Start the day right with a guilt-free, delicious meal. After all, healthy food doesn’t have to be insipid and boring. From robust salads made from fresh ingredients to organic protein-packed dishes, these four places in Singapore serve flavoursome brunches – proving the healthy equals bland stereotype wrong.
Glow Cafe
Popular brunch spot Glow Cafe by SuperNature settles into a new home at 26 Dempsey Road, serving up a delicious, refreshed selection of dishes developed by the head chef in collaboration with an in-house naturopath.
Menu highlights include Rainbow Slaw, a colourful mix of organic, julienned vegetables and green apples tossed in a house-made honey mustard dressing and sprinkled with nutritious sunflower and pumpkin seeds; as well as the Mexican Chicken Wrap, a hearty option of shredded, roasted Australian free-range Mt Barker chicken leg and a salad mix of quinoa, roasted sweet potato, red onions and more, snugly wrapped in a tortilla.
For those looking to get their daily dose of protein, there’s Salmon Cake, featuring slow-cooked Scottish organic salmon mixed with organic Dutch Cream potatoes, Dijon mustard, spring onions and parsley, which is crumbed, shallow-fried, then baked; and Crispy Porchetta, which sources its succulent, roasted pork loin from an organic free-range farm in Australia.
After your meal, sip a refreshing thirst quencher in the form of Functional Juices, such as Fresh Start, and Clean Greens, each bursting with a blend of fruits and vegetables chosen for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, or cleansing properties.
Glow Cafe is at Supernature, 26 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249686.
Back to Eden
With its array of healthy yet flavourful meat-free options, all-day dining cafe Back to Eden smashes misconceptions that some omnivores and carnivores may have about plant-based food. Condiments and sauces are painstakingly made from scratch – think homemade nut butters and avocado creme fraiche – served alongside gratifying brunch favourites and scrumptious sides.
The Shakshuka is a winner, brimming with a chunky tomato peperonata topped with pumpkin, carrot, Himalayan black salt ‘yolk’, smoked cashew sour cream, and a coarse-grain homemade dukkah. Sop up the comforting mix with generous slices of house-baked herbed focaccia, fresh from the ovens of the cafe’s micro-bakery.
Other noteworthy brunch choices include Corn Zucchini Kimchi Pancakes, a unique take on the traditional Korean kimchi pancakes with accompaniments such as avocado, a sweet-and-tangy apple ginger beer chutney, and sour cream and basil oil, as well as Hearty Goulash with Garlic Mash, a comforting stew of carrots, radish and assorted mushrooms in a rich vegetable stock. If you’re dining in a group, sides like Oyster Mushroom Berempah and Roasted Butternut Squash are ideal for sharing.
Back to Eden is at 64 Prinsep St, Singapore 188667.
Little Farms Bistro
A new woodfire-focused menu at Little Farms Bistro in Katong promises an indulgent but healthy dining experience. Vegetables, seafood, poultry, and meats are reinvented to present bolder, smokier, and all-around punchier flavours, with dishes such as the Prawn & Bourbon Bisque – a warm and comforting soup made by simmering grilled prawn and flower crab shells before putting them to boil with Wild Turkey bourbon. The bisque is then served with lashing of prawns, puff quinoa, and a drizzle of bourbon.
Sharing plates like the Cured Salmon Tartare make for convivial gatherings, with New Zealand sakura salmon cured in a beetroot juice and gin, coriander and salt, then served with dollops of tart pickles and round mayo; while the Grilled Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta comprises moreish, bite-sized delights of dao pok beancurd toasts, grilled to render them crispy.
Mains are equally exciting, such as the Thai-styled Organic BBQ Chicken that chargrills Bostock chicken in a sweet, sour, and spicy Thai sauce; and the O’Connor Grass-fed Beef Prime Cuts of Striploin, Tenderloin, and RIbeye, served with sides of charred cabbage, bacon, and scallion.
Little Farms Bistro is Katong Point, 451 Joo Chiat Road #01-04, Singapore 427664.
Alkove
Hearty, fulfilling brunches take centre stage at Alkove, where Chef Haikal Johari (of Michelin-starred Alma fame) puts his background in French cuisine to good use, meshing it with his heritage and local flavours. The result is casual, easy-going cafe fare, served in a cosy, welcoming space that encourages friends and families to get together and spend quality time together, over good food and meaningful conversations.
The menu offers familiar sweet and savoury European flavours served with a playful spin using Asian ingredients, such as the Smoked Otah Muffin, served with creamy, scrambled eggs and smoked ham, and specially created almond-coconut and baklava croissants fresh from the oven.
Other must-tries include classics such as the French Onion Soup, made using French cevennes onions and beef stock elevated with a touch of miso; the bouillabaisse-style Seafood Stew with hints of saffron and Korean ssamjang sauce; and the Pan-seared Barramundi with wakame and clam broth. Wrap up the meal on a sweet note with a variety of delectable desserts like Bread & Butter Pudding, French Toast in Peach Melba-style, and Creme Caramel.
Alkove is at 2 Kovan Road #01-10 Simon Plaza, Singapore 548008.
A version of this article first appeared in epicure.
