Walter Ponce
Service: **★★★★★│**Food: **★★★★★│**Location: **★★★★★│**Price: **★★★★│**Portions: ★★★★
With a Michelin star and steady appearing in Asia’s 50 Best Eatery, Corner House at Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Legacy location, tells stories of sentimental meals, family get-togethers, and stellar gastronomic adventures.
Dining at Corner House feels like coming home to a French-Asian family that awaits you with open arms and a pantry-full of fresh ingredients waiting to be whipped into magical creations. The structure itself was built in 1910, with its primary design protected, and its points of interest modernized to keep up with the times. Chef David Thien and his group display an omakase-style eating encounter that puts the finest seasonal produce in the spotlight.
I had the pleasure to share a lovely evening with a good friend of mine who was invited for a collaboration there. The evening was full of surprises and amazing dishes cultivated and inspired from the Singapore heritage and the environment.
The food made by Chef Jason Tan, Gastro-Botanica, combines the energy that E J H Corner had for Nature, particularly plants, with the dynamic methods of a refined present day kitchen. The meats, poultry, and fish utilized are meticulously sourced and chosen; and botanicals, in specific, are given noticeable quality. Chef Jason Tan’s Gastro-Botanica is based on French cooking strategy, with global influences in flavor.
Chef Jason joined us for lunch to share around the motivations behind the dishes. I inquired him which was his top choice dish. Without question, it was Cevennes onions done in 4 distinctive ways. Cevennes onion is Chef Jason’s top pick vegetable. In this course, I was to begin with displayed with a entirety onion which was oven-baked and emptied, and utilized as a container for onion puree, 62 degree sous vide egg, onion confit and finely chopped dark truffles.
The signature dessert highlights Alpaco chocolate mousse with a lemon curd middle formed likes stones, and served over appetizing chocolate soil and mandarin sorbet, topped with delicately cured shimeiji mushrooms and mushroom-shaped meringue. We too had Liu Sha Bao macaron; Raspberry tart, sable breton, meringue with lime get-up-and-go; and Coffee bon bon.
It was such an experience that will be definitely recorded in my memory. A must go if you like fine dining and enjoying such a special experiences.
Corner House Singapore Website: https://cornerhouse.com.sg/
Corner House Singapore Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cornerhousesg/
Corner House Singapore Address: 1 Cluny Rd, E J H Corner House Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 259569
Who Was E J H Corner?
The house is named after E J H Corner, a British botanist who worked at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in the first half of the 20th century and later became a professor of tropical botany at the University of Cambridge. He was known for his research on tropical plants and fungi, and for books on the wayside trees of Malaya that are still referenced today.
The restaurant’s “Gastro-Botanica” idea, putting plants and botanicals at the centre of each plate, is a nod to that history.
About the Singapore Botanic Gardens
The Singapore Botanic Gardens were founded in 1859 and became Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. The gardens are free to enter (apart from the National Orchid Garden) and are one of the most pleasant green spaces in the city.
Highlights to combine with a meal:
- National Orchid Garden, with the largest display of tropical orchids in the world and a ticketed entry.
- Swan Lake, one of the oldest features of the gardens.
- The Rainforest, a small patch of original tropical forest right in the city.
- Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, if you are travelling with kids.
- Symphony Lake, where outdoor concerts are sometimes held on the lawn.
Getting There
- MRT: Botanic Gardens station (Circle Line and Downtown Line) is at the northern end of the gardens. Corner House is closer to the Tanglin side, so allow time for a walk through the park.
- Taxi or ride-hailing: Ask to be dropped at the gate nearest the restaurant to avoid a long walk in the heat.
- On foot from Orchard Road: The Tanglin Gate is within walking distance of the western end of Orchard Road.
Planning a Fine Dining Visit in Singapore
- Book well ahead. Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore often fill weeks in advance, especially for weekend dinners.
- Check the dress code. Smart casual is the norm at most fine dining restaurants.
- Tell the restaurant about dietary needs when booking, as tasting menus are prepared in advance.
- Understand “++”. Prices in Singapore usually exclude service charge and GST.
- Go for lunch. Many fine dining restaurants offer shorter lunch menus that are a more affordable way to try the kitchen.
Restaurants, chefs and Michelin ratings change over time. Check the restaurant’s official channels and the current Michelin Guide for up-to-date status, hours and menus before you go.
What Is a “Gastro-Botanica” Menu?
In practice, it means plant ingredients are treated as stars rather than garnish. Expect dishes where a single vegetable is cooked in several ways, herbs and flowers used for aroma and colour, and French techniques applied to produce from Asia and Europe. The onion course described above is a good example of this approach.
Similar Experiences in Singapore
If you enjoy dining in heritage buildings or green settings, Singapore has several other options:
- Restaurants in restored colonial bungalows around Dempsey Hill, close to the Botanic Gardens.
- Fine dining in the Civic District, inside historic buildings such as the National Gallery.
- Garden-side cafés at Gardens by the Bay, for a more casual meal with greenery.
FAQ
Where exactly is Corner House? Inside the Singapore Botanic Gardens, at 1 Cluny Road, in a historic colonial bungalow.
What is the nearest MRT station? Botanic Gardens station, on the Circle and Downtown lines.
Is there a dress code? Smart casual is a safe choice for fine dining in Singapore.
Do I need to pay to enter the Botanic Gardens? General entry is free. The National Orchid Garden charges a fee.
Is the menu vegetarian-friendly? The cooking is plant-focused, but menus usually include meat and fish. Ask about vegetarian options when booking.
Is it still open? Fine dining in Singapore changes often, so check the official website or the Michelin Guide for the current status before booking.
