Botanico At The Summerhouse Review: Popular Botanic Gardens Restaurant Moves To Seletar

Botanico at The Summerhouse is a new restaurant in Seletar

Botanic Gardens is home to a number of romantic restaurants, including The Halia, Roia Restaurant, and Botanico. The latter recently moved to a heritage building in Seletar and reopened its doors as Botanico at The Summerhouse, an Asian-inspired restaurant with a focus on grilled dishes.

Food at Botanico at The Summerhouse

Expect an entirely new menu highlighting Asian flavours, with innovative sharing plates.

There’s the Foie Gras Kaya Toast ($12++), where house-made foie gras kaya and a thick slab of cold butter are sandwiched by char-grilled brioche toast. While I appreciated how generous they were with the butter, I felt that the foie gras-infused kaya was a tad too rich for my liking.

I preferred the Sakura Papaya Salad ($16++), a Thai-inspired salad comprising itsy-bitsy sakura ebi, green papaya strips, red chilli, pistachio, and palm sugar fish sauce. This cold salad was light with the right balance of sweetness and umami, perfect for starting any meal. It also came with edible flowers from the garden, for a spruced-up presentation!

Another appetising starter worth trying is the Asian Ceviche ($24++), great to share among the table. Here you get striped jack, a type of mackerel, sitting in a flavourful mix of chinchalok, belachan, cilantro, lime, and hazelnut. Fresh wasabi leaves complete the dish, adding a subtle sharpness to the salad, which I enjoyed.

My only gripe was that the bland tortilla wedges should have been swapped out for something more interesting.

For mains, the Wagyu Bun ($45++) would likely be a crowd-pleaser. You get to DIY your snack; take a steamed Chinese bun and pile it with heaps of fatty Japanese Wagyu beef strips.

The beef slices were tender enough, but I found the bulgogi sauce a tad too jelak, almost competing with the Wagyu’s richness.

Surprisingly, I found myself reaching out for the Sichuan Boiled Fish ($65++) more than I’d expected. I’m not usually a mala fan, so this was a surprise!

Taking inspiration from the spicy grilled fish dish popularised in Chengdu, this gets you a whole seasonal fish sitting atop a medley of veggies. The fish is doused in a punchy Sichuan peppercorn mala sauce that’s, surprisingly, not too spicy or numbing.

Pair this protein with a bowl of Butterfly Blue Pea Pandan Rice ($6++), which toned down the heat of the mala gravy and paired excellently with the tender fish meat.

If you’ve dined at Botanico’s previous location, you might have tried their dang gui-infused duck leg. At this new establishment, you’ll find it in the form of the Wood-Fired Grilled Duck ($34++).

The herbal notes of the angelica sauce contrasted well against the sweetness of the baby leeks, while the grilled duck was fork-tender. I had no faults with this dish, except that it was pretty pricey for the portion—you’re paying $40 for one duck leg!

Dinner came to an end with the restaurant’s version of Min Jiang Kueh ($18++), which I preferred over the Ginger Flower Panna Cotta ($16++).

The former is essentially min jiang kueh deconstructed; peanut ice cream, peanut biscuits, and corn-flavoured sponge combined to create the same old-school flavours of the classic peanut pancake.

Ambience at Botanico at The Summerhouse

Housed on the second floor of The Summerhouse, a two-storey heritage bungalow, the restaurant is spacious and bright during the daytime. Come evening, it transforms into a cosier and more intimate space that’s perfect for special occasions and date nights.

Here’s a pro tip: before dinner, head down to the on-site garden to explore its gorgeous surroundings and glass domes that are available for booking with a minimum spend!

Botanico at The Summerhouse’s ulu location adds to its charm, though it’s inconvenient to get to by public transport. The nearest station is Sengkang MRT Station, which is still a good 30-minute bus ride away.

The verdict

If you’re looking for an intimate date-night venue to impress your special half, Botanico at The Summerhouse is worth a visit. Prices are on the higher end, but the ambience makes up for it!

Another noteworthy restaurant to check out is Choon Hoy Parlor, known for their elevated Modern-Singaporean food! Else, read our guide to the best restaurants in Singapore for more options.

Address: 3 Park Lane, Level 2, The Summerhouse, Singapore 798387
Opening hours: Wed-Fri 6pm to 10:30pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10:30pm
Tel: 8809 5840
Website
Botanico at The Summerhouse is not a halal-certified eatery.