Labrador Nature Park is well known for its historical significance, coastal shoreline, and rustic beauty. With the arrival of Eco Gourmet Café, this park has added fine dining as the latest feather in its cap.
This international restaurant is nestled beautifully in the park’s lush greenery, and exudes a sense of tranquility and peace. Managed by French chef Yannick Tirbois and his wife, Ilse, the atmosphere feels much like that of an island getaway. This could be attributed to the couple’s past expertise in the Thai resort of Koh Samui, where they managed a restaurant for over 10 years.
We started with the lemongrass juice ($6). Light and refreshing, it came without the cloying, overwhelming taste that I have come to expect when lemongrass is prepared inexpertly. The drink also cleared our palates for the dishes to come.
Before our food orders came, we were served an amuse-bouche of a well-flavoured fish patty with wasabi sauce. This complimentary ‘welcome’ appetiser from the chef was an unexpected delightful treat.
Our entrée, fresh goat cheese mousse ($18), was indeed fresh. Its light, smooth texture melted in our mouths. It was accompanied by tomato jam and caramelised pear, which provided a gentle sweet sensation to the tastebuds.
As we are both fish lovers, I had the Dish of the Day, the halibut fillet ($22), while my dining companion had the crispy Shiozake salmon steak ($28). Both mains did not disappoint. The fish was impressively fresh, and the side vegetables – pumpkin and carrots – added interesting complexity to the savoury main dish. Besides the selection of fish, Eco also offers a variety of red meats.
Variety being the spice of life, Yannick varies his choice of side vegetables seasonally, along with their method of preparation. These, together with the varying Dishes of the Day, ensure that no two visits to Eco will ever be the same.
The handmade desserts were delicious, and also extremely good value. The Valrhona dark bitter sweet chocolate mousse with orange marmalade and ginger syrup ($13) made excellent use of the famous, high-quality chocolate. It had a myriad of flavours to tantalise the palate: bitter chocolate mousse, refreshing ginger syrup, and passionfruit and raspberry sauce on the sides. These balanced each other so well, it was clear that this dish had been thought through with great care. It came with madeleines to complement the fruit sauces and the chocolate.
We also had the Iced Nougat honey-candied fruit parfait ($10). Each light, fresh spoonful tasted like a surprise, with perfectly-diced fruit and intriguing crunchy bits.
In short: Eco offers unpretentious fine dining at affordable prices, coupled with warm hospitality by Yannick and Ilse. With its emphasis on unhurried, quality dining time, I managed to spend more than four relaxed hours at the restaurant!
If dinner is not your cup of tea, Eco also offers lunch options which include a set menu at $30. And yes, you can expect the same friendly service and great value at lunchtime too. Do call ahead for reservations, as I expect this charming hidden gem to be extremely popular once more people discover it.
Eco Gourmet Café at Labrador Nature Park is open from 11 am to 11 pm on weekdays (except Monday, when it is closed) and 10 am to midnight on weekends. For reservations and more information, call 6479 5558.
We have a set lunch for two at Eco Gourmet Café to give away! Simply take part in our contest for your chance to win.
By Eta Lauw
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A Fine Dining Gem At Labrador Nature Park
Labrador Nature Park is well known for its historical significance, coastal shoreline, and rustic beauty. With the arrival of Eco Gourmet Café, this park has added fine dining as the latest feather in its cap.
This international restaurant is nestled beautifully in the park’s lush greenery, and exudes a sense of tranquility and peace. Managed by French chef Yannick Tirbois and his wife, Ilse, the atmosphere feels much like that of an island getaway. This could be attributed to the couple’s past expertise in the Thai resort of Koh Samui, where they managed a restaurant for over 10 years.
We started with the lemongrass juice ($6). Light and refreshing, it came without the cloying, overwhelming taste that I have come to expect when lemongrass is prepared inexpertly. The drink also cleared our palates for the dishes to come.
Before our food orders came, we were served an amuse-bouche of a well-flavoured fish patty with wasabi sauce. This complimentary ‘welcome’ appetiser from the chef was an unexpected delightful treat.
Our entrée, fresh goat cheese mousse ($18), was indeed fresh. Its light, smooth texture melted in our mouths. It was accompanied by tomato jam and caramelised pear, which provided a gentle sweet sensation to the tastebuds.
As we are both fish lovers, I had the Dish of the Day, the halibut fillet ($22), while my dining companion had the crispy Shiozake salmon steak ($28). Both mains did not disappoint. The fish was impressively fresh, and the side vegetables – pumpkin and carrots – added interesting complexity to the savoury main dish. Besides the selection of fish, Eco also offers a variety of red meats.
Variety being the spice of life, Yannick varies his choice of side vegetables seasonally, along with their method of preparation. These, together with the varying Dishes of the Day, ensure that no two visits to Eco will ever be the same.
The handmade desserts were delicious, and also extremely good value. The Valrhona dark bitter sweet chocolate mousse with orange marmalade and ginger syrup ($13) made excellent use of the famous, high-quality chocolate. It had a myriad of flavours to tantalise the palate: bitter chocolate mousse, refreshing ginger syrup, and passionfruit and raspberry sauce on the sides. These balanced each other so well, it was clear that this dish had been thought through with great care. It came with madeleines to complement the fruit sauces and the chocolate.
We also had the Iced Nougat honey-candied fruit parfait ($10). Each light, fresh spoonful tasted like a surprise, with perfectly-diced fruit and intriguing crunchy bits.
In short: Eco offers unpretentious fine dining at affordable prices, coupled with warm hospitality by Yannick and Ilse. With its emphasis on unhurried, quality dining time, I managed to spend more than four relaxed hours at the restaurant!
If dinner is not your cup of tea, Eco also offers lunch options which include a set menu at $30. And yes, you can expect the same friendly service and great value at lunchtime too. Do call ahead for reservations, as I expect this charming hidden gem to be extremely popular once more people discover it.
Eco Gourmet Café at Labrador Nature Park is open from 11 am to 11 pm on weekdays (except Monday, when it is closed) and 10 am to midnight on weekends. For reservations and more information, call 6479 5558.
We have a set lunch for two at Eco Gourmet Café to give away! Simply take part in our contest for your chance to win.
By Eta Lauw
Back to Lifestyle main page ShareThis