Written By

Niger Tam

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Nestled in a corner of City Square Mall is The Lazy Garden Cafe, a family-friendly halal eatery. They serve up a range of dishes from different cuisines including Italian and Japanese, and they offer fusion dishes too.

Psst, they have one-for-one mains promotions that run all day, every day! If you’re more of a dim sum person, dishes like Phoenix Claw and Glutinous Lotus Leaf Rice are part of the one-for-one promotion from 2.30pm – 5.30pm every day.

Those with young ‘uns under seven years old, bring them along and they get to eat for free on weekdays! Don’t worry, the cafe has a mini playground so you can let your kids entertain themselves while you enjoy your meal.

When we visited The Lazy Garden Cafe, it was barely dinner time but there was already a bustling crowd. The manager said that by 7.30pm, the place is usually packed to the brim. On weekends, the queues outside would even stretch past neighbouring shops.

Flipping through the menu, we realised that The Lazy Garden Cafe offers an impressive selection of dishes. Of course, the steak set immediately caught our attention.

We started with the Australian Grain-Fed Striploin Beef Set (S$28.90+). It came in a massive plate together with potatoes, grilled asparagus, tomatoes and some coleslaw. I’ve always ordered my steak medium rare and this time was no exception. However, the steak was a bit chewy and dry, so I didn’t really enjoy it as much.

Like most striploin steaks, there was a layer of fats along the edge. I was thankful for the rich black pepper sauce on the side which helped with the slightly dry meat.

With the one-for-one promotion, this relatively large piece of steak only costs S$14. I’d consider that pretty worth it!

The Mentaiko Half Lobster Pasta (S$29.90) was cooked like an aglio olio, with fragrant garlic bits mixed in with the spaghetti.

Most places serve up mentaiko pasta with a creamy base, so The Lazy Garden Cafe’s interpretation was quite interesting. The creamy mentaiko sauce on the lobster tasted slightly cheesy, and the tobiko added extra pops of briny flavour.

I was surprised to find seaweed in the dish, though it added another layer of umami flavour. The complexity and depth of flavour in this dish made it my favourite so far.

Another popular dish at The Lazy Garden Cafe was the Unagi Claypot Rice (S$18.90). Served in a hot claypot, the warm fluffy rice was topped with luscious scrambled egg. Sweet caramelised onions and a generous slab of smoky unagi completed this dish.

The caramelised onions helped to bring out the slightly sweet flavour of unagi, while the sesame seeds sprinkled on top added a nutty undertone.

Doused with a delicate blend of oyster sauce, sesame oil and shallot oil, the fluffy rice had a distinct wok hei fragrance. When I mixed it with the silky-smooth scrambled egg, the flavours blended together well.

Read Also: 14 Places To Visit In Japan Along The Three-Star Road (Mitsuboshi Kaidou)

The Chilli Crab Bun(S$4.90) is another playful twist on an ordinary dish. The buns had crispy mantou skin, but came with chicken filling which surprised me. Tossed in a chilli crab sauce, the chicken filling had a honeyed flavour with a smoky aftertaste.

Of course, what’s mantou without chilli crab sauce? The dish also came with chilli crab sauce on the side but it was slightly watery to me. The sauce tasted more like a sweet tomato based, though I would’ve preferred it to be spicier.

Luckily, the silky consistency from the egg strands complemented the crispy buns well.

If you’re an adventurous foodie, you’ll enjoy the more eclectic dishes from The Lazy Garden Cafe. These fusion dishes have a unique twist that’ll tantalise your tastebuds.

Admittedly, some of their dishes could do with a little fine-tuning. They show some promise, so hopefully they refine their menu.

With one-for-one promotions that run all year long, drop by The Lazy Garden Cafe for a value-for-money meal!

Expected Damage: S$15 – S$25 per pax

Price: $

Our Rating: 4 / 5