Wildseed at The Oval at Seletar

Wildseed at The Oval at Seletar Aerospace Park is quite the find indeed.

Always on the lookout for new foodie enclaves to hang out at, I was curious about the new restaurants that are sprouting up in the secluded Seletar Aerospace Park, branded now as The Oval @ SAP.

This lifestyle hub hosts other restaurants like Youngs Bar & Restaurant, Wheeler’s Estate and Di Wei Teo Chew Restaurant.

But Wildseed seemed the most buzzing when I visited on a recent Friday for lunch. Wildseed is part of The Summerhouse, a “nature-inspired” restaurant helmed by the ex sous chef at one-Michelin-starred Alma at Goodwood Park Hotel.

Located on the ground floor of a gorgeous black-and-white colonial building, the menu for lunch is all about sandwiches, but with a twist.

You’ll see Poached Barramundi with brown butter and buttermilk vinaigrette ($18) and a beef brisket sandwich called The Morocano with eggplant stew, feta and hummus ($18).

My hubby chose the Pulled Pork “Nordic-style” that came with pickled beetroot and carrot marmalade ($16). They had run out of sourdough, so his only option was rye bread. Still, the sandwich was good, the pulled pork sufficiently moist and tasty, thanks to the sweet carrots and tangy beetroot.

I was attempting to go lo-carb so had the #NoBread option of a Doner Teller ($16) – the falafel balls were spiced just right with cumin and coriander, and thankfully, not dry at all. The accompanying eggplant salsa and yoghurt added moistness and even a lettuce-hater like myself enjoyed the charred lettuce with crunchy crouton bits on top.

Probably because they are just starting out, the staff were rather inexperienced and service was terribly slow. Hubby had ordered an ice cold beer that warmed up just in time for when his sandwich arrived.

We moved to the charming flower-filled indoor café for coffee and cake and were not disappointed at all! The cakes on offer all sound very interesting with fare like Citronella Passionfruit Cheesecake and Lavendar Cassis Muffin on offer.

We chose the Coconut Pineapple cake and the Ginger Flower Banana Loaf. Now, I have had my fair share of either super artificial-tasting or dry-as-cardboard banana cake but this was lovely! The slight heat from the ginger permeated the moist cake and little bits of caramelized ginger flower added a sticky, sweet feel to the cake.

The coconut pineapple will be a hit with coconut lovers, as it has golden, toasted coconut flakes smothering a fluffy coconut sponge. The only thing missing is some rum to go with it!

We had coffee by Nomad roasters instead and were very happy with our Gibraltar espresso, which isn’t something you find normally at most cafes. But it’s a shot we have loved ever since first discovering it at Toby’s Estate – a double shot of espresso with a little bit of milk.

I took the chance to study The Summerhouse’s menu as well. For dinner, it serves a Farming Collective Menu ($90 for 6 courses, $128 for 10 courses) and there are a la carte options available too, featuring items like Uni Pasta ($16) and Iberico Pork ($36).

During my stroll around The Oval, I checked out Youngs Restaurant & Bar. The ambience seemed more suited for an upmarket dining experience which wasn’t what we felt like doing for lunch on a weekday afternoon. Perhaps a visit over dinner might be better.

Likewise Wheeler’s Estate didn’t seem quite ready for service when I was there. And the menu seemed a little too pricey for what I would have been willing to pay for lunch at Seletar.

All in all, running off to Wildseed at The Oval at Seletar Aerospace Park is somewhat of an escape from the hustle and bustle of town. Especially enjoyable on a random weekday for lunch!

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Wildseed:

Address: 3 Park Ln, Singapore 798387 Park Ln, Singapore 798387

Contact: Call 8608-3340

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesummerhousesg

Opening Hours:

Wildseed Cafe: 10am to 7pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), 9am to 7pm (weekends), closed on Mondays

Wildseed Bar: 4pm to 10pm (Tuesdays to Thursdays and Sundays), 4pm to 11pm (Fridays and Saturdays), closed on Mondays

The Summerhouse Dining Room: 11am to 3pm (weekend lunch), 6pm to 10pm (Wednesdays to Saturdays), 6pm to 9pm (Sundays), closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

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