EDEN CAFE @ Chinese Garden

The revamp of the Chinese Garden area has definitely brought about a much needed change to the park that is located right behind Chinese Garden MRT Station; whilst works have not fully come to an end in sprucing up the entire park, it does seem that several zones have already been opened to the public with new attractions to boast as well. Part of the park has also seen the addition of new F&B spaces — EDEN Cafe being one of such places there. Being a six (6) minute walk away from Chinese Garden MRT Station, EDEN Cafe is located right behind the bridge that leads up to the first pagoda tower that one would see when heading to Chinese Garden from Chinese Garden MRT Station; they are located right across from the Pagoda Plaza where one can find a public restroom as well. EDEN Cafe takes up quite a good amount of space, with the dining establishment having both indoor and outdoor dining spaces. The interior of EDEN is kept clean and modern with a slight Balinese influence in its interior; the furniture and fittings featuring wooden and rattan-esque accents, while there is also a vast use of greenery that helped to spruce up the space. The outdoor seating surrounds the perimeter of EDEN Cafe, with seats providing views of the Jurong Lake, as well as the side nearer towards the Pagoda Plaza for a view of the park. Reservations are recommended for those whom intend to dine-in in the indoor area. The food menu at EDEN Cafe is split across several categories; this includes sections such as that of All Day Brunch, Local Delights, Local Kopi & Toast, and Snacks & Desserts. It is noted that EDEN Cafe has a Kids Menu, whilst beverages available includes espresso-based specialty coffee brewed using beans roasted by Dutch Colony Coffee Co., non-caffeinated beverages , tea by the pot, refreshers, juices and teas — just to name a few.

One thing of which that we found to be rather interesting in the menu of EDEN Cafe was its local-fusion dishes; the menu does carry more familiar western dishes such as the Meatball Pasta, whilst also coming with familiar classics such as the Nyonya Mee Siam and the Peranakan Laksa — that being said, items that stood out to us included the Singapore Har Cheong Gai Waffles and the Curry Creamy Pasta. Considering our love for all things curry-related, we went for the latter dish — the menu describes the Curry Cream Pasta as a dish featuring curry sauce, pasta, spices, coconut milk, kidney bean, mushroom and baby spinach. Priced at $14, the dish does come in a portion size that may be a little small for bigger appetites in general. To be very honest, we were less than impressed with what we had gotten; while the flavours of the pasta was consistent and that it wasn’t a pasta that felt particularly creamy, the curry sauce felt carried a note that felt that it based off the curry broth of instant noodle packets — just something that lacked the oomph and that level of “lemak” that we are looking for. Whilst coming with baby spinach and small chunks of meat and mushrooms to make everything seem a little more wholesome, we aren’t really certain about why they had included the kidney beans here — the kidney beans just didn’t feel like they belonged anywhere here. The Coconut Ice-Cream in the meanwhile is priced at a hefty $12.90 per portion but it probably is that one item that one is likely to crave for if exploring Chinese Gardens under the sweltering heat; the Coconut Ice-Cream comes with elements such as coconut juice, coconut ice-cream and crushed peanuts — all served in a coconut husk that comes with the flesh as well.

It is noted that the menu did mention about Gula Melaka, though we weren’t able to identify the element in the portion of the Coconut Ice-Cream that was served to us. Overall, quite a refreshing treat where cold ice-cream meets the succulent coconut flesh — all that whilst the coconut juice carried a slight saltishness in its inherent flavours as well. Flat White was decent but nothing much to shout about; one that came with a light body and an earthy and nutty flavour profile — also came surprisingly decent considering how our food orders turned out. All in all, we felt that EDEN Cafe felt like an establishment that is more for its vibes than actually for the food that it has to offer; we definitely enjoyed how it is being set-up in the middle of a tranquil environment surrounded by water as well as offering views of the pagoda tower in Chinese Garden itself. That being said, the quality of the food felt a little bit far from desired — the food offerings being a little tad basic, not to mention that most of its food offerings on the menu were already listed as “sold out” despite us dropping by the establishment for early dinner on a weekend. Whilst the availability of limited items on the menu can be attributed to the hoards of crowds checking out both the garden and EDEN Cafe, the service was also hugely confusing with us being shown to a table situated indoors despite another staff claiming that indoor dining is only available to those whom have made reservations online; food also took quite a long waiting time though understandably so considering the size of the place. There is probably little reason for one to make an out-of-the-way visit to EDEN Cafe, though if one is into dining around the unique surroundings that it is located in, then that’s pretty much that.