halia at the botanical gardens

to some people, eating is solely about the food. but to most others, there is more to dining then just what's on your plate. of course there are times when you just feel like eating a damn good plate of chicken rice and you don't care if it's in a wet and stinky hawker center. but then once in awhile, when the urge to splurge hits you, or when you have the special occasion to celebrate. you want to go somewhere nice. some place where you can sit down, enjoy a nice quiet conversation, and just take in the beauty of the surroundings and enjoy the simple things in life. and thats what you'll get at halia.

halia is a comtemporary/fusion restaurant located smack in the middle of the botanical gardens. and if its ambience you're looking for, there is probably no better place then this. it's rated one star by wine and dine (not many even earn a star and the maximum is only 3). it's seductively romantic, a perfect place to go if you want to impress (aka seduce) that special someone or rekindle the sparks in your mature relationship. the senery is nice, like the botanical gardens always is, and its not hot nor humid.

i walked in from the entrace closest to the restaurant, and was greeted by the fresh smell of evening dew and rainwater. walking further along, the sounds of a waterfall came through the surroundings. to be honest, i'm not really a nature person and i've never been to the botanical gardens in my life. yes, not once. but i think i'll be back soon enough. the place is beautiful, the lush flora all around you and the cool breeze blowing in your face. i was really taken aback by it all (and no i didn't start weeping like the women on oprah in case you're curious).

a couple steps further in and we reached the restaurant. i approached the restaurant on the right. it apparently was the lounge/bar area. it was really nice; they had a band playing nice spanish music and comfy looking couches to sit and relax in. after pulling out our reservations, we were ushered to the opposite end of the place. that was where the restaurant was.

the restaurant is divided into two sections. the indoor section and the al fresco section. my reservation was for indoor, but after a saw the outside section, i decided to shift out instead. the outside section was very nice. dark wood lined the floors with fans above you gently twirling in a hypnotic state. the tables are covered with a clean, white tablecloth and each chair is covered with a little cushion. the waiter brought us our menu's and i glanced through it. they had a nice selection of starters and entrees. not huge, but decent. i read through online reviews before i came, so i kind of already knew what i wanted. i ordered the rack of lamb and a glass of shiraz for myself, and d had the fish. we also ordered the tofu tower and a glass of halia infusion, which yours truly recommended to her because i heard it really completes the meal.

the halia infusion was great. it's the house specialty of sun-dried ginger and wild mountain honey. you stir it first to mix the honey in and then enjoy. the sweet taste combines nicely with the strong piercing taste of the ginger, giving you a nice contrast of flavors. i highly recommend it. we enjoyed it throroughly. the bread came along with it and it was a lovely soft and warm.

roasted rack of lamb - 9/10

awhile later, our mains came. my rack of lamb was delicious. if was one of the chef's recommendations. marinated in javanese spice, with ratatouille, potato cutlet and calamansi bell pepper coulis. the lamb was done medium as ordered, and it had just the right chewiness to it. it was immensely flavorful, and i love how the taste of the slightly chargrilled outside along with the juicy flesh. the ratatouille was a nice small side of potato and vagetables, and a mild garlic chilli sauce was drizzled all around. the portion was a little on the small side though. it definitely left me wanting more.

d's dish turned out pretty nice also. sea perched fillet en papillote. with truffle aioli, sesame japanse rice and wakame salad. it was really healthy looking. the fish was very tender with a mild salty taste. d enjoyed it cause she likes eating healthy stuff. ok she's one of those weird people who don't eat fried foods. haha. so more for me, yay. anyway, i thought the fish was really nice too. very soft and tender.

sea perch fillet - 7/10

the tofu, however, was a slight disappointment. i actually have no doubt that a person would thoroughly enjoy it if he were vegetarian. but i'm not. i like my meat. yeah, all types. i guess i was kinda swayed by the tau kwa tower at buko nero (which was fantastic). but this tasted totally different so i wasn't all too impressed. d quite liked it though. i guess i might be kinda biased, being a protein junkie and all. no soy for me. all that estrogen's just going to go to my head (and my adipocytes).

overall, i think this is a great place to go if you are looking for a great ambience. you can walk around the park after dinner and through the waterfalls or you can just chill at the lounge and enjoy a nice cold drink. the food however, can be good or bad depending on what you order. the lamb was really good, but the portions were definitely too small for my liking. i heard really good things about the tenderloin, so if i ever come back, i'll definitely try it and update here. the price is a little more expensive considering how little food you get. the fish was about $30 and the lamb was $40 or so. so if you're really hungry this might not be the right place to go. but if you're just looking for a great ambience and good quality food and don't mind paying for it, i have no doubt you'll thoroughly enjoy halia too. but if not, scope one of my other picks instead :)