The Halia within Singapore’s Botanical Gardens is a local institution, having established its place firmly as one of Singapore’s top dining destinations where diners can enjoy unique contemporary European-Asian fusion cuisine amidst a background of lush tropical greenery.

But what you may not know is that its sibling restaurant The Halia at Raffles Hotel has been around for more than a year now, and serves up the same high quality cuisine, albeit in a more “urban-casual” setting. 

Against a backdrop of the iconic French windows of the Raffles Hotel, black-and-white checkered flooring and strategically placed leafy foliage all around the restaurant as a tribute to the garden theme of The Halia at Botanical Gardens, The Halia at Raffles Hotel turns the formality dial down a notch and offers a more laid-back dining style, with the option of “big plates” meant for sharing. And it’s in this spirit of “sociable” dining that they’ve launch the Communal Dinner (S$260), a menu of 12 courses to be enjoyed among four persons.

Stand-out starters include the delicate Goats’ Cheese Mousse with Heirloom Tomatoes, Olives, Wild Honey and Brioche and the innovative spicy Chili Crab Dip with Toasted Baguette that recreates the popular local favourite without having to get your hands dirty.

Following along this route of creativity in the mains is the Wagyu Beef “Zhajiangmian”, where wafer-thin mandolined vegetables take the place of noodles, and are smothered with an unctuously rich Wagyu beef, Iberico chorizo and oyster sauce. 

The Twice-cooked Spatchcock of Spring Chicken (above, left) is marinated in a smoky combination of paprika and mesquite, sous-vided, then roasted for a meltingly tender fowl. The accompanying cabbage slaw not only helps to mute the heat from the spices, but contributes an addictive piquancy of its own for a myriad of flavours in the palate.

Another highlight of the menu is the ‘Gunpowder’ Wagyu Topside Mayura Station (above, right) with a marbling score of 8-9. Dusted with the chef’s secret blend of seasoning - we picked up a hint of coffee - the beef is perfectly succulent and juicy. 

For dessert, the Coconut Parfait, Pineapple, Ginger Flower and Chocolate was a clear winner for its creamy semifreddo-like consistency and tropical flavours. The Sticky Date Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, Sea Salt and Vanilla Ice Cream is also noteworthy, particularly for the richly sweet caramel.

With an alfresco bar area in the colonial courtyard, it’s only right that The Halia at Raffles Hotel offers a well-curated beverage list, with a wide selection of wines, champagnes, cocktails, and to our delight, even beer on tap from Archipelago Brewery for a local craft beer fix.

But if you’re not into beer, two of the signature cocktails, the blue curacao-based Heavenly Halia (S$20, above) and vodka-based Ginger Cosmopolitan (S$20), make the most out of its namesake ingredient. The Halia’s alcohol of choice though, is the Scottish cucumber and rose infused gin, Hendrick’s Gin, with which it has an exclusive collaboration. Their bartenders are specially trained in concocting Hendrick’s based cocktails and even the chef infuses the gin into his house smoked salmon pate.

The Communal Dinner is available daily from 6pm - 10.30pm and includes a jug of Lemongrass or Iced Tea.

- Esther