Singapore is well and truly on the green map, thanks to these culinary destinations.
‘Sustainable dining’ isn’t just a buzzword spouted by a niche of eco-warriors; it has entered the mainstream with many restaurants in Singapore rising to the occasion. The term refers to ethical practices that care about our planet and environment and reduces the overall carbon footprint. This means using local and/ or organic produce, providing meat-free options, having on-site gardens, and choosing sustainable sources for meat, fish and eggs.
NOKA
#07-38/39 Funan
Noka, which translates to “farmhouse” in Japanese, is the sister restaurant to open Farm Community and a first-of-its-kind rooftop urban farm and Japanese restaurant in Singapore. It partners urban farming social enterprise edible garden City, which manages the 5,000 sq ft garden filled with oyster mushrooms, microgreens, basil, Mexican tarragon and butterfly pea flowers that are plucked fresh and transformed into exciting dishes.
ORIGIN GRILL
Tower Wing Lobby Level Shangri-La Hotel
Judging from the name of this restaurant, it comes as no surprise that the origin of the dishes is the main focus here. What you get is fresh, farm-to-table ingredients with an emphasis on responsible sourcing and sustainability whenever possible. This includes a bespoke beef selection that is sustainably sourced, with grass- and grain-fed, pure-, cross- and full-blooded Angus and wagyu beef from Australia and Ireland, as well as snow-aged wagyu beef from Niigata, Japan. Seafood-wise, menu selections include line-caught sustainable seafood from marine-certified coasts (a certification given by the Marine Stewardship Council in Indonesia, the Philippines and New Zealand).
OPEN FARM COMMUNITY
130E Minden Road
One of the first to push the farm-to-table concept in Singapore and focus on local farming, it offers plenty to do here besides eat – you can explore the fruit and vegetable orchards or partake in gardening workshops. The focus here is on locally-sourced ingredients and seasonal, innovative dishes, such as crowd-favourite Cauliflower Wings ($16), and Local Pekin Duck Rilette ($20) on sourdough. The restaurant also curates and hosts local farmers once a month to showcase their produce to guests, who can then enjoy these freshly harvested ingredients and learn more about the grow-your-own-food movement.
VEGANBURG
44 Jalan Eunos
Going meat-free is one way to do our part for the environment and the boom of plant-based dishes in Singapore has made it easier for us to do so. This local burger joint, which serves a wide variety of 100 per cent plant-based burgers, is no stranger to vegans in Singapore. besides noshing on best-sellers like the Avocado Beetroot Burger (from $11.90), you can choose to top up $4 for an Impossible burger patty, the award-winning “bleeding” meat alternative by Impossible Foods, which shares the same goal as Veganburg – that is to eradicate factory farming and dial down the effects of climate change, one burger at a time.
PINKFISH
#B1-261/262 Jewel Changi Airport
Salmon is the hero ingredient at this healthy fast food joint, which prides itself on using farm-raised salmon caught from the icy fjords of Norway, certified sustainable by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. despite being its first international outpost, the menu offers a good range of global flavours – you can opt for an European Wrap (from $10.90) stuffed with grilled salmon fillet, greek yogurt sauce and feta cheese, or seek comfort in a bowl of Asian Soup (from $10.90) that features Thai green curry with salmon cubes. Its green efforts also extends out of the menu to its fully biodegradable crockery, including plastic-free straws.
THE SUMMERHOUSE
3 Park Lane
With a farm-to-table concept, this restaurant sits on the second level of The Summerhouse complex. here, every dish is cooked with harvests from the garden, whether as garnishes or herbs. These include Sweet Potato Leaves ($14; with freshly-picked sweet potato leaves from the garden, wood-fired zucchini and asparagus, and green olive) and French Toast ($14), a brunch menu item that features an assortment of fruits and garnishings from the garden. The restaurant works closely with a collective of growers, producers and kelongs (offshore platform built with wood), to ensure value-added sustainable practices. The dinner menu even tells you exactly which farm the ingredients come from.
ARTEMIS GRILL
Level 40 CapitaGreen Rooftop
It’s not just the panoramic views from this restaurant and bar that’s impressive – its sustainability focus from the menu to the restaurant’s design is as well. The menu of seasonal cuisine, inspired by the rich Mediterranean culinary heritage, sees Artemis working with partners to obtain the finest organic produce and sustainably sourced seafood. Most vegetables come from France, cod from Scotland, and hamachi and scallops from Japan. Plus, all the meats cooked here are ethically farmed, free-range and hormone-free. Straws are made from corn starch that is 100 per cent biodegradable, and the tulip umbrellas above the outdoor terrace bar serve more than aesthetic purposes – they are designed to allow rainwater to drain into the ground, which is then recycled within the building.
TEXT BALVINDER SANDHU & PEH YI WEN MAIN PHOTO PINKFISH, VEGANBURG, NOKA, STRANGERS REUNION, OPEN FARM COMMUNITY, THE SUMMERHOUSE, ARTEMIS GRILL, SHANGRI-LA HOTEL
previous article
next article
