At Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe in China Square Central, meals can be personalised based on individual preferences and customised according to dietary requirements. In the 5-course meal, Chef Clement Ronald Ng painstakingly puts together each dish according to color, and ensures that you literally taste a rainbow!

Floral tea

This being a floral café, it is fitting that we start with some floral tea.

Served in glass pots and delicate cups, the teas come in almost every color imaginable. Don’t these look like magic potions?

Relax fusion tea
SGD6.90++ (twin sharing)

The fusion teas are made with various herbs and flowers. The Relax tea, for example, is a pretty in pink concoction that comprises rose, rose hip and lemon verbena.

Butterfly blue pea
SGD6.90++ (twin sharing)

With its dramatic shade of purple-blue, the butterfly blue pea certainly makes an impression. The color is totally natural, courtesy of the butterfly pea flowers.

With practically hundreds of possible tea combinations, you can definitely find one that suits your mood!

6 colors

And now, let’s begin our gastronomic journey of colors!

Eden Rainbow salad
SGD9.90++

The Eden Rainbow salad arrives first, so named for its composition of 6 colors – red, orange, green, white, blue and brown. It consists of orange slices, blueberries, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and multi-grain bread, tossed in a dressing made from calamansi, apple cider vinegar and honey. The whole sweet combination is well put together, and I finish all of it in no time. Love the delightful dressing!

White

- Boost immune system
- Slow cholesterol absorption
- Promote heart health
- Contain antioxidants
- Help maintain a healthy cholesterol level

Dory Portobello mushroom with lemon thyme butter sauce

For this course, a cut of dory is served atop Portobello mushroom along with some mixed vegetables. The lemon zest and salted butter sauce is light and flavorful, but my favorite part of this dish is the mushroom that oozes delicious juices with each bite.

Green

- Build strong teeth
- Help build strong bones
- Boost immune system
- Promote eye health
- Offer antioxidants for healing and protection
- Reduce the risk of certain cancers

Prawns with Edamame peas pasta

The prawns with Edamame peas pasta is “green” due to the peas, asparagus and celery. And how are these green? Why, the chlorophyll of course! (Glad to know that those elementary science lessons haven’t failed me after all these years!) While the generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese lends some flavor, the pasta is a tad dry for me.

Blue and Purple

- Promote memory function
- Help promote urinary tract health
- Boost the immune system
- Help promote healthy aging
- Offer antioxidants for healing and protection
- Help reduce the risk of some cancers

Balsamic Ambrosia blueberry chicken

My personal favorite dish is the balsamic Ambrosia blueberry chicken. The boneless chicken cut is tender and moist, marinated over 24 hours in balsamic vinegar and a certain Chilean wine.

The Rucahue Ambrosia late harvest wine comes in a striking blue bottle. It smells fresh and crisp. Next time I’m gonna have a taste of it!

Yellow and Orange

- Help promote eye health
- Promote heart health
- Help reduce the risk of some cancers
- Contains antioxidants
- Boost immune system

Sauteed mushroom with Polenta and saffron cream sauce

The cornmeal Polenta with White Button mushroom slices, cherry tomato, saffron cream sauce and feta cheese brings the yellow to the table. As healthy as it sounds, I am not a fan of the texture of the Polenta. By this course, you would likely feel full, but without that unwelcome stuffed sensation.

Red and Brown

Brown
- Promote artery and heart health
- Help reduce the risk of diabetes
- Help reduce high blood pressure
- Offer antioxidants for healing and protection
- Help reduce the risk of stroke
- Help reduce the risk of certain cancers of the breast, prostate and colon

Modena mousse cake, chocolate ganache and hibiscus cheese filo

Ahh… desserts to curb your sweet tooth cravings! This is a trio of Modena mousse cake, chocolate ganache and hibiscus cheese filo.

The Modena mousse cake is sweet and sour. You probably won’t believe it, but amongst its many ingredients are balsamic vinegar and black pepper!

It is impossible not to love the chocolate ganache, which is a mould of dense chocolaty goodness!

Red
- Antioxidants for healing
- Promote heart health
- Promote urinary tract health
- Improve memory function
- Help reduce the risk of certain cancers

As for the hibiscus cheese filo (or phyllo), it is made with hibiscus (the national flower of Malaysia) and light cream cheese. The result is a beautiful pastry with a crispy skin, pink cheese layers and sweet fruity undertones. This is my favorite of the trio.

The 5-course meal is available at SGD55 a person.

Have Your Say!

Are you aware of the different color groups in food? Do you regularly pay attention to these colors while cooking and dining? Share with us below!

Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe
China Square Central
18 Cross Street #01-16
Singapore 048423
(65) 6224 2298
Service:

Bus services: 61, 80, 145, 166, 197
Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon to Fri), 11am – 6pm (Sun)

Posted by Veron in Food category | Chinatown, healthy, salad, vegetarian

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Whether it is the brick walls, the square-shaped wooden tables and chairs, or the rows of ancient Chinese wine that fill the shelves, the quaint decor makes you feel as though you are in a period drama. To match the rustic ambience, the cooking certainly does not disappoint either.

Duck roasted with Ten Wonder herbs
SGD12.80-34.80++

The main specialty of this mid-priced restaurant chain is the herbal roast duck. You can choose from 3 types of herbs — Angelica herbs (Dang Gui), Ten Wonder herbs or wild ginseng.

The Ten Wonder herbs are basically a combination of ten herbs that include Codonopsis root, Chinese Foxglove root and licorice root. The herbs are supposed to promote longevity and soothe the mind. Feeling stressed? You know what to eat!

Apart from the obvious health benefits of the herbs, the duck meat is tender, juicy and soaked in the most delicious sweet sauce. Even for someone that prefers chicken over duck any day, this dish remains deeply enjoyable. Bonus: The thin crispy skin!

Braised shark’s fin broth with crab meat
SGD23-46++

As you can see, the braised shark’s fin broth is chock full of ingredients. Tinged with the sweetness of crab meat shreds, this easily trumps any shark’s fin soup at Chinese wedding banquets!

You would notice that many of the dishes on the menu are denoted with little red logos. These represent the Singapore Health Promotion Board’s Healthier Dining Program, which means that the dishes are cooked with less oil, salt and sugar.

Stir-fried lotus root with macadamia nut
SGD10.80-21.80++

One dish that I favor less is the lotus root with macadamia nut, but mostly because I am not a huge fan of the greens. The crunchy nuts are very much welcome though!

Stewed Ee-Fu noodle with Conpoy (dried scallop) & Golden mushroom
SGD8.80-17.80++

To fill the stomach, share a pot of the stewed Ee-Fu noodle. This is tossed with dried scallop and Golden mushroom. Cooked with sufficient flavor, it is one of the better renditions that we have had.

Garoupa slices with carrot sauce

The garoupa slices with carrot sauce is rather average and unmemorable.

Braised mushroom, sea cucumber & abalone
SGD29-59++

Love the braised mushroom, sea cucumber and abalone. The mushrooms are simply satisfying, oozing out delicious juices as you bite into each one.

D-Boiled Hashima
SGD5.30++

Dessert lovers should leave room for the chilled Hashima. This isn’t one for the squeamish though, as Hashima is made from — gulp! — the dried fallopian tubes of true frogs! Still, when it is made into a dessert like this, you kinda forget that the jelly-like substance actually comes from a frog. Served cold in a sweet soup with ginseng and red dates, this is light and refreshing.

Here are the aforementioned ancient Chinese wine. Does anyone else just wanna drink heartily?

Have Your Say!

What is your favorite Chinese restaurant? Share with us below!

Dian Xiao Er
Various outlets
Website
Service:

Posted by Veron in Food category | Chinese, healthy

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At The Sentosa Resort & Spa (not to be confused with the new Resorts World Sentosa), one of its restaurants, aptly named The Garden, encourages conscious dining. In fact, all the dishes feature organic ingredients where possible, and a large selection of salads and vegetarian options.

I must admit though. When I was first invited here for food-tasting, I was quite skeptical. Healthy greens may be good for the body, but they hardly appeal to me! But boy, was I in for a surprise! This is one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had in recent months. In fact, it pleased me so much I even did a bit of live blogging from the restaurant on our Facebook Page. Oh yeah, do join us there if you haven’t, okay?

What do gardens come with? Plants, of course! The Garden features a tree as the centerpiece. This is indoor! Can you tell if the tree is real? Apart from this, there is also outdoor dining by the pool. Percy, the resident peacock, may even strut by to say hello!

The bread sticks are speckled with seeds and nuts, and they come with a delicious yoghurt dip.

Watermelon Daikon roll
SGD18++

We start with the watermelon Daikon rolls. They look like crab sticks, don’t they? Truth be told, I would have preferred if these were in fact crab sticks. There is supposed to be snapper sashimi, shredded cucumber and rocket shoots with Ponzu sauce in this, but mysteriously, I see only the watermelon and greens!

The Salad

The salad range takes up two whole pages of the menu, plus a third page for vegetable and fruit blends. You can concoct your own blends or construct a salad using 8 ingredients. At one glance, the ingredient selection for the salad seems to comprise everything under the sun!

Qi Revitalising
SGD18++

Undecided, we go for the Qi Revitalising salad with pre-selected ingredients including mung beans, Shiitake mushrooms, sesame seeds, snow peas and red dates. I like that the waitress brings over the whole “set” and enthusiastically does the mixing and tossing in front of us.

The set includes orange vinaigrette with tofu emulsion and a light spraying of lemongrass mist. Those wafers at the top are in fact black seed crisps.

The salad is served in what can only be described as a bucket! Huge portion! Even when shared amongst a party of three, each person still gets an ample portion.

The Main Courses

While many of the dishes here feature vegetables extensively, the emphasis is really on conscious dining. So you would still find a nice selection of seafood and meat dishes cooked in a healthful way. Yay for me!

Parchment baked snapper
SGD36++

One of my most favorite dishes here is the baked snapper. It is soaked in a thick gravy that tastes very much like the robust Thai sweet curry; complete with lime and lemongrass, just without the spice.

Coconut foam is added, which lends a sweet undercurrent that is vital for a dish like this. I am somewhat suspicious of it though. Coconut milk is notorious for being high in calories and saturated fat. Is coconut foam much better?

Accompanying the baked snapper is a bowl of brown rice, which I learn is the main choice of rice served here.

“Chicken rice”
SGD39++

The other main course that impresses is the signature “chicken rice”. Note the quotation marks :) I’ll explain. This isn’t your typical chicken fat and sesame oil laden Hainanese chicken rice, but a more heart-healthy rendition.

The organic chicken breast is marinated in ginger-soy and paired with sauteed kai lan vegetable. The style seems more European than Asian. While I’m not jumping up and down over the rice, which is pressed like ketupat, the chicken scores points for being extremely appetising. I must stress that this isn’t anything like the Singapore version of Hainanese chicken rice, nor does it pretend to be. A dish like this stands on its own.

Grilled Portobello mushrooms
SGD30++

The third favorite dish for the day is the grilled Portobello mushrooms, served with rice, roasted pumpkin, walnut and golden raisins. I believe my first reaction upon biting into the mushroom was a dramatic “Whoa! How juicy!” The succulent juices that ooze with every bite provide burst after burst of flavor. I think it has done enough to oust Jerry’s deep fried mushrooms from their longstanding position as the single most delicious mushroom item I have ever placed in my mouth.

Organic wheat germ pasta
SGD29++

What I find more forgettable is the organic wheat germ pasta with tuna and octopus confit. It fits nicely into my initial impression of healthful food — nutritious, but bland and unexciting.

The Drinks

After sampling the TWG Tea at One Rochester, we are thrilled to unearth an even bigger range of teas from this renowned homegrown company at The Garden!

TWG Tea Fruit Mountain tea
SGD8.50++

This time round, we opt for the Fruit Mountain tea which has the same delightfully sweet and fruity scent as the signature 1837 black tea. It is served in a tall glass that looks interesting but is not exactly practical.

Detox blend
SGD13++

Of course, in line with conscious dining, you can have your pick from one of the signature blends, such as the Detox blend of apple, celery, beetroot and ginseng. Celery appears to be the primary flavor, while the ginseng is more of an undertone (but you do taste it).

The Desserts

Organic chocolate
SGD17++

As a huge chocolate lover, I make a beeline for the organic chocolate. It arrives as a trio of smoked chili pudding, chocolate crumble and chocolate ice cream (that doesn’t seem to melt!). Of the lot, the ice cream is the richest and yummiest. I still find chocolate to be most gratifying when it is in its unabashedly sweet and fattening form.

Soy bean panna cotta
SGD15++

If you like tau huay, you would fall in love with the soy bean panna cotta. After some prodding, we learn that this sweet dessert is made from cream, gelatin and soy bean obviously, and topped with lemongrass syrup. (Activity: Count the number of times “lemongrass” has appeared in this post!) This is one of those desserts that you can indulge in guilt-free and it tastes really, really good! Ohhh… I can eat this everyday!

Some afterthoughts

This is one of the most memorable and satisfying meals I’ve had in recent memory. I’m not just saying it because of the kind invitation from The Sentosa. As with all the restaurant and hotel reviews here, my principle is to keep it real and honest. Whether the meal is paid for from my own pockets or a complimentary invited session (for which I paid with my time and effort) is irrelevant. Either way, you would read the exact same words here.

After this meal, it really opened my eyes to the world of conscious dining and delicious, healthful food. We thank Michelle Yin and The Sentosa Resort & Spa for a truly wonderful and nutritious meal.

One more thing, if you’re driving or cabbing in to The Garden, head straight for Spa Botanica. That’s where you would find the restaurant. The sign may not be that prominent, so just ask any of the friendly resort staff around :)

Have Your Say!

What are the restaurants that you would recommend for a healthy meal? Share with us below!

The Garden
Spa Botanica, The Sentosa Resort & Spa
2 Bukit Manis Road
Sentosa
Singapore 099891
(65) 6371 1130 | Website
Service:

Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily

Posted by Veron in Food category | alfresco/outdoor dining, healthy, organic, pasta, poll, salad, Sentosa

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As soon as I hear that the UK fast food chain, AJ’s Piri Piri Chicken, has set up its first franchise outlet in Singapore that promises to bring us the aforementioned chicken, I make a mad rush down to grab a piece. It’s on the 5th level of Iluma, the new shopping mall at Bugis.

So what is piri piri? It’s a tiny red chili pepper that is found in Africa. The Portuguese blend it with various herbs and spices and voila! There’s your hot hot piri piri sauce!

The restaurant serves the Afro-Portuguese chicken in different tantalising styles like hot plate, burgers, wraps, pastas and more.

¼ Piri Piri Chicken
SGD7.20+

Of course, a virgin taste test should start off with the piri piri chicken in all its naked glory. So I order the quarter-chicken with fries on the side, but you can opt for sweet corn if you wish. With 3 different sauces to choose from — mild, very spicy and lemon herb — I go for the first. When unsure, always err on the safer side.

For SGD7.20, the lone piece of chicken thigh sure looks puny! I tell myself that quality is more important than quantity. But disappointingly the sauce is nothing to shout about. It is more salty than anything else, without any hint of other herbs. This can’t be what the real piri piri sauce tastes like, can it?

On top of it all there is way too little sauce. It would help a lot if the dish comes with a small tub of the sauce on the side.

Super Slimmer chicken wrap
SGD6.80+

Thankfully, the Super Slimmer chicken wrap fares much better. Again, the chunk of chicken in the wrap is pretty small. But it also tastes very good, with the seasoned flavors penetrating all the way to the center of the flesh.

This also happens to be a healthier dish, where the less fattening chicken breast meat is used and layered with vegetables.

Earlier on, I’ve asked for warm water as I’m nursing a nasty cough. Unfortunately they are unwilling to do that. (The staff asked the manager, who said no right in front of me.)

The soreness soon dissipates when I make my payment and notice a 25% discount on my bill. Suddenly the meal seems a whole lot more reasonably priced! They are “not sure” when this promotion would end, so do take advantage of the discount while you can!

Click to enlarge

Clearly, the restaurant’s isolated position in an already uncrowded mall does not work to its advantage. It is overshadowed by the Filmgarde cinema on the same level and an entire level of eateries just one floor down. Most people would simply head straight to the more accessible restaurants and miss it altogether.

I hear that Nando’s is the “original” fast food chain that specialises in piri piri chicken. Here’s my review of Nando’s in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Gotta check out the one in Singapore soon!

Is there any other eatery in Singapore that sells piri piri chicken?

Posted by Veron in Food category | African, Bugis, chicken, fast food, healthy, Mediterranean, Portuguese

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For me, any food that doesn’t taste good just isn’t worth having. satay, grilled stingray, or a good curry. These are the kind of food that would keep me happy for a long time, but they are also undeniably sinful. Are scrumptious food always this unhealthful?

That brings me to the point of this post. Although it may be rare (to me anyway), healthful food CAN taste wonderful, too. And I’ve decided that each time I come across something that fits the bill I would highlight it here, along with its health benefits!

Here are a couple of picks from the pasta menu at tcc, starting with my personal favorite, the mentaiko (spicy cod roe) pasta. Salmon lovers, this one’s for you.

Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) spaghetti with salmon tataki
SGD19++

When it comes to salmon the tcc chefs never go wrong. Just look at those huge slices! I love how the pinks, the yellows and the greens work together to form one colorful and appealing dish.

The fish has been quickly seared on the sides so the center is still quite raw and pinkish. It’s melt-in-your-mouth tender and velvety smooth! Served with a sunny side up.

The spaghetti is coated with mentaiko. Yummy yummy. According to the food trivia printed on the menu, cod roe is rich in zinc, which is essential to our sense of taste, smell and sight. It aids in wound-healing, too!

Health benefits aside, this pasta is super savory as well. You know when you eat something so delicious, you just don’t wanna stop? That’s exactly how I felt as I gobbled down the pasta, pausing only a couple of times to catch my breath. Yes, it’s that good. I’m not ashamed to admit that I also lapped up all the remaining sauce. *slurp* wouldn’t want any of it to go to waste!

Seafood Aglio Olio
SGD18.80++

Being one of the three key pasta sauces along with cream sauce and tomato sauce, aglio olio is a popular choice amongst pasta fans. aglio is garlic and olio is olive.

As such, eating seafood aglio olio also means you are reaping the health benefits from the two spices. Olive oil, in particular, is rich in potent antioxidants that promote heart health and reduce cancer risks.

Cooked al dente, the spaghetti is well-tossed with minced garlic and red hot chili pepper flakes. It’s too bad they don’t put in enough ingredients. The lone 3 prawns and 1 scallop, while nice and plump, aren’t exactly what you’d call an ample serving.

As you can see, healthy eating can be enjoyable! Here’s another place where you can feast on delectable, guilt-free food!

Posted by Veron in Food category | café, healthy, pasta, Western

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Personally, I don’t believe in eating something just to reap the health benefits — it should actually taste good! Here’s where restaurants like The Organic Café Xperience come in. Not only are the dishes healthful and organic, they’re super yummy too!

My favorite is the waffles with smoked salmon! What an intriguing combination!

Waffle smoked salmon marinated with organic honey
SGD13.90++

First of all, I love waffles! Hence by default, any dish with waffles would score high points with me. In this case, the waffles are done perfectly — warm, crispy, marinated and coated in organic honey. Yum yum!

Smoked salmon, fresh organic lettuce and tomato form the layers between the waffle slices. The salty smoked salmon is used cleverly to balance with the sweetness of the honey, resulting in a completely new sensation. I didn’t think that this seemingly odd coupling would work so well together, but it did.

Served along with the waffles are a heap of French fries and a bowl of salad. That just about completes the meal!

Beef Fettuccine
SGD13.90++

For those of you who are hungering for something more filling, a range of pastas is available. Our beef fettuccine came with sliced beef, Shitake mushroom and chili padi in it. Hot! Taste-wise, it was nothing spectacular. But you can have your pick from the many other dishes on the extensive menu.

Just to be clear though, the fruits and vegetables are organic, the fish and meat aren’t. This is because organic meat costs way more than regular meat and the dishes would end up being much pricier.

In any case, I can have the peace of mind knowing that the vegetables I’m eating are not laced in a cocktail of chemicals! I felt so healthy after the meal! It even kinda alleviated my guilt from eating the Kentucky fried chicken the day before.

Posted by Veron in Food category | healthy, organic, waffle, Western

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