For a charming place for a leisurely meal on a sunny day there are few restaurants better than Halia. With its gorgeous location in the Botanic Gardens, surrounded by greenery on the shaded deck or inside the more climate-controlled restaurant, Halia is the perfect retreat to enjoy good food and good company away from the usual bustle of city life.
With its recently launched new menu we wanted to find out if Halia is still maintaining its high standards, and were pleased to find that it is. We opted for a two-course and a three-course set lunch which was all delicious and tasty. The tuna belly entrée was a delicious light mix of chopped tuna and avocado, our fried calamari was light and not too oily, and our main course of beef kebabs was small but more than enough with the other courses. Particularly notable was the delicious spaghettini with truffle oil, tofu and celeric cream, and tempura mushrooms—a hearty and surprisingly well-thought out mix of creamy flavors and crunchy textures.
The crowd still feels predominately expatriate or tourist, which is a shame as it means too many locals are missing out on a great meal in a glorious setting.
