Bee's Knees @ Botanic Gardens : Extended Opening Hours with Delicious Bar Bites

Food from cafes and restaurants in tourist attractions tend to be overpriced and lacking in quality. But not so for Bees Knees Cafe, the sister cafe of Botanico located at the 1st floor of the restored two-storey heritage building in Botanic Gardens.


Already attracting crowds of locals and expats alike during weekends, Bees Knees has expanded its menu to offer a plethora of hearty western dishes from pastas to bar bites. The Potato Chips Salad ($8) is a spinoff from Japanese Potato Salad with a familiar taste of Japanese mayonnaise mixed with Spanish Onions and mustard.


But this is a thousand times more addictive because the thin extra virgin oil fried potato chips make munching such an easy affair. Not to be missed is the crispy Boxing Chicken ($14) with Siracha mayonnaise and the Crispy Calamari ($14) with Chincalok Coriander. But the ultimate sinful indulgence was the "Beef Cheeky" Fries. With soggy fries drenched in rich beef ragout and mozzarella, it looked as if it popped out from American food shows. And the sodium level here is also no joke.

But rest assure that these aren't the only delicious food on the menu. For something light and healthy, try the "Veggie Goat" ($16) a refreshing quinoa salad tossed with cherry tomatoes, roasted pumpkins, figs, watercress and caramelized goat cheese. The balsamic reduction injects the right degree of acidity and livens up the flavors. For the sandwiches, they are interestingly served with the uncommon Turkey bread that has a crunchy crust and holds up wet ingredients very well.

The Tiger Prawn Pasta ($18) turned out to be totally different from what I imagined. Luscious dark brown pappardelle fully absorbed the seafood flavors with tiger prawns so fresh and plump that makes this almost as lavish as a lobster pasta. This self-service cafeteria also offers fresh croissants, cakes all baked in house. There's waffles and pancakes but I highly recommend the Five Spiced Churros. They are so delicately crisp on the outside and stretchy on the inside. Being neither too doughy nor greasy, these deep fried snacks are even better than  the ones I had at Barrio.

Portions are huge for sharing so it is best to get a group of friends down to share the variety (and calories). But do pick the right time to come or be prepared to queue.

Currently, Bee's Knees is offering a promotion of 2 regular pints of beer and 1 pizza for $38. Don't miss this great deal! (p.s I don't drink but I had the Truffle Mushroom Pizza which was fragrant and delicious!) 

Bee's Knees
50 Cluny Park Road
Botanic Gardens

Monday to Tuesday, 8 am - 6 pm

Wednesday to Sunday, 8 am - 10 pm

*'Live' band plays acoustic music every alternate Friday

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Botanico @ The Garage: New F&B Concept at The Botanic Gardens Serves Excellent Food

After the successful establishment of the Summerhouse at Seletar, 1-Group, the lifestyle F&B Group operating several award-winning restaurants such as UNA and 1-Rochester, redefines botanical adventures once again at The Garage. 

Converted from a 1920s Art Deco Conservation building, the 2-storey house offers 2 different F&B concepts; Bee Knees and The Botanico. The latter which I visited, is situated on an open-plan rectangular space at the 2nd level, with an outdoor terrace sheltered under the lush green canopy. There's a hidden garden bar in the outdoor area for guests to chill out with cocktails such as Blackberry Mojito and Garage Gin'onic


What Botanico offers is a contemporary-bistro, seasonality-driven menu based on formidable techniques and a dedication to the "craft". Spanish-born Chef Antonio Oviedo wasn't born in a family of chefs, but a combination of virtues led him to amass a diverse range of skills in some of the world class kitchens.

Smoked Sardines ($20)

Chef Antonio managed his culinary transition from 3 Michelin-starred El Cellar de can Roca in Spain to Binomio and later Iggy, with aplomb as witnessed from his innovative dishes that are humble yet rarefied. For instance, one doesn't get gazpacho as a bowl of chilled red soup but as a kind of almond milk conditioner that bridges the diverse elements such as Smoked Iwashi, crispy croutons cooked in Iberico fat, chorizo bits and tomatoes. Never have I come across such an eccentric dish which can't be easily categorize as an appetizer or a dish.

Reflecting the spirit of Botanico is this Botanico Salad which features plump and juicy Momotaro tomatoes alongside pickled beetroots, cucumbers and Canarejal cheese, a traditional raw unpasteurized sheep milk's cheese from Northern Spain. I was taken aback by the pungence of the cheese but I loved the richness. This is a dish could convert non-tomato eaters as the cheese allow the natural sweetness of these French tomatoes to speak for themselves.

Spanish croquettes are a common sight on bar counters in Spain but this Idiazabal Croquettes ($14 for 2 pcs) by Chef Antonio could be the most truthfully cheesy deep fried bombs you ever had. The bread crumb coating is crisp and light while the idizabal, a kind of unpasteurized sheep milk's cheese from the Basque Country, does not overpower despite its mass presence. Not to mention that the chorizos ratcheted up the smoky flavors by a few notches.

I was apprehensive of the Lamb Tartare ($20) but it proved to be the lightest form of raw meat I've ever had. There's no hints of gamey-ness at all and in fact, very fun to eat with pockets of flavors from the deep-fried capers, pickled onions and funky mustard ice cream alongside the Black Olives Arlette that reminded me of a crispy cheese galette.

Botanico might not be the place that one associates with seafood but those I've tried were first-rate. Hand-dived from Hokkaido, the sustainable Japanese Scallops ($27) came in 3 fresh succulent portions, slightly scorched in places to add flecks of brown to the opaque white.  The sweetness was enhanced by Iberico lardo while the Tompinabar (Jerusalem Artichoke) puree and crisps were a welcome change to the usual parsni


I highly recommend The Chargrilled Carabinero. It was such a steal for $28 as the scarlet prawns were utterly sweet and plump, complementing perfectly with the saffron mellow rice that was like a cross between paella and risotto. Having fully absorbed the essence of prawn bisque made from the stock of Carabinero prawn heads, the rice was heady in aroma and brimming with umami goodness. I really enjoyed the sticky texture and emptied the bowl grain-free.

Chef Antonio's flair for free experimentation continues to the desserts. The Tropical Fruit ($14) is breaks down the barrier between sweet and savoury with the aromatic Laksa Leafs Ice cream and white chocolate tumeric ganache. Paired with pungent jackfruit, sea coconut, deep-fried laksa leaves, this dessert is so bold and wild; a rediscovery of  the beauty in tropical herbs and fruits.

As an interpretation of gin and tonic, the  Botanist ($12) isn't as intense as expected, but more like a palate cleanser with cucumber sorbet and coconut foam that dissipates in seconds. Apart from coconut sables and kaffir lime zest, there's Granny Smith apples infused with gin that won't leave you sober. The flavors were too clean for me but I am sure those without a sweet tooth will like this.

The Ceiba ($14) is a must-try dessert for hard core chocolate lovers (Me! *raises hand*) as the warm organic chocolate cream doubled up with fudgy chocolate brownies to produce a knock-out effect on me. So bitter rich, potent and deeply satisfying that I couldn't suppress my greed to spoon for more. The ginger ice cream was mild while the red hibiscus petals were sour and crunchy. Put them all together and you get a very balanced chocolate dessert.

From the starters to the desserts, the food here truly testify chef's prowess that straddles across disciplines, be it traditional or avant garde, savory or desserts. I can't wait to be back here, to be inspired by Chef Antonio's dishes in a place of beauty and peace


Botanico @ The Garage
Wed-Sun 6pm-10pm
50 Cluny Park Rd
Singapore 257488
https://www.facebook.com/thegaragesbg/

This is an invited tasting.

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Open Farm Community @ Dempsey Hill : NEW Farm-to-Table Menu

Crispy Jurong frog legs, root vegetables & lemak inspired curry, garden curry leaves – $26

Farm-to-table cuisine seems to be the trend these days with more restaurants championing the use of local produce in the dishes. After Wildseed Cafe, I had the opportunity to visit Open Farm Community, a dining concept by Spa Esprit Group that celebrates eating local with familiar flavors and ingredients close to home. In fact, the cuisine was nothing short of bold, delicious flavors and I was impressed by how local produce can be so versatile.

For instance, the Garden Pea Soup ($22)  is a creation that literally walked us through the outdoor garden with the garden knife beans soup base topped with super snap peas. It was at the right consistency and seasoning level, injected with an intense salty twist by the Jamon Ham. 

As the name suggests, the "lemak inspired curry" (see top pic) is none of those Chinese or Indian style curry we are familiar. I would say it's a more reduced, or simplified version of curry that is truly heady on the aroma of curry leaves and coconut milk. Filled with root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, the curry is so gentle on spices that won't leave your belly burning. But the danger here is that you might only recall the curry but not the crispy frog legs from Jurong farm after the meal. 

I usually prefer a Steak to a tuna tartare because the flavors are stronger minus the fishy smell. Here, the chef has done an excellent job for this Steak Tartare ($26) by marinating the beef with ginger chilli, spring onion and coriander puree. Meshed it up with the organic egg yolk and there's you go- beef tartare on crispy garlic crouton. Fresh but not muddled. 

From the mains, I was terribly fortunate to try two fish items. The Roasted red snapper ($32) is just like those served in most western restaurants but localized with the garden roselle & hibiscus ketchup. The calamansi & sesame cucumber salad helped to cut through fishiness, if any at all. But flavor-wise, I prefer the Red Grouper burger ($30) with its sharp, tangy chucky tartar sauce paired with pickled cucumbers. A pity that the squid ink bun was dry and rough, otherwise this would score well in my books.

The BBQ half chicken ($36) was a terrific dish with its robust sweet-smoky hickory sauce and tender meat. Even the sweet corn ragout on potato fondant was so highly-executed that I won't mind having a plate of that alone.

While I only had one dessert that night, I can safely conclude that the desserts are no less remarkable. This Lemon Grass Sago ($18) looked like a typically avant- garde dessert but the taste would spark an instant deja vu on the palate. The sago seeds are being cooked down to a soft creamy mash in three kinds of milk, served with pandan banana custard (think kaya but uber fresh and aromatic), banana chips and cocoa cookies.

Some people might wonder why the price is still quite high despite the use of local ingredients. My wild guess is that the prime location in Dempsey Hill does affect the pricing as well. It is most certainly not a place for everyday dining. But for those looking for quality food in a comfortable, close-to-nature, environment, I can say this is one of the top options in Singapore.

Reservations highly recommended

Open Farm Community

Address: 130E Minden Road, Singapore 248819

Mon-Fri 12pm to 4pm, 6pm to 10pm,

Sat-Sun 11am to 4pm, 6pm to 10pm
Tel: 6471 0306
http://www.openfarmcommunity.com/

This is an invited tasting

steak tartar marinated with ginger chili, spring onion & coriander puree, garlic crouton, organic egg yolk – $26

Garden holy basil gnocchi, pickled okra, lemon grass dressing – $26

BBQ half chicken, sweet corn ragout, potato fondant, mustard frill salad -- $36

Red grouper burger, chunky tartar sauce, pickled cucumber, local green salad – $30

Roasted red snapper, calamansi & sesame cucumber salad, garden roselle & hibiscus ketchup, pickled cucumber – $32

Pandan & banana custard, ginger biscuit, lemon grass sago, sugar cane sorbet – $18

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