Food For Thought

A lovely, open and family-​friendly setting makes this place an ideal brunch location or a large group gathering. My kids love the outdoor playgrounds that’s why I come here whenever I need to relax or meet up with someone. Food is fantastic. I always come for the Thai burger. Even their salad portions are big by Singapore standards. Recommended for families.

A casual place that is good for family time due to the large space and playground outside to occupy the children.
Food is decent but nothing special to be honest. Maybe except the Gula Melaka granola.
But prices are more than fair and nett.

Surprisingly empty for brunch on a Saturday (reached at 12.30pm). Food was decent but not great.
Tried their basic breakfast ($ 9) and my friends got the full breakfast ($ 22) and their special of the day, banana walnut toast ($ 12). The banana walnut toast that came topped with yogurt was too sweet for my liking. The toast also tasted more like a muffin. The scrambled eggs and brioche were decent though.
Not the best brunch place in town, but good for a casual catch up. Also appreciate the lack of GST and service charge.
Coffee ($ 5) was out of the machine and not good at all.

Heard good reviews from my church mates for this place so decided to try it out with my friends.
Was pretty empty on a Thursday night so we were able to choose the high chairs for our seat. As we were there for the first time, I wasn’t really sure on where to order and asked one of the staffs about it. She directed us to the front where you can see the computer.
Before making payments, what looked good to me was the Lemongrass Galangal Seafood Risotto. And of course, Milo Godzilla pudding for the dessert. My friends ordered the brunch platter for ²⁄₃ pax and grilled barramundi fillet with holy basil almond pesto.
Food came pretty earlier than what I expected. Mine came first and I started digging in without much hesitation. Was into risotto lately (hmmm). My food has a strong aroma (which made me even hungrier than before) and the first bite, you can taste the different flavors bursting on your tongue. I love the touch of the ingredients especially the lemongrass condiments and the chilli inside the risotto. Overall, two thumbs up. The downside was that it was on the higher end and the portion wasn’t big.
Tried the brunch platter — it consist quite a variety (seen on the picture). I always crave for good fries and the fries have a crispy touch on it. I tried hashbrowns and the lemon dill fish fingers has fresh peach on it. The Crispy Chicken Tortilla was also good. All of them has perfect touch of condiments/​sauces in them which made the taste last inside the mouth. The grilled barramundi filet wasn’t that wow.
For the Milo Godzilla pudding, I was searching for «rare» desserts and this one caught my eye straightaway even before my friend announced that she would like to order one portion too. Like a molten lava cake, it has ice cream on top (coconut flavored if I wasn’t wrong) and chocolate cake at the bottom. The chocolate cake was moist. I am glad that we ordered just one dessert as we couldn’t probably finish if we have more.
Interior design wasn’t too fancy. Open concept kitchen and open concept layout with some modern touches on its furnitures. Price like I mentioned, it is on the higher end but since it is located at one of the touristy places — Botanical Gardens, price range for me was al-​right. Will be back for more in the future :)

A very convenient place to have a bunch in a before going to Botanic Garden. The place is very family friendly (could be a bit noisy for couples tho). Overall the food quality is good. The french toast with bacon is fluffy and yummy with the malaka syrup. The burger is good too. Last year I came here for the full breakfast (Full work) — which is fulfilling but a bit too much for a girl… haha…coffee is lovely too.

This is a great little spot for brunch after a walk around the Botanic Garden. Service was quick and impeccable! We’d read about the berry and chocolate pancakes on a blog post and decided they were a necessary addition to American-​style eggs, toast and bacon and an order of chicken laksa. The pancakes were tasty but not particularly special for pancakes. The homemade brioche toast was a clear winner, as was the laksa. The lattes were perfect for cooling down after the humidity of the gardens. Overall, a perfect spot to grab a bite.

Saw my gf post on facebook about this place and have decided to give this place a visit. I went to Botanical Garden on a lovely weekend.
Upon arrival, this place is real big and they have the indoor and outdoor seating. I join the queue and place an order on their breakfast specialty and oh my didn’t realize that the portion was so big.
Anyway, I have sat there for hours enjoying my reading and food. Overall this place is a gem and its a good place for family hangout and spend your afternoon lazing around.
Their scone is simply too delicious, im a big fan of scone and I would simply had it for meal. The scone is big and filling and I brought 2 home for teabreak.
Would visit here again …

Just love the banana walnut pancakes… And the fact that its inside the beautiful botanic garden makes this restaurant a nice place to visit for brunch on weekends.

Had a lovely brunch out here with friends and kids.
I had a bangers & mash and it was good! Hub had a pasta with Broccoli and prawn. That was good too!
Best part is the kids can run outside the café and you can watch them play outside while enjoying adult conversations inside with aircon. 2 thumbs up for good food and location.

Nestled in the greenery and trees of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Food For Thought truly wins in terms of location. The atmosphere is quite nice as well, really green and casual with concrete floors, wooden tables and an open kitchen. On a Sunday afternoon expect to see many families with kids there, which makes for a loud, messy environment. I don’t mind kids, I think they’re really entertaining to watch, but I know some other reviewers complained that there were too many kids…
The food was also very good! I’ve been getting a bit tired of hawker food, so I was willing to spend a little bit more to get a little taste of home. I ordered the grilled ham and cheese and roasted tomato salad, total was $ 13. The sandwich was served on ciabatta bread with greens and Dijon mustard vinigrette with sliced roasted ham and ooey goeey melty cheese (havarti, I think). I’m not sure if the sandwich was actually really good, or if I just missed bread and cheese so much that it didn’t matter how good it was. I do think the sandwich could use more cheese– If I knew how little they would put I would have asked for extra, and been willing to pay for it. The roasted tomato salad was good, but not amazing. I was expecting grilled tomatoes on a plate seasoned with lemon and salt and pepper, but the dish was more like half of a sliced mushy tomato on a bed of greens. It was okay, but I think the dish could use a better dressing and more tomatoes. Being the seasoned eater that I am I can frequently think of ways to make a dish better, but don’t get me wrong, the food here is good.
I think the cheapest item on the lunch menu is the chicken rendang S$ 9 and on the breakfast menu (served from 8:30 — 10:30?) is the mee rebus for S$ 5.
One complaint I have is the people from the milkshake stand out front asked my friend and I three times if we wanted to buy a milkshake. The stand (some university partnership with FFT) is raising funds for children in Cambodia, which is a good cause and all, but I would have appreciated not being asked to buy a milkshake three times in a ten minute interval.
If you’re in the area definitely see the Botanic Gardens. Food For Thought makes a great reward for your long, sweaty walk though the gardens. :D

Such a beautiful setting! These guys have made great use of this space with its high, high ceilings and lush greenery around (hey it’s the Botanic Gardens after all), it’s really a treat to come by.
It was a pretty cool afternoon when I came by for some lunch, so the seats outdoors where actually a feasible option made easier when you find seats within the reach of the fan. Yes, we Singaporeans are so dependent on the wonders of air-​conditioning. Okay I am so dependent on the wonders of air-​conditioning.
So back to the space. It’s big. And it feels a little too big sometimes, especially when you have to wander around to: a) order your food, b) collect your utensils, c) find a seat. Almost like a school canteen on your first day… but thankfully the food is better here. Check out the lunch time specials — great deals there, but of course there are lots of other tasty options. Remember your table number!

Food for Thought is located in the basement of the Botany Centre. It is close to the Tanglin Gate (Napier Road) and is reachable from Orchard Road.
I did not find anything exceptionally great about the food, but that is not to say that it wasn’t delicious. I definitely wouldn’t want to make a trip to FTT just for the food but I would eat here if I happen to be spending a day in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. I do like the décor of the restaurant though — lots of natural lighting in a very casual environment.

average brunch food at the botanic gardens — some dishes (the simple ones) better executed than others. this placeIs rather popular, and I can see why. it’s a large open space, completely casual canteen-​seating predominates, and the menu is likewise expansive.
it’s not the best brunch I’ve had — really, not even close — but I don’t really think that’s the point. it feels rather more like a place you go to to be convivial, or bring your screaming children along — without too more recrimination, with a dash of decent food to help lubricate conversation.
it’s a casual place, this — you shimmy up to order at the cashier and food gets served to the table. the partner had his mind set on the trio of sliders: the kaffir lime fish, spicy thai chicken and pulled pork. served alongside fries, these were all average — the bread was soft and giving though, and we’ll recommend the chicken: it was tender, moist leg meat, seasoned well.
I took the salad-​as-​lunch option. the plate of sugar snap peas came tossed in a soy-​sesame mix — refreshing in its simple greenness. the peas are untrimmed though, and I had to remove all the threads myself — avoid this if you’re on a first-​date-​first-​impressions kind of deal.
the smoked salmon & broccoli plate was a great mix of flavors. chargrilled broccoli, cold hot-​smoked salmon and roast beetroot — all delicious.
I might return. that salad was good, and the place does brunch proud — a vibrant atmosphere, nothing too awe-​inducing or surprising for the first meal of the day. comfortable like those old pyjamas you can’t bear to throw away. just don’t come expecting mind-​blowing food, and get in on the chillness of it all.

Food for Thought is a large restaurant in the basement of the Botanic Garden (not by the MRT side — you have to walk to the other end of the park, or can get here by driving and there is parking available). Serves the typical array of American breakfast foods, from eggs & hash browns to pancakes, some with an extra flare. Two people in my group had the chocolate and raspberry pancakes, which were delicious! I also loved the hash browns I ordered (which were like American tater tots). The other food were tasty too. We came here for brunch so we didn’t try a lot of the lunch menu items. The one I did try– the ratatouille — was mediocre. The ambiance was casual.
They get docked some stars because of the ordering system which is a little confusing. You have to order and pay at the counter, and give them your table number so they can deliver it to the right table when the food comes. We had to make sure someone was sitting at the table so that it wasn’t taken. It was also pretty crowded and busy so the service wasn’t the fastest (although it’s mostly self-​service so you have to be pretty proactive about asking the wait staff for what you need). But, overall, we enjoyed our time here and I would recommend it as a nice breakfast or brunch place before (or after) a day out at the Botanic Gardens!

Food For Thought always hold a special place in my palate… the all day breakfast and pancakes are always so delectable.
The food offering at the Botanical Gardens outlet is slightly different from the one at their restaurant at 8Q but it’s equally tasty.
For first timers the ordering system may be a little confusing cos it’s mainly self service and the wait staff are mainly there to help serve the orders instead of taking orders at the table. Utensils, water etc are also to be taken by patrons themselves.
Since this restaurant is much larger than the outlet at 8Q and the atmosphere is supposed to be a lot more casual and relaxing, this «do-​everything-​at-​your-​own-​pace» system is pretty alright. Finding a seat first may be challenging on a crowded day but hey, lighten up and enjoy the smell of nature! You are afterall, in the Botanic Gardens! :)
However, the place depends a lot on natural lighting thus it may get a little dim when the sky is cloudy. The lights used are mainly spot lights at the area where the long tables are, thus it may also get a little warm.
Understand your own preference and choose your seats wisely, I’m sure the overall experience will still be enjoyable.

The service at the Botanic Gardens outlet is slightly different the one at SAM. This is a semi self-​service system where you order and pay at the cashier and then the food gets served to you at your table. Even though it’s pretty big, but it takes a while to get a table and then a little more to get your food. I prefer the sit down service at 8Q because at least i don’t have to stand around to grab tables a la food court style. However, Botanic wins in terms of space and the close proximity to nature. Take your pick.
Food is pretty much the same. Customize your own breakfast set with their creamy scrambled eggs (must order). FfT has one of the better scrambled eggs around because they actually use cream in theirs to give it that runny and buttery texture. I would say skip the Toasts unless you really need carbs. Their spreads are really pathetic though.
What you should not miss out on is the pancakes. 2 Buttermilk base Pancakes served with Fresh Cream and Gula Melaka Syrup with the choice of different flavors such as Banana and Walnuts, Milk Chocolate, Dark Choc and Raspberries etc. Prices range from S$ 8 to $ 12.

Food for Thought started out as a little café in the Bras Brasah area and has now expanded to include a restaurant in the Botanic Gardens. They serve no frills comfort food at a pretty decent price.
The branch in the Botanic Gardens is huge and it’s a nice place to go for lunch or brunch after a walk in the park. They’ve got a wide array of desserts, Western and local mains, as well as breakfast.
Most of their dishes have a cool local twist to it. I tried the banana pancakes which was served with gula Melaka syrup. I would come back here for sure for brunch.

Food for thought is at one end of Botanic Garden hiding at a basement. Along the way, there are no signboard to lead us there. But when you reach the restaurant, it is still filled with people. If you take MRT to Botanic Garden, you may have to walk from one end of the park to the other to reach the place.
The restaurant is very spacious with nice décor. You can choose to sit indoor or take the out door seats. For us, after a long walk and all sweaty, we went ahead with siting inside without thinking. Orders have to be made at the counter. To speed up the ordering process, the restaurant have two ordering counters.
The food were average but the ambience was great. You wouldn’t want to go back out under the Sun after finding a place like this in the garden.

Located right in the botanical gardens in the middle of the city, this place is a lush, tropical oasis where one can seek respite from the heat and get relax in FFT.
Great ambience here — I especially love the plants growing out of holes in the concrete tables. Its spacious, bright interior is welcoming and cheery, with floor to ceiling glass panels and a high roof.
There is even a little playground just outside the restaurant, so this place is popular with families on weekends.
They serve all day breakfast here from 8am to 5pm, and even give early birds a local black coffee or tea offer at $ 1 when you order local breakfast items between 8am-​10am.
There’s the Full Works breakfast pieces at $ 18, and it comes with scrambled eggs, bacon, buttered toast, chicken sausage, hash brown, garlic mushrooms and a toasted tomato salad. Nothing mind blowing, but it’s definitely a hearty breakfast!
They bake their own pastries and desserts here, and I ordered an old southern red velvet cake for $ 6. The cake was dry and unpalatable, with a weird cardboard aftertaste.
However I was pleasantly surprised when I brought the cake back. The staff were very apologetic and offered to exchange it for any other dessert, making recommendations for me as well. I chose the passion fruit curd cheesecake, which was quite heavy and but tasty and kept me quite happy.
Decent coffee is served here, bit when it gets really hot, I order a fresh juice or a San pelligrino to cool off.
I’ve yet to try the lunch and dinner menu, but would definitely be back for more!

This is going to fast become one of my favourite joints.
Good grilled portobello salad with ginger and sesame dressing, great pancakes (banana walnut is my usual choice), decent brunch (pick any 3 items from the list of usual suspects for $ 8 only), decent prices and bread and butter pudding, the last being the clincher. Oh and there’s free Wi-​Fi.
A satisfying bread and butter pudding can be had for a mere $ 6ish, drenched in milky vanilla over it. This always makes my day.
(Electronic) parking is ample in the underground Botanical gardens carpark, which means rain or shine, you’re covered from your car all the way to your pudding.
The fact that the restaurant/​café is next to a children’s playground and surrounded by greenery with sun shining in makes it that much more pleasing to dine in. Every table has a hole shaped in it for potted plants, and the lights overhead are fashioned from tins. I love just about everything about this place.
Food for Thought does not charge for service, GST is already included in the listed prices so what you see on the menu is what you pay. So if you dig their service, remember to leave a tip, or choose to donate $ 2 when you take a glass of free clean water, so an African can be blessed with the same for a year.
Cool café with a great concept. Love it!