Halia

Halia means ginger in Malay and is aptly located in the one-hectare Ginger Garden of the Singapore Botanic Gardens where over 250 species of gingers with their stunning foliage and colourful flowers thrive. According to the website, its construction was carried out at the same time that the Ginger Garden was developed in 2000. So architecture could be conformed to the contours of the land, dignity of mature trees such as decades-old majestic palm trees and preservation of heritage. The restaurant officially opened the following year with various forms of ginger and its related family creatively introduced into some dishes and beverage creations such as Halia Infusion (hot or chilled), a house-specialty of sun-dried ginger and wild mountain honey. In 2008, its first and only overseas branch opened at Westlake, Hanoi.

However, it was the branch at another iconic Singaporean venue that my dining companions and I visited on a weekend evening. Located at historic Raffles Hotel, it opened last November at where Seah Street Deli (its black-and-white tiled space remains) used to be and offers contemporary European fare with Asian touches at supposedly more pocket-friendly prices than its sibling. Signature dishes include Singapore-style chilli crab spaghettini with egg and spring onion as well as Javanese Spice Maori Lakes Rack of Lamb, both of which we ordered. Items on the menu at this urban and ironically casual outpost are categorised as small and big plates, not appetiser and main course. And they are not meant to be, as this was designed to encourage dining according to one's whims and fancies. Fret not about sharing a big plate before enjoying a small plate each, or only having several small plates in a meal.

Started with Foie Gras Salad that was recommended over Oriental Pulled Duck, a micro herb salad in sesame oil with gherkin and caper, served with slow-roasted duck marinated with a myriad of spices overnight and tossed with soba noodle. Foie Gras had a charred aroma and thin crisp outside, which could barely contain the creamy melt-in-the-mouth insides. Loved how the crispy crouton and roasted almond kernels added bite to the crunchy greens in a spicy, sweet and tangy dressing of apricot chutney, blueberry and ginger. An interesting balance of taste and texture with intense flavours I was glad we shared. I ordered the two courses pre-theatre dinner set (5.30pm–7pm) of Yellowfin Tuna Loin and for sharing, Ginger Nougat Parfait. Other than boring Black Tea in a Pot, we also had Halia Infusion and Mocha – smooth but could do with more coffee and less milk.

Halia Chili Crab was served spaghetti style with hefty chunks of crabmeat in the familiar chilli crab gravy. Perfect for those who love to eat crab but hate the hassle and mess of deconstructing the crustacean. Javanese Spice Maori Lakes Rack of Lamb was served with tabbouleh, yogurt, sumac, pickled carrot, mixed seeds and pomegranate molasses. My dining companion chose to have it done medium-well and found the hearty portion just right, with tender meat subtly-fragranced so the dish did not get too cloying even 'til the end. Was expecting Yellowfin Tuna Loin (served rare) to be raw like sashimi but the description was correct – it was cooked just on the outside. This was served with a side of greens, sweet corn and red pepper. Ginger Nougat Parfait came with caramelised pineapple, crispy and light puff pastry, almond, anise and cinnamon. It was a nice dessert to round off our meal and clear our palate. Oh, and the alfresco bar features a fully functioning Hendricks bath tub.