Singapore, February 2016 – Everyone has been talking about a new restaurant – Botanico at The Garage with Spanish-born Chef Antonio Oviedo at its helm.   Located on the UNESCO site – Singapore Botanical Gardens, the restaurant is surrounded by beautiful greenery.   Its menu of contemporary Spanish cuisine is simple, yet innovative.

Mr. King and I visited on the weekend for dinner. We selected a few dishes to share.

Padron Peppers – Galician Green Peppers / Sea Salt (S$11) – one of my favorites at any Spanish restaurant. The Padron Peppers here were quite sizeable, and one can see the chef’s attention to details as majority of the peppers seem very similar in size. They were perfectly grilled with just the right amount of sea salt.

Smoked Sardines – Ajo Blanco / Kyoho Grapes / Iberico Migas (S$24). The sardines were fresh, but we found the croutons a bit on the oily side.

Chargrilled Carabinero – Scarlet Prawns / Saffron Mellow Rice / Pork Trotters (S$32). Carabinero is my favorite crustacean from Spain; these big red prawns are succulent and sweet. Chef Oviedo’s richly flavored rice complimented his grilled Carabineros beautifully. Both Mr. King and I declared that this was our favorite dish of the evening.

Chargrilled Tajima Wagyu Flank – Spring Onions / Romescu / Ratte Potato (S$40). The Wagyu flank was very tender and tasty. We also liked the ratte potato which was creamy but not too heavy.

Ceiba – Warm Organic Chocolate / Ginger Ice Cream / Hibicus / Brownie Croutons (S$16). We absolutely adored this dessert, which had a medley of interesting flavors and texture. The use of ginger ice cream and hibiscus was very smart, and such a refreshing touch to balance off the rich chocolate. The brownie croutons were chunky and an important element to this dessert.

Botanico at The Garage is a refreshing addition to the Singapore’s Spanish culinary scene. Recently, the restaurant started the lunch service as well, and the set lunch is S$35++ , a good value for such innovative fine cuisine.

Botanico at the Garage – 50 Cluny Park Road, Cluny Park Gate, Singapore

All photos were taken by Mrs. King.