Expat Choice | Botanico at The Garage Introduces a Refreshed Menu

Botanico at The Garage Introduces a Refreshed Menu - Gastro-Botanica

Published - 11 August 2023, Friday

Botanico at The Garage introduces Gastro-Botanica, a contemporary cuisine with emphasis on refinement and quality, with protein and botanical elements given equal attention in the menu. Botanico’s revamped menu is a marriage of contemporary European cuisine with bold Asian inflections, using a range of iconic Southeast Asian ingredients to infuse each dish with a unique depth of flavour.

Applying modern techniques to elevate the natural flavours and textures of the ingredient, the cuisine is tied back to the elements found within Singapore Botanic Gardens. The menu, inspired by the beauty and bounty of the lush landscape, showcases botanical inspired garden to plate offerings, with a focus on the herbs and spices, roots and flowers from the garden.

Chou Farci of Mushrooms

The new lunch menu is designed to be shared, and includes the tantalising cornfed Smoked Half Spatchcock, marinated in a spicy and tangy Vietnamese mix of garlic, shallots, red chilis, and whole lime; sous vide and smoked in pandan and oyster leaf, and then served with chili shrimp salt and Brazilian spinach harvested from 1-Arden Food Forest, a sister location under 1-Group.

Also on the menu is the caught fresh weekly Asian Dover Sole, simply seared and served with a delicate coconut sorrel sauce which originated from Pa O tribe of Myanmar; as well as the Smoked Mackerel Beignets, Botanico’s take of the fried doughnut street food – “ham cheen peng”, made with the earthy parsnip puree and filled with smoked mackerel.

Seasons of Botanico

The refreshed dinner menu includes the Season of Botanico salad, where the versatility of the jackfruit is made into a delectable coulis, adding levels of character to the seasonal vegetables. Texture from the edible soil made from puffed rice and buckwheat, complements the dish, giving it an earthiness. The Ginger Flower Panna Cotta is another European offering given an Asian Twist. The rich creaminess of the Italian classic is perfectly balanced by the bright, tangy notes of the torch ginger, with the refreshing acidity of fermented berries juice adding an extra layer of complexity to this favourite.

Another menu item, the Smoked Mackerel Miang Kham, is the restaurant’s rendition of the traditional Laos sharing platter of leaf-wrapped salad parcels of the simplest ingredients. These bite-sized appetisers are a unique combination of flavours and textures, wrapped in perilla leaves to create a harmonised mouthfeel.

Duck Leg Confit ‘Penyet’ Style

The Duck Leg Confit ‘Penyet’ Style takes the French favourite dish and gives it an East Javanese touch, by flattening the fowl, on a bed of rissoni. Served with homemade ‘Bergedil’ Croquette, topped with Calamansi Gel, and Sautéed Swiss Chard. Botanico’s revamped menu celebrates botanicals, giving the ingredients prominence and special attention in each dish. Every element on the plate works in harmony, creating a culinary experience that is both visually stunning and a treat for the senses.

The establishment’s extensive wine list makes the perfect complement to these appetising new menu items.

With over 120 labels - rated 90 points and above by various wine critics, wine publications and wine enthusiasts - the wine list covers almost all county and regions, from Giant Steps ‘AppleJack’ Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 from Yarra Valley, Australia (rated 96 by Decanter magazine), to Frescobaldi Benefizio Riserva Pomino Bianco Chardonnay 2018 from Pomino, Italy (rated 93 by Decanter Magazine) to Domaine de Marcoux Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault blend 2018 (rated 95 by Robert Parker), and Chateau Miraval Rose 2021 from Cotes de Provence, France (rated 92 from Wine Enthusiast Magazine).

Upcoming wine events to look forward to are the 5-Course Winelust ‘Around the World’ Wine Dinner on the 26th of August, 2023, priced at $128++, and the popular Botanico ‘An Afternoon Affair’ on the 19th of August, 2023, showcasing wines from the major wine distributors in Singapore, priced at $48++, which includes a complimentary tasting of over 100 wines and canapes.

a. 50 Cluny Park Rd, Level 2 Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 257488

e. [email protected]

w. www.thegarage.sg/botanico

fb. www.facebook.com/botanicosg

ig. www.instagram.com/botanicosg

t. +65 9831 1106

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Comments

Melissa

02 Aug 2023 , Wed

37 comments

CONTRIBUTOR

RATED 6 / 8

How nice is it to visit the Botanic Gardens while not be in lycra or covered in sweat! Yes, the gardens are my usual walking haunt but last Sunday I swapped lycra for a nice frock and headed to Botanico at The Garage to test out their newly launched weekend brunch menu. Botanico at The Garage is part of the 1-Group hospitality chain and is located above Bee Nees cafe on the Bukit Timah side of the Gardens. It is easily accessible by taxi and of course, Botanic Gardens MRT if you are confident of not sweating in the ten minute walk!

Botanico has kept firmly to the botanic theme, with the décor dotted by lush greenery and gentle lighting cradled in bamboo fixtures. Fittingly, you feel a little like a fairy in the midst of lush garden. Their new menu also sticks to this theme, blending proteins with botantical elements and using modern European cooking techniques to elevate Asian flavours. The lunch menu is designed to be shared, which I love. It means I get to taste everything! Of course, we had one of each of sharing plate. Dishes were generous in sizing and included Smoked Half Spatchcock served to the table in a traditional claypot, nesting on a still smoking bed of pandan and oyster leaf. Gently marinated in Vietnamese spices and served with a banging chilli shrimp salt and gravy like sauce, this dish is satisfying. Asian Dover Sole is gently seared before being served with a coconut sorrel sauce quite reminiscent of a Thai green curry but without the punch, thankfully as the delicate sole only just held its own in this less pungent sauce. Eggplant was styled on the Laotian dish Jaew Mak Keua served baked and stuffed with fresh herbs including garlic, chilli and coriander. The twist on this one did not pay off though, as the eggplant was too firm and while flavours were good the texture was a miss for most of our group. The highlight sharing dish was certainly the Wagyu Striploin! Can you really go wrong with wagyu? The dish was served medium rare, generously sliced with a nim jim sauce, silky mash and salad. The meat was melt in your mouth! Only the steak comes with sides, so I would suggest you order more to complement the sharing dishes. We finished with one of the four desserts on offer, all of which continue to play on this fusion between Asian flavours and European techniques. We had the Ginger Flower Panna Cotta and while the panna cotta itself was a glorious wobbly, silken blob on the plate, the dish was unfortunately overpowered by a saltiness that threw out the balance. A fusion style menu can be fraught! An overplay of one flavour or technique can push fusion into confusion for diners as the panna cotta did for us.

Service throughout the meal was both personable and efficient – my favourite combination. There is an extensive wine list and wine cellar that sits nicely on the fringes of the main dining area. The venue is perfect for weddings and other events as you do feel transported to a much cooler, greener part of Singapore. While the menu needs a little further refinement, the bones are there for a fabulous dining experience in a space that steps just enough outside the ordinary.