THE SUMMERHOUSE
3 Park Lane, S(798387) T 6262-1063
The Summerhouse is set in a beautiful conserved black-and-white bungalow at the former Seletar Air Base. Amid the shady trees, the vibe here is relaxing. Flanking the building is a lush edible garden filled with herbs and flowers. On the upper floor is the main dining room, while the casual Wildseed Cafe and Bar occupies the lower floor.
Helming the kitchen is chef Florian Ridder, who focuses on using as much local seafood and produce as possible. He even churns butter from scratch. The leftover buttermilk he derives from the process is served as a spread for sourdough bread.
We kick off our meal with a popular starter – raspberry pickled beetroot. Soft, creamy burrata and crispy buckwheat are cocooned in a hollowed-out beet. The burgundy-coloured root veggie is drizzled with a tangy sweet beetroot and roselle gazpacho whose acidity is offset with buttermilk. We’re off to a memorable start.
For mains, the meat dish impresses, particularly the chocolate-fed beef (the cattle, from South Australia’s Mayura Station, indulge in chocolate). To garner a welcome smokey flavour, this wagyu is cooked in an Inka oven. The meat is paired with pickled pumpkin and grapes for a touch of acidity. Sharing plate space are local mushrooms and a sauce of aromatic Earl grey-infused veal jus.
The iberico pork is excellent too. This large slab of meat is partnered with caramelised onion infused with chamomile, alongside pistachio nuts and chervil beurre blanc. We are told that the meat is smoked in the Inka oven and then finished sous vide. The result of about 80 hours of cooking? Pork that’s superbly tender and satisfying.
After a refreshing dessert of guava sorbet with raspberry puree, go for a walk in the garden and soak in the balmy air before heading back to town.