• What colour is your food? Do you know that certain foods can be classified into colour groups such as red, green and purple, and that you can reap different health benefits from each colour?
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 colour, 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 colour imaginable. Don’t these look like magic potions?
S$6.90++ (twin sharing)
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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.
S$6.90++ (twin sharing)
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With its dramatic shade of purple-blue, the butterfly blue pea certainly makes an impression. The colour 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 colours
And now, let’s begin our gastronomic journey of colours!
S$9.90++
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The Eden Rainbow salad arrives first, so named for its composition of 6 colours – 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
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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 flavourful, but my favourite 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
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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 flavour, 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
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My personal favourite 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
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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
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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 favourite of the trio.
The 5-course meal is available at S$55 a person.
Are you aware of the different colour groups in food? Do you regularly pay attention to these colours while cooking and dining? Share with us in the comments!
China Square Central
18 Cross Street #01-16
Singapore 048423
Tel: +65 6224 2298
Service:
Bus services: 61, 80, 145, 166, 197
Nearest MRT: Chinatown
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon to Fri), 11am – 6pm (Sun)
Jun 30, 2010
1
Natural colours in food contain amazing health promoting properties from anti-aging, anti-oxidants, anti-cancer to improved eye, hair, skin and nails. We are what we eat and by consuming a naturally colourful diet and choosing nutritious real food you can provide protection for your body against illness and disease.
Jun 30, 2010
137
This restaurant looks promising. Now I wonder how I ever missed it at China Sq. I would go for that Ambrosia chicken and wash it down with a pretty floral tea!
Jun 30, 2010
3472
The restaurant opened in China Square sometime April 2010. So if you went there before then, you wouldn’t have seen it :)
Great choices by the way!