The Halia

I have always wanted to dine at the Halia so I was elated when I received the invitation for a brunch tasting.

The Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens was established in 2001 and is known for its quality cuisine, well-trained staff, excellent service and ambient settings.

Recently, The Halia revamped their menu with the entrance of its new Executive Chef, Peter Rollinson. He is trained in modern European cuisine and you can expect Asian touches in the new dishes as well.

Here are the recommended items we had!

The rest had the Hot Halia Infusion ($10++) as it was one of the signature ginger drink.


Meanwhile, I had the very safe choice of Orange Juice ($6.50++).


The first dish was a great start. Cinnamon French toast, fresh seasonal berries, white chocolate & Iranian pistachio ($18++). Instead of the usual maple syrup, our toast was topped by white chocolate and surprisingly, the both complements each other well! I initially thought that the combination would be too sweet but it's actually okay, and an interesting change from the usual maple!



At first I wasn't too interested in this salad dish but after having it I rank it as one of the best salads that I have eaten. Cocktail of king prawns, spicy tomato sauce, avocado, wasabi & coriander ($22++). Can't really taste the wasabi nor spicy sauce. The king prawns were plump and fresh while the vegetables were very yummy, being drenched in some lime sauce. Very refreshing dish!



This was possibly the best dish we had at Halia. The Poached eggs on brioche, dill hollandaise, Swiss brown mushroom, spinach & tomato ($22++) was made perfect and very yummy. Wish I could have a second helping!



Honestly, I initially had high expectations of the Wood smoked salmon toastie, capers, crème cheese & dill, sunny side up fried egg ($24++) because I was a fan of smoked salmon. Alas, the toast came a littttttle too dry for our liking. The rest commented that it was salty, but it was alright to me. It wasn't really that bad, but probably fare lower as compared to the rest of the yummy dishes! The portion is big, so my advise is to order this for sharing as a side.



We were already quite filled up by now! A 2nd cup of drink to wash it down, they had the Iced Cardamom, Ginger & Cinnamon Coffee ($12++).


We absorbed in the beauty of the lush surroundings and I have to say that it's really a nice place to spend weekend mornings, watching people jog by with their pets!


Then, someone mentioned Truffle fries ($14++) and there it came on our table. It's a favorite for many people and it should be good news that it is served at The Halia!


Then..... we had the highly acclaimed Halia chilli crab spaghettini Singapore-style spicy, sweet and tangy crabmeat sauce tossed in pasta ($28++). This is one of Halia's signature dish, and it's not difficult to know why. It's also one of my favourite dish at Halia!



Time for dessert!

We had the Freshly baked caramelised banana walnut bread, vanilla mascarpone cream, kumquat compote & macadamia nut ($24++). The walnut bread was pleasing to the tastebuds and just the right amount of sweetness. Love the cream, which was somewhat like whipped cream :x


Sticky Valrhona chocolate brownie, salted caramel sauce & vanilla ice cream ($12++)


The Halia
1 Cluny Road, Ginger Garden
(enter via Tyersall Avenue)
Singapore Botanic Gardens,
Singapore 259569

For reservations:
(65) 8444 1148
*Reservations not accepted for brunch and tea

www.thehalia.com
http://www.facebook.com/HaliaRestaurant
http://twitter.com/TheHalia