1985, where the family operated a neighbourhood bakery for decades. When relatives prepared to retire in 2019, Shen took over the business and transformed it into the area's first independent café. Over time, community demand led to the addition of an evening cocktail programme and izakaya-style concept.

Kizuna, which means "bonds" or "connections" in Japanese, was built around the idea that hospitality spaces should serve as platforms for community, conversation, and support.

A Partnership Built on Shared Values

The connection between the two businesses began in early 2025 when Sheryl from Mountain Hazelnuts and Thinley from Bhutan Blossoms visited Kizuna in Singapore and noticed striking similarities between the two establishments.

What followed was an introduction between the teams and a series of conversations that eventually led to Kizuna's first-ever visit to Bhutan.

According to Shen, the deeper significance of the collaboration only became clear after arriving in Thimphu.

Reflecting on the journey to Bhutan, Shen recalled reading a message from the CEO of Drukair in the airline's inflight magazine that resonated with the purpose of the trip.

"The months of March and April invite reflection - on our shared connections, the strength of community, and the pursuit of purposeful growth that benefits both people and the planet."

At the same time, Shen had been designing the menu for the collaboration and found herself returning to a simple phrase: "Two places, brought together by community."

"This is exactly how the partnership came about, though we certainly didn't realise how deep that connection went at first. This partnership became deeply meaningful because we discovered we are both businesses born out of family roots, built during a global crisis, and driven by a desire to provide a safe sanctuary for our respective communities," she said.

For Gikuna, the opportunity extended beyond cocktails.

Carolyn explained that while staff training was an important objective, the team also saw the potential for a genuine cultural exchange.

"We always saw the potential for meaningful cultural exchange particularly for our team - and I think it really was that, for us and for the Kizuna crew."

Training Local Talent for Long-Term Impact

A key focus of the collaboration was ensuring that local staff gained practical skills that could continue benefiting the business long after the visiting bartender returned to Singapore.

"The whole idea was to help them kickstart a sustainable cocktail programme, so training the local staff and using local products in the drinks was essential," Shen explained.

The results quickly became apparent.

Gikuna's team, all of whom had no previous experience in bartending or cocktail preparation, embraced the challenge. Staff members worked additional hours, learned new techniques, and helped manage unexpectedly large crowds during the guest shift events.

Kizuna's team was equally impressed by what they observed.

One of the most memorable moments came when local staff instinctively stepped into critical support roles behind the bar during peak service periods.

"When the tickets started piling up, they didn't hesitate. They stepped right up to the bar alongside Jon to shake drinks together. Seeing that teamwork, intuition, and shared spirit kick in in real-time was incredibly special."

Following the event, Carolyn noticed a visible increase in staff confidence, particularly when interacting with international guests.

"They also know now that they can do anything! They really can! They are so talented."

A Strong Response from Thimphu

Neither team anticipated the level of public interest generated by the event.

According to Carolyn, Jonathan from Kizuna typically prepares around 60 cocktails on a busy evening in Singapore. During the guest shifts at Gikuna, he produced approximately 150 cocktails each night.

The turnout reflected growing interest in new hospitality experiences in Thimphu while also demonstrating the strong sense of community that both venues seek to foster.

For the Kizuna team, seeing Gikuna filled with guests was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

"To watch a crowd that massive fill out a small, intimate space like Gikuna on the guest shift nights was incredibly moving and powerful," said Shen.

A Lasting Addition to Gikuna's Menu

The collaboration has also left a practical legacy. Following the training and guest shifts, Gikuna has begun expanding its evening offerings and introducing cocktails developed in partnership with Kizuna.

"In fact we have now become rather famous for our whiskey sours in Gikuna!" Carolyn said. "We are starting to open later on Fridays and Saturdays now that summer has arrived and the evenings are longer."

The drinks menu features local ingredients and flavours, with cocktails priced at around Nu 450. Current offerings include:

• Caipihara: Ara (Bhutanese rice wine), lime, sugar

• Thunder Dragon Sour: Bhutanese whiskey (K5 or Misty Peak), jaggery sugar and chocolate bitters

• Bhutan Blossoms Highball: Honey, ginger, cold-brew Bhutan Blossoms Apple Tea

• Bloody Mary: Tomato juice, chilli honey, lemon juice, Bhutan Blossoms salt and pepper mix and umami soy

Hospitality Beyond Food and Drink

Perhaps the most significant lesson exchanged during the collaboration had little to do with cocktails.

Carolyn noted that what impressed her most was the way Kizuna approaches hospitality as a means of bringing people together.

"It is more than serving drinks. It's bringing people together, gathering community, celebrating place and the people that come through the doors each day."

The Kizuna team, meanwhile, came away with a deep appreciation for Bhutanese hospitality.

"They are so humorous! They love to joke around, and they can play pranks on you with a completely straight face," Shen said. "But beyond the humour, as Jon beautifully put it, hospitality just seems to be in their blood."

For visitors experiencing Bhutan for the first time, that warmth left a lasting impression.

Looking Ahead

The collaboration has already produced lasting outcomes. Gikuna now serves a selection of cocktails developed with Kizuna using local ingredients such as ara, Bhutanese whisky, Bhutan Blossoms tea, chilli honey, and jaggery sugar. Prices start at around Nu 450.

Both teams are also exploring ways to deepen the relationship.

One possibility involves sending Gikuna staff to Singapore for further training and hosting a Bhutan-themed event at Kizuna. There is also interest in creating an annual exchange programme that celebrates the long-standing relationship between Bhutan and Singapore.

For two businesses founded on family histories and community values, the partnership demonstrated that meaningful hospitality can transcend geography.

What began as a guest shift became a reminder that the strongest connections are often built through shared purpose, mutual learning, and the simple act of bringing people together. 

Visit Gikuna and Kizuna

If you would like to experience the spaces behind this collaboration, you can visit Gikuna Village (former JICA office) in Thimphu, a community-focused café, guesthouse, and event space that has quickly become a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

Kizuna is located at 148 Potong Pasir Avenue 1, #01-37, Singapore 350148, to enjoy some cocktail in the evenings.