Farm-to-table: buzz word or authentic culinary consciousness? With dodgy establishments flooding the market, the debate continues; but until it resolves, we’ve weeded out the top few worth your time and taste. Here’s where to go for the freshest plates.
Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan
All about the use of seasonal ingredients and fresh produce, Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan Zoisl never serves the same meal twice. On top of that, each dish is accompanied by microgreens and vegetables grown right in the restaurant’s dining room. So within an open kitchen concept that resembles a home, learn and see what goes into your omakase spread by speaking freely to the chefs. Three degustation menus are offered here, with a four-course set starting at $98 per person. 61 Tras St.
Kausmo
Waste not, want not. Lesser-loved ingredients and imperfect produce are the stars of Kausmo’s six-course, carte blanche menu. Usually discarded items in the supply chain become tasteful, hearty cuisine full of character here. It only seats 16—all at a communal table—and guests can overtly see chef and co-founder Lisa Tang at work in a space that more resembles a private kitchen. Dine with an open mind and more importantly, an open heart. You’ll find lots to love. #03-07, 1 Scotts Rd.
Noka
Find mordern, produce-forward Japanese cuisine at this restaurant found at the rooftop of Funan. It’s suported by a 5000 sq ft urban farm found right outside the establishment, where many of the ingredients used are grown. The menu, by Niigata-born head chef Seki Takuma, looks just like one you’ll find at a fine Japanese dining spot, what with its omakase and sushi offerings. But each item actually belies something unconventional. Did we also mention it’s opened by the same folks behind Open Farm Community? #07-38 Funan, 109 North Bridge Rd.
Open Farm Community
An indisputable pioneer in the farm-to-table game, Open Farm Community has been championing not just produce, but local produce, since 2015. Founder Cynthia Chua makes it a point to liaise directly with local farms like Ah Hua Kelong, Toh Thye San farm, and Hay Dairies for fresh ingredients, so OFC constantly has new seasonal dishes. The restaurant bordering the Dempsey dining enclave also has its own urban farm on-site, courtesy of Edible Garden City, for easy plucking (pun intended) for the vegetable dishes. 130E Minden Rd.
Poison Ivy Bistro
Restaurant Labyrinth
This well-loved neo-Sin restaurant by Chef Han Li Guang doesn’t just serve exquisitely remade hawker favourites; it also champions local produce. Locavore-focused, Labyrinth gets a bulk of its ingredients from local vertical farm Farm deLight (which used to grow herbs for now-closed Michelin-starred joints Joel Robuchon and Restaurant Andre). Other ingredients like pea flowers and green wood sorrel used in the Labyrinth Rojak, Chef Han sources from Edible Garden City. #02-23 Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave.
Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong
Owned and operated by Ah Hua Kelong Singapore Farm, Scaled utilises fresh seafood ingredients farmed from its very own humble locale down in both Pasir Ris and Sembawang. So look forward to indulging in mussels, clams, fish and more, all prepared with local flavours in mind like the Sambal Lala and Curry Mussel Pasta. It doesn’t get any fresher than this. 8 Hamilton Rd.
Summerhouse
Its location in (almost) the middle of nowhere makes The Summerhouse a good spot to grow a farm; though it’s closer in size to a garden. Manned once again by Edible Garden City, it supplies much of the restaurant’s garnishes, like the green and purple sweet potato leaves; so the journey from farm to your table is incredibly short. Plus, thier fish are scoured from local farm collectives and kelongs too. Try dining in their outdoor pods to be even closer to nature. 3 Park Ln.
Vineyard
This humble French-Italian restaurant located at Hort Park is a gem. Expect a garden-to-table focus with a push on supporting local farmers and locally sourced produce. Order up fried quail with plum and berries compote from Lian Wah Heng Quail Farm, and walnut-crusted bull frog legs from Jurong Frog Farm (who seem to be enjoying bountiful success); or check out the herbs and veg picked from Vineyard’s own edible garden on-site. #02-02, 33 Hyderabad Rd.
