COCONUTS HOT SPOTS — It’s never too late to start eating healthy, but the seeming lack of choices for wholesome foods that actually fill you up may be a cause for avoidance. Hilton Singapore’s new eatery, Verde Kitchen, wants to change mindsets by serving natural, sustainably-sourced fare that tastes good without clogging up your arteries.
The cozy, 32-seat restaurant on the second floor of the Orchard Road hotel opened last month with the aim of embracing a holistic and wholesome attitude toward healthy eating. How so? It’s going all in, sparing no expense in supporting locally grown, organic-certified ingredients and sustainable food systems. Chefs even harvest their own leafy vegetables, meaning the lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale, rocket, and basil leaves that are served on your plate come from the hotel’s hi-tech Vertical Garden.
The variety of healthy dishes includes gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and raw food options. To start, the low-fat creamy broccoli and kale soup arrives with poached egg and toast topped with grilled Emmental and parmesan cheese ($16). For a more protein-filled green platter, try the salmon sashimi and pomelo salad ($27), a dish that offers crunch and taste with crispy vegetables and Yuzu soy dressing.
Speaking of salmon, Verde Kitchen assures that sixty percent of the seafood served in the restaurant is sustainably sourced and carries the Marine Stewardship Council / Aquaculture Stewardship Council eco-labels. If that pleases you, the organic basic-crusted Glacier 51 toothfish with local mushroom and thyme jus ($38) is a delectable, guilt-free choice.
Those wanting something a little more local can go for the Malay-style organic lacto chicken ($32) — a healthier version of Malay turmeric chicken curry that arrives with brown rice and organic okra.
Drinks-wise, it’s got you covered on the whole heath-giving theme too. On the menu are fresh juice blends ($11), smoothies ($12), probiotic smoothies ($13), organic wines, ciders, and kombuchas.
Even the sweets are guilt-free here. Low-sugar or no-sugar-added desserts include chia seed and caramelized hazelnut pudding ($14), flourless chocolate cake ($14), and even a less-guilty homemade gula melaka ice cream ($14) with chendol, attap seeds, red beans, and coconut milk.
“We’re proud to serve healthier versions of local Southeast Asian favorites alongside the freshest salads and healthier desserts,” says Hilton Singapore Executive Chef Vijayakant Shanmugam. “It’s been a pleasure training the team on well-being and waste-reduction, and we are all inspired to help our guests eat the best possible foods for their bodies and the planet.”
Verde Kitchen is at L2 Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Rd, 6730-3397. Mon-Sat 10:30am-5:30pm.
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