Enclave in the beautiful flower garden at Gardens by the Bay, Pollen serves mainly Mediterranean-inspired modern European cuisine. If you are familiar with Chef Jason Atherton, this chef and restauranteur is the chef director who leads the culinary direction for Pollen. He formerly worked for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at the highly-acclaimed Maze restaurant. Pollen is a sister restaurant of Pollen Street Social - the first restaurant that he established in 2011 after leaving Chef Ramsay.
We arrived 5 minutes before opening and was invited to take a seat at the waiting area. Very quickly, we were then ushered to our table. The restaurant was beautifully decorated. The staff were attentive and polite. We were served with baguette and sour dough with butter, two other condiments as soon as we settled down. We both loved the one with the mashed potato and olive oil. It was very delicious.
We ordered ala carte food instead of the lunch set. For appetizers, we had 3 dishes - parsley soup with smoked sea trout, deep fried truffle egg; salad of buttered lobster, pasta, seaweed, maple dressing; and slow-cooked egg, "english breakfast".For mains, we ordered 2 dishes - Lined-caught John Dory, Spanish rice, cabaneros, asparagus; and Iberico pork chop, belly, fermented apple, seeds, grains.
At the end of the memorable gastronomic lunch, we explored the Flower Dome from the restaurant.
The first appetiser, the slow-cooked egg "english breakfast", was
mind-blowing. The poached eggs were perfectly cooked, keeping the yoke
runny. The egg rested nicely on tomato sauce and topped with crispy bacon
strips. Eating the egg with the sauce and bacon was divine. The combination had traces of saltiness from the bacon and sweet-sour from the tomato
sauce that blew us away. (Priced at SGD20.00) (Food rating: 5/5)
The parsley soup that came with smoked sea trout and deep fried truffle egg was fantastic. A refreshing soup that did not have a strong "vegetable" smell and aftertaste. Coupled with the aromatic deep fried
truffle egg, the soup combination tasted even better than we had expected. (Priced at SGD18.00) (Food rating: 4/5)
Another appetiser - salad of buttered lobster, pasta, seaweed and maple dressing was a huge WOW!. The lobster meat chunks were fresh and sweet. The pasta, more like egg noodle, was equally delicious. Texturally, the pasta was perfectly cooked - firm to the bite. (Priced at SGD35.00) (Food rating: 4/5)
The Iberico pork chop and belly was delicious, tender and succulent. The fats melted the moment I put into my mouth. There were traces of oriental sauce - more like some Chinese sauce that we used to eat at home. (Priced at SGD50.00) (Food rating: 3.5/5)
The lined-caught John Dory with Spanish rice was mouthwatering. The sweetness of the dory fillet blends very well with the asparagus and prawn. Eating the entree with the Spanish rice was heavenly. The broth was flavourful and rich at the same time. The rice were perfectly cooked in al dente style - firm to the bite. I was intrigued by the Spanish rice which had nice alluring fragrance and yet had a nice texture. (Priced at SGD48.00) (Food rating: 5/5)
The first appetiser, the slow-cooked egg "english breakfast", was
mind-blowing. The poached eggs were perfectly cooked, keeping the yoke
runny. The egg rested nicely on tomato sauce and topped with crispy bacon
strips. Eating the egg with the sauce and bacon was divine. The combination had traces of saltiness from the bacon and sweet-sour from the tomato
sauce that blew us away. (Priced at SGD20.00) (Food rating: 5/5)
Another appetiser - salad of buttered lobster, pasta, seaweed and maple dressing was a huge WOW!. The lobster meat chunks were fresh and sweet. The pasta, more like egg noodle, was equally delicious. Texturally, the pasta was perfectly cooked - firm to the bite. (Priced at SGD35.00) (Food rating: 4/5)
The lined-caught John Dory with Spanish rice was mouthwatering. The sweetness of the dory fillet blends very well with the asparagus and prawn. Eating the entree with the Spanish rice was heavenly. The broth was flavourful and rich at the same time. The rice were perfectly cooked in al dente style - firm to the bite. I was intrigued by the Spanish rice which had nice alluring fragrance and yet had a nice texture. (Priced at SGD48.00) (Food rating: 5/5)
Chocolate roast cocoa nib ice cream, lavender parfait & cherry was my favourite amongst the three desserts. The chocolate was therapeutic.
Address: Flower Dome, Garden by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive #01-09 Singapore 018953
Rating: 4.8/5
Pricing: $$$
Stuffness Level (How full you are): 5/5
Stuffness Level (How full you are): 5/5
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