The hype: Healthy eats may have a bad rep for being boring and bland, but that couldn’t be further from the truth at The Garden Club. The swanky restaurant and bar utilises many well-seasoned greens, tasty grains and delicious plant-based meat alternatives (that taste incredibly similar to actual meats themselves) in their dishes, which are also garnished with herbs grown in-house.
The vibe: Located at gym/workout studio-littered mall OUE Downtown Gallery, it’s inevitable that The Garden Club shares some of its space on the fifth floor with Sweatbox Yoga. Larger than it lets on, the restaurant also boasts a well-furnished alfresco rooftop bar area that can accommodate large groups. Yogis can even grab pre-prepped meals and juices to-go, from the refrigerated counter shelves right by the entrance.
The food: Feel free to create your own Quick-Serve Bowls (available during lunch hours; from $9) with a variety of vegetables, grains and condiments like char-grilled brussel sprouts and glazed tempeh and tofu; although other lunch and dinner-exclusive mains are certainly not to be missed as well.
In the lunch menu, find the Garden Ragu Fettuccine ($15), which features an indulgent, Beyond Meat ragu sauce atop a bed of fettuccine pasta. It’s incredulous how there are no identifiable taste or textual differences between their ragu sauce that’s made with meat-free alternatives and regular ragu. There’s also the Barley Mushroom Risotto ($12), a creamy risotto that substitutes fibre-rich and vitamin-packed barley for Italian rice, and served with Shimeji and Shitake mushrooms plus cherry tomatoes.
Meanwhile, enjoy the Beef Cheek Confit Fennel ($23) from the dinner menu, which delights meat lovers with a slow-cooked and seared cheek of beef, served with roasted potatoes and greens. Or, get the Smoked Tofu Slab ($10) if you’re looking to keep things vegan-friendly.
But don’t miss out on their bar snacks to be enjoyed both at the bar or at your table; the Fried Curry Okra ($5) is a must-try, and so is the Broccoli Tempura with Gochujang Mayo ($6).
The drinks: Fruity cocktails are their signature here, clearly inspired by their venue theme. Try the Rasa Sanyang ($16) if you like your drinks sweet and refreshing, or get the Jalisco Sunset ($16) if you like your booze tangy and strong.
Why you’ll be back: For unique plant-based nosh and tipples that don’t compromise on flavour, The Garden Club will always be a good option.
