COCONUTS HOT SPOT — Summer, in any other country with four seasons, is a time to bask in sunny rays and all the goodness that Mother Nature has to offer. In Singapore, it’s just 365 days of hot, scorching hot and humidly hot with a chance of rain. But still, imagine the pretty blooms and chill vibes of the season for a second — summer lovin’ is best enjoyed at new multi-concept opening, The Summerhouse.
Tucked away in Seletar Aerospace Park, within an 11-hectare enclave of heritage colonial bungalows, the cafe/bar/restaurant is in a world of its own. If you decide to make the trip out there, you’ll find yourself surrounded by quiet roads, greenery as far as the eye can see, and a peaceful atmosphere that almost makes you forget you’re still in Singapore.
In the two-level 1930s bungalow, which was the former home of the Royal Air Force’s Tech Wing Commander, The Summerhouse Dining Room and Balcony Bar takes up the upper floor, while Wildseed cafe and bar (which hosts Poppy Flora Studio in its space) is sprawled across the grounds of the lower level.
Peek beyond the shade and you’ll see an edible garden — that’s where the restaurant gets its herbs and veggies — curated by Edible Garden City. Oh, and if you fall in love with the charming architecture at first sight, you’ll be happy to know that it hosts weddings as well — pretty picturesque ones, at that.
Since the space is so connected to nature, it’s no surprise that the menu is all about farm-to-table cuisine — it gets its produce supply from a Singapore kelong and a couple of local and Malaysian farms. Some of the ‘nature-inspired’ dishes at The Summerhouse Dining Room include an eggplant ‘caviar’ in a local tomato broth, a bowl of buckwheat porridge sprinkled with sunflower and pumpkin seeds and herbs from the edible garden, and a light dessert of guava yogurt, lychee coconut mousse, raspberry purée and rose meringue.
For a more casual catch-up with your friends, hit up Wildseed for a cup of coffee with your salad, sandwich, cake or pastry. We’d recommend ordering the pulled pork sandwich with cucumber salad and yogurt sauce or the braised beef brisket sammie with eggplant stew, feta cheese, hummus and local bak choy.
If you’re in a peckish mood, order snacks like the super thin curly chips, cheesy beef balls or fried Hollandaise balls to share. Just make sure you don’t miss out on sweets like the honey lemon rosemary tart, citronella passionfruit cheesecake and the ondeh ondeh-inspired pea flower coconut muffin — they’re all infused or garnished with harvests from the edible garden.
The Summerhouse is at 3 Park Lane, 6262-1063. The Summerhouse Dining Room: Wed-Sat 6pm-10pm, Sun 11am-5pm; Wildseed Cafe: Tue-Sun 10am-7pm, Wildseed Bar: Tue-Thur & Sun 4pm-10pm, Fri & Sat 4pm-11pm.
