We had an amazing afternoon at Gardens by the Bay, starting with a fancy lunch at Pollen. The Mediterranean-European restaurant, helmed by British Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, was a perfect match to my dining preferences; it joined my radar list the moment I read about its opening a few months ago. I'm really thankful that the family could have a nice lunch together, a rare event these days, in the comforts of the majestic Flower Dome. The food was nothing short of awesome. Every dish was not only perfect balance of flavours, textures, but beautifully plated. The set lunch at 55 pax is quite a good steal, considering you'd get free entry into the Flower Dome, which would otherwise cost 12 bucks.
Rye sourdough with codiments: cod-potato dip and green olives
Roasted beetroot, goats cheese and beet leaves. Beets and goats cheese are a classic pairing but they are paired for a reason. The earthy tones of the roasted beets (which came in purple, golden and orange) accentuated the creamy sweets notes of the goats cheese. Simple yet satisfying.
Smoked salmon with wasabi-like accompainment. Have you ever seen such a hunk of smoked salmon? I'd imagine thin slices of salty salmon a la carpaccio-style, but this meaty slab delivered a pleasant surprise. I had a slice of Mum's salmon; lightly smoked and not too heavy-handed on the salt (my pet peeve of smoked salmon), the flesh was between a raw and flaky texture. This would definitely provide the daily recommended dose of omega-3.
Pan-seard John Dory, prawn minestrone, baby courgettes, coco beans and edamame. Although slightly disappointed the cod was not on the menu, the pan-seared John Dory did not disappoint. The execution of the searing could not be more perfectly done; it yielded a skin so crisp you could feel it crackle at the slightest pressure, unveiling smooth tender flaky white flesh. It's so easy to overcook white fish, but as mentioned, the timing here couldn't be better (I'd imagine the chef had a ticking timer beside him!). The foamed sauce of prawn minestrone was poured over the fish upon serving; it looks deceptively light, but was potent with the umami taste of the crustaceans. I loved the beans and edamame that came with it. Overall, a stunning fish dish.
Most awesome risotto ever: turffle & sorrel risotto. It was creamy but not heavy (no jer lak aftermath) and bursting with mushrooms and truffle jus! I shared this and the John Dory with my sister, so we could enjoy the best of both worlds :)
All good things must come to an end, and the divine desserts helped to end it right, leaving us with sweet memories (pun intended).
Peanut butter and cherry yuzu sorbet. It was my first time having desserts in a deconstructed form, so I wasn't sure if the different components were meant to be enjoyed separately or combined into a mess. So I sampled the them individually first: the cherry yuzu sorbet was tart but refreshing. The "peanut" part of the dessert was delivered in multifarious forms - as a peanut mousse, peanut parfait, peanut crocante and crunchy peanut butter - which resulted in a complex but complementary play of tart and sweet, smooth and crunchy.
You may need an acquired taste to enjoy the goats cheese ice cream, but I'm sure no one can deny on the artistic appeal of this dessert. So pretty and pink!
Chocolate roast cocoa nib ice cream, lavender parfait and cherry. Again I had a bit of Mum's dessert; the crushed cocoa nibs with ice cream reminded me of oreos atas style. This was on the sweeter side compared to other desserts, but still oh-so-good.
Overall, this was one of the most memorable meals I had, for the food, company and ambience. Delivering fresh and clean flavours amid a modern flowery setting, I look forward to many more returns - if only I had the money. (Total bill racked up to approx 300 for 4, thanks to the charges for the bottled water.)
Some pictures of the setting:
After that we had a walk around the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, which will be featured in the next post!
