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Searching for a new spot to take your significant other on a romantic date? This is for you. Now located at The Summerhouse, Botanico is a grill restaurant that offers a range of gastronomical dishes infused with an Asian touch.
Along with the freshest ingredients specially sourced from local farmers and kelongs, the restaurant also spotlights farm-to-table cuisine by utilising over 20 varieties of vegetables and herbs from its very own edible garden.
Let’s embark on a culinary journey around Asia!
For starters, the Foie Gras Kaya Toast (S$12), is a sweet and savoury blend of house-made foie gras kaya and butter spread on chargrilled brioche. Meanwhile, the Sakura Papaya Salad (S$16) is a vibrant combination of garden red chilli, green papaya and Sakura shrimp, topped with a crunchy pistachio and briny palm sugar fish sauce.
Inspired by Japanese and Vietnamese cuisines, the Smoked Shrimp Summer Rolls (S$18) are a must-try too. Wrapped with thin bánh tráng (rice paper), each roll is loaded with pickled daikon, mugwort, vermicelli and smoked tiger prawns, finished with a drizzle of citrus dressing and ikura.
Moving straight to the main course, the succulent Wood-Fire Grilled Duck (S$34) is bathed in dang gui sauce and accompanied by stalks of baby leek! My personal favourite is the Wagyu Bun (S$45), a Korean-Chinese-inspired dish served with pillowy lotus leaf buns and a bowl of Japanese Wagyu in tantalising bulgogi buns. If you guessed it, yes, it is a spin-off from kong bak pau.
For those who love some spice, the Sichuan Boiled Fish (S$65) showcases a whole fish in punchy mala sauce, paired with farm-grown vegetables and fragrant Butterfly Blue Pea Pandan Rice (S$6) that wonderfully complements any dish.
A meal without dessert? No way. I didn’t know that it’s possible to deconstruct Asian dessert staples, but Botanico proved me wholly wrong! The deconstructed Ondeh Ondeh (S$16) and Min Jiang Kueh (S$18) were the epitome of every sweet tooth’s dream.
While the Ondeh Ondeh (above, right) was a scoop of kaya ice cream with coconut foam sprinkled with gula melaka and bits of pandan sponge, the latter featured a slab of peanut ice cream and peanut tuile on corn-flavoured sponge.
You know the drill. Cleanse your palate with their signature Garden to Glass Cocktails that include the refreshing Botanico Sling (S$18) with smooth notes of Chambord and Benedictine Dom perfumed in Elderflower Syrup.
Get the best of both worlds with the Apple Mule (S$18), a vodka and ginger beer mix that should not be missed. Its crispy Granny Smith Apple Puree is still dancing on my tongue!
Want an idyllic escape from the city? Botanico is where it’s at.
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