Birthday Lunch at Corner House @Botanic Gardens

Newly awarded with one Michelin star, Corner House was my venue of choice for this year's birthday indulgence (back in April). I had chosen this place based on rave reviews by many foodie bloggers. It has a great combination of gorgeous ambience and magnificent cuisine, my sort of place for a fabulous celebration.

Housed in a century old colonial building (built 1910), nestled in the lush greenery of Botanic gardens, the restaurant exudes timeless elegance and grace. Despite being an old building, the interior is fully air-conditioned and tastefully decorated with modern furnishing.

The dining area is located at the second floor, we had the veranda seating area with a fantastic view of the garden.

Tiny stools were provided for our bags, one each for every bag. Table settings had the lovely botanical theme, check out the 'rocky' salt container!

For lunch, they offer 3 Courses for $48++ and 4 Courses for $58++. There are 3 dish choices in each category (Starter, Main & Dessert). For 4 Course meals, we get to pick 2 starter dishes along with a main and a dessert.

To start things off, we were served freshly baked breads and butter. The warm breads were amazingly soft with a crispy crust, very nice.

The restaurant's dining concept of Gastro-Botanica, incorporates seasonal plants and herbs into their dishes, and presenting them artfully decorated like mini gardens on plates. It's both a feast to the eyes and also to the cameras.

Starters

Foie Gras (add $6++)
Cured duck, hazelnut, burnt orange, arugula, honey mustard coulis

Japanese Kingfish Tartare
Fennel, grapefruit, mentaiko, basil, home-made cracker

Soft shell Crab Tempura
Harissa, 62 degree egg, butternut squash

It took us quite a while to wait for these dishes, and we knew why when we tasted them. They were made from scratch with keen attention to details of every ingredient used in the dishes. The soft shell crabs were utterly crispy and light that it felt like it just left the fryer a second ago. Needless to say, all 3 starters were marvellous!

Mains

M4 Australian Wagyu beef (add $9++)
Jerusalem artichoke, champignon, ratte potato

Atlantic Cod
Savoy cabbage, smoked bacon, shellfish emulsion

Duroc Pork Jowl
Potato, asparagus, soy caramel, beurre noisette

All 3 main dishes were nicely done as well. The serving portion was just right for an average eater, even though they all looked dainty on the plates. The Atlantic cod was my fave.

Desserts

Chocolat “Earl Grey yin zhen” (add $6++)
40% Jivara, 70% Guanaja, yuzu, pistachio, kumquat

Poire
Vanilla poached pear, raisin, crème fraîche, almond crumble

Japanese Cucumber Sorbet
Green apple, young coconut, gin

The birthday girl's dessert has pretty chocolate wordings and a candle. The desserts were awesome too, we all agreed that the unassuming Japanese cucumber dish stole the show, the cucumber sorbet was truly refreshing.


Everything about this eatery was impeccable, the food, the ambience and the service. We were offered a ride in the buggy to the tourist center to catch a cab on a rainy day. And, for a decent lunch like this one, it did not really break our banks. They do have pricier options for the deep pocket patrons but we knew it'll be worth every cent paid. Definitely deserving of their newly awarded Michelin star!

Corner House @Botanic Gardens
1 Cluny Road, E J H Corner House
Singapore Botanic Gardens (Nassim Gate Entrance)
Singapore 259569

Tel: 6469 1000

HOURS
TUE - SAT
Lunch: 12 pm - 3 pm (last order 2.30 pm)
Dinner: 6.30 pm - 11 pm  (last order 10 pm)

SUN
Brunch: 11.30 am - 3 pm (last order 2.30 pm)
Dinner: 6.30 pm - 11 pm (last order 10 pm)

DRESS CODE
Smart casual
(Shorts & Bermudas is allowed with Shoes or Loafers. No slippers)

Closed on Mondays