Fresh Garden at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18 S(329563) - The Ambience

The Ambience 

Tucked away within the compound of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital is an 8 month cafe called Fresh Garden which was officially opened on 10 September 2014. 

Fresh Garden is furnished with very pastel tones of all white color on its walls with the singular island beam in the core centre of the cafe shaded in Apple Green.  See through clear glass panels flush to the floor formed the partition between the cafe & the corridor, acting as the entrance gateway to the cafe. 

Fresh Garden's cement flooring is overlaid with beech wooden parquet flooring to create that cosy look. 

Beech top square dining table presents a matching shade to the beech color flooring, and is paired with functional lightweight, strong, comfortable, stackable Air ArmChair - MAGIS by Jaspar Morrison Air Family priced about 105 pounds each for a set of 4. 

The island pillar in the centre of the cafe spots a pastel apple green hue on which hangs a Notice board made from corkscrew material showcasing polaroid shots of regular as well as first time customers to Fresh Garden. 

Here at the Service Counter where the order is laced & the payment made, three 5" matte black solid brass chandelier overhangs from the ceiling platform.

The Chiller next to the Service Counter displays the selection of more than 25 ingredients & mix-ins for the salad.

Fresh Garden Menu 2015 

The Fresh Garden Menu 2015 at a glance includes 

(A)The All Day Non Salad Menu offering 

• Soup of the Day  
• Soft Bun Sliders in 3 flavors = Tuna, Egg Mayonnaise, Ham & Egg 
• Wholemeal Toastie in 3 flavors = Peanut Butter, Cream Cheese Blueberry, Ham & Cheese 
• Chilled Wholemeal Sandwiches in 3 flavors = Tuna, Egg Mayonnaise, Ham & Cheese

(B) Chef Designed Salad comes in 4 flavors 

• Tuna Chunks Japanese Sesame Oil Dressing 
• Honey Lime Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette 
• Grilled Salmon with Fusilli Pasta & Sesame Ginger
• Smoked Duck with honey Djion dressing 
• Honey Lime Chicken Caesar salad

(C) Create-Your-Own Salad Menu allows for customers to choose between a salad or wrap, then select from a list of 13 vegetables, 4 types of nuts & chips, 5 types of fresh & dried fruits. 

(D) Beverages include canned drinks, packet drinks, fruity flavored drinks, Milo.

Infographic Posters adorn the wall spaces with health & food tips to educate & inspire customers about healthy eating, these includes :

• Food that boost your Metabolism
• Foods that make you happy 
• Foods for Radiant Skin 

About Fresh Garden 
Fresh Garden located at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18 is a cafe that serves up pretty decent gourmet style composed salad, healthy soup, hearty sandwich, delicious wraps, fruity parfait. Both husband & wife team of Henry Kiong, 36 & Filisa Ngoh, 34, come from Financial Banking Industry for more than 10 years. The kitchen & operations is handled by Henry Kiong. 

The Signatures include Smoked Duck Salad with Honey Djion Dressing, Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Caesar Salad, Honey Lime Grilled Chicken Salad, Egg & Mayonnaise Slider, Tuna & Cheese Slider, Ham & Egg Slider.

Fresh Garden Cafe is located at : 

Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18

38 Irrawaddy Road, S(329563)

Tel : 94504579 

Tel : 66942275

Email : henrykiong@yahoo.com.sg

www.facebook.com/FreshGardenSG

Instagram.com/Fresh_Garden_Mt_E

Nearest MRT : Novena 

Opening hours :

Mondays to Fridays  8 am to 7 pm 

Saturdays - 8.30 am to 1.30 pm

Sundays & Public Holidays (Closed) 

Fresh Garden Cafe at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18 S(329563) - The Honey Lime Chicken Caesar Salad

This is the Honey Lime Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Salad dressing priced at S$10.90 & served here at Fresh Garden located at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18. 

About Fresh Garden 

Fresh Garden located at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18 is a cafe that serves up pretty decent gourmet style composed salad, healthy soup, hearty sandwich, delicious wraps, fruity parfait. Both husband & wife team of Henry Kiong, 36 & Filisa Ngoh, 34, come from Financial Banking Industry for more than 10 years. The kitchen & operations is handled by Henry Kiong. 

The Signatures include Smoked Duck Salad with Honey Djion Dressing, Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Caesar Salad, Honey Lime Grilled Chicken Salad, Egg & Mayonnaise Slider, Tuna & Cheese Slider, Ham & Egg Slider.

The Core Ingredients used in this salad includes - Honey Lime roast chicken, Zucchini, walnuts, croutons, hard boiled egg, fresh avocado, Romaine lettuce, Japanese cucumber, diced potatoes, homemade Caesar Salad dressing. 

How it is prepared - The Chicken Caesar salad is prepared by layering the core ingredients into the salad bowl ala minute as per order. 

Co-Founder Henry Kiong gets his frozen chicken thigh from his supplier Gan Teck Kar Investments, marinates it & grills it at the kitchen here at Fresh Garden daily. The dressing is homemade from scratch using Henry Kiong & Filisa Ngoh's secret recipe. 

Tasting Notes - This Honey Lime Chicken Caesar Salad with homemade Caesar Salad dressing has all the trappings of my favorite ingredients, namely, roast chicken, walnuts, avocado, Japanese cucumber or zucchini, croutons, hard boiled egg, Romaine lettuce. 

The chicken is roasted to perfection under the careful eye of Henry Kiong, is tender & juicy on the inside, yet crispy fragrant at the skin. The walnut lends a nutty crunchy texture & sweet flavor to this salad, whilst the avocado gives an added level of smooth & creamy texture & balances the savory flavor of the chicken. 

The Japanese cucumber (zucchini) & lightly mildly bitter tinge of Romaine lettuce gives a refreshing crunchy bite to the dish & balances the savory crunch of the croutons which soaks in the Caesar Salad dressing to hold a strong mustard tinge. 

The fresh hard boiled egg adds to a fragrant sweet flavored protein to this salad. The diced potatoes are cooked al dente to lend another crunchiness to the salad. Altogether a wholesale heartwarming refreshing combination of flavor inclined towards a lighter flavored salad - the avocado gives refreshing creaminess, soaks in the mustardy citrus flavor from the Caesar dressing made in house at Fresh Garden. 

I am almost torn between the former sweet Smoked Duck salad & this latter savory Chicken Caesar salad. But in the end the dressing sort of sealed the ultimate winner - the savory Chicken Caesar Salad.

Fresh Garden Cafe is located at : 

Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18

38 Irrawaddy Road, S(329563)

Tel : 94504579 

Tel : 66942275

Email : henrykiong@yahoo.com.sg

www.facebook.com/FreshGardenSG

Instagram.com/Fresh_Garden_Mt_E

Nearest MRT : Novena 

Opening hours :

Mondays to Fridays  8 am to 7 pm 

Saturdays - 8.30 am to 1.30 pm

Sundays & Public Holidays (Closed) 

Fresh Garden Cafe at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18 S(329563) - The Smoked Duck Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

This is the Smoked Duck Salad with Homemade Honey Djion Dressing priced at S$10.90 & served here at Fresh Garden located at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18. 

About Fresh Garden 
Fresh Garden located at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18 is a cafe that serves up pretty decent gourmet style composed salad, healthy soup, hearty sandwich, delicious wraps, fruity parfait. Both husband & wife team of Henry Kiong, 36 & Filisa Ngoh, 34, come from Financial Banking Industry for more than 10 years. The kitchen & operations is handled by Henry Kiong. 

The Signatures include Smoked Duck Salad with Honey Djion Dressing, Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Caesar Salad, Honey Lime Grilled Chicken Salad, Egg & Mayonnaise Slider, Tuna & Cheese Slider, Ham & Egg Slider.

The Core Ingredients used in this salad includes - Smoked duck, dried Cranberries, Fusilli pasta, French beans, Romaine lettuce, Sweet potato cubes, Red & green capsicum (julienned), crispy Tortilla chips, homemade Honey Djion dressing. 

How it is prepared - The Smoked Duck salad with Honey Djion dressing is prepared by layering the core ingredients into the salad bowl ala minute as per order. 

Henry Kiong first layers the salad with base of Romaine lettuce slices, followed by the Fusilli pasta, French beans, dried Cranberries, diced sweet potatoes, red & green capsicum, and some Tortilla chips, & finally a generous dose of the Smoked Duck slices. He drizzles a generous portion of his homemade Honey Djion dressing onto the composed salad. 

Co-Founder Henry Kiong gets his smoked duck from local supplier Wang Foong Foodstuffs Suppliers Pte Ltd. (*Wang Foong Foodstuffs Suppliers Pte Ltd was incorporated in 1983 & is Singapore's leading manufacturer & distributor of ham, sausages & various delicatessen.) 

The Fusilli pasta, French beans, sweet potato are cooked & allowed to cool before the latter two are cut into smaller bite size portion in lengths & cubes. The red & green capsisum & the Romaine lettuce are  evenly julienned & served raw in the salad.

Tasting Notes - The Smoked Duck salad with Honey Djion dressing is a sweet salad that encompassed both the sweet & savoury flavors. The dried cranberry lends a tarty sweetness, the smoked duck exudes a moist tender texture with a savoury smoky flavor. 

There is a crispiness coming from the Romaine lettuce, a mild sweetness from the cubed sweet potatoes. To balance the sweet sourly flavor from the cranberries, Henry uses French beans & capsicum that lends a lightly crisp. 

The raw lettuce, raw red & green capsicum adds to give a refreshing crispy crunch & bite to the salad & a mild spicy tinge. The parboiled French beans adds to the crunchy texture of the salad & a sweet flavor. 

The Fusilli pasta is done perfectly cooked & with a not too hard texture. I am not a Tortilla lover but this Tortilla crisp does give you that extra crispy spicy texture & flavor, although it tends to dry out in the air-con pretty fast. 

The ingredient that really wow me over is definitely the smoked duck that is sliced into bite size pieces - I love its savory sweet smoky flavor, the color is a simple light pale pink hue with minimal additives & coloring, & the duck meat is so tender moist juicy, yet firm unlike those others I had tried at some cafes earlier where it was overly hard, overly salty, over done. 

The winning ingredient in this salad is the Honey Djion dressing - it sort of envelopes all the ingredients to give this sweet mustardy pungent fragrant flavor, with the honey lending a tinge of sweetness to the salad. 

So there is this overall combination of flavors & textures - the crunchiness from the capsicum, sweet from the sweet potatoes, sourly sweetness from the dried cranberries, juicy smoky flavor from smoked duck, Tortilla chips giving a crispy bite.Overall a hearty, rustic home-style salad. For someone like me who is very much into raw non-processed food,  I simply fell in love with it.

Fresh Garden Cafe is located at : 

Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital #01-18

38 Irrawaddy Road, S(329563)

Tel : 94504579 

Tel : 66942275

Email : henrykiong@yahoo.com.sg

www.facebook.com/FreshGardenSG

Instagram.com/Fresh_Garden_Mt_E

Nearest MRT : Novena 

Opening hours :

Mondays to Fridays  8 am to 7 pm 

Saturdays - 8.30 am to 1.30 pm

Sundays & Public Holidays (Closed)