Media Room

Gardens by the Bay today announced the operators for three of its food and beverage (F&B) outlets in the Bay South Garden.

The successful tenders for the three F&B spaces – a casual dining area at the Supertree Grove, a restaurant in the Flower Dome, and Satay by the Bay – were selected to offer visitors a wide range of dining options. They are part of the 13 F&B spaces that have been planned for the 54-hectare Bay South Garden. Up to eight of the F&B spaces are expected to be operational when Bay South officially opens in June 2012.

"Gardens by the Bay is dedicated to all Singaporeans to enjoy with their families and friends," said Dr Kiat W. Tan, CEO, Gardens by the Bay. "The operators selected to run Satay by the Bay, the Supertree Grove casual dining space and the Flower Dome restaurant offer a variety of dining options that will appeal to the diverse tastes and budgets of our visitors. Our aim for the 13 F&B spaces is to cater to every layer of the community. Whether it's a family gathering over a weekend lunch, a business meeting, or simply relaxing with friends, there is something for everyone in this People's Garden."

Satay by the Bay
Reminiscent of the old Satay Club, Satay by the Bay will comprise over 20 food stalls set beneath canopies of green roofs with natural ventilation from the waterfront. Diners can look forward to affordable local delights at this 2,000 sq m mass casual dining space operated by Planar One & Associates.

Said Mr Alex Neo, Managing Director, Planar One & Associates Pte Ltd, "We welcome the opportunity to operate in this truly unique garden setting by the water. Our aim is to revive the atmosphere of the old Satay Club and to offer an extensive selection of affordable local delights that will appeal to both locals and tourists alike."

Supertree Grove casual dining space
Located by the Supertree Grove, this five-unit casual dining space looks out to the main cluster of Supertrees in the Gardens. Managed by Select Group, it will offer visitors an affordable menu of local and international cuisines from popular eateries including Peach Garden Noodle House, Hill Street Coffee Shop and Texas Fried Chicken.

"The Supertree Grove casual dining space has presented us with the opportunity to be a part of one of Asia's most unique urban gardens," said Mr Vincent Tan, Managing Director of Select Group Limited. "Our concept and menus will appeal to a broad range of diners including families and the lunch-time crowd from the Central Business District."

Flower Dome restaurant – Pollen
Nestled amidst the Mediterranean garden environment of the Flower Dome, Pollen will serve modern European cuisine. It will be managed by JC Tapas Bar Pte Ltd, who will be bringing on board renowned Chef Jason Atherton, owner of Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social in London and Table No. 1 in Shanghai, as Chef Director.

Said Mr Loh Lik Peng, Director, JC Tapas Bar Pte Ltd, "Our menu of Mediterranean-influenced modern European cuisine draws inspiration from the Flower Dome and will appeal to discerning diners seeking fine quality food in a beautiful and intimate location. The business crowd, families and tour groups will enjoy an affordably priced day-time menu, while the sophistication of our dinner menu will appeal to those seeking a gastronomic experience in an unrivalled setting."

About Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay will occupy 101 hectares of prime land by the water at the heart of Singapore's new downtown at Marina Bay. It will be an integral part of Singapore's City in a Garden vision, and will capture the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical city with an ideal environment in which to live, work and play.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to preview some of the key features of the Bay South Garden at Gardens by the Bay this coming week, ahead of its official opening in June 2012.

The week-long sneak preview, which runs from 14 to 20 November, is held in conjunction with the 20th World Orchid Conference (20WOC) in Singapore this year. While entry into the Flower Dome will be limited to ticket holders of the 20WOC World Orchid Show, members of the public will be able to preview some of the other features in Bay South Garden without a ticket. These include the Heritage Gardens, Dragonfly Lake, and the Supertrees in the Golden Garden and Silver Garden.

"Gardens by the Bay is a garden for all Singaporeans, and will provide a quality garden environment for everyone to enjoy with their families, friends and communities," said Dr. Kiat W. Tan, CEO, Gardens by the Bay. "We are pleased to be able to showcase some of the most unique parts of the Gardens at this sneak preview held in conjunction with the 20th World Orchid Conference."

Flower Dome
At 1.2 hectares, the Flower Dome is the larger of the two cooled conservatories in Bay South Garden. It replicates the cool-dry, springtime climate of the Mediterranean-type and semi-arid regions, enabling the display of habitats and plants from regions in South America, the United States, South Africa and Madagascar, Western Australia and the Mediterranean Basin. Designed with the environment in mind, it also incorporates cutting-edge technologies that provide energy-efficient solutions in cooling.

The plant displays will not only bring forth the beauty of plants, but also enable the story of plants and their intimate relationships with Man and the ecosystem to be told. Emphasis will be placed on highlighting the colours from flowers as well as the interesting forms and adaptations of plants to cool and dry environments. The displays will also bring to life plants that provide food to Man.

During the preview period, visitors will also see a spectacular display of orchids planted in the Flower Field inside the Flower Dome, to mark the occasion of the 20WOC. This colourful display will feature some 14,000 orchid plants consisting of about 150 hybrids and 30 species from around the world including Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and South America.

Heritage Gardens
The Heritage Gardens features a collection of four gardens – Indian Garden, Chinese Garden, Malay Garden and Colonial Garden – which bring to life Singapore's cultural diversity and colonial history, through plants.

Featuring trees, shrubs and herbs associated with the various cultural groups, they interpret the diversity that underpins the socio-economic growth of Singapore.

Supertrees & Dragonfly Lake
Also open for public preview during this period are the Golden and Silver Gardens, as well as the Dragonfly Lake.

The Golden and Silver Gardens feature six of the 18 Supertrees in Bay South Garden and showcase a variety of epiphytes, ferns and tropical flowering climbers with gold and silver hues.

The Dragonfly Lake is part of the Gardens lake system, which serves as a natural filter of water. It provides not only naturally treated water for irrigation in the Gardens, but also an aquatic habitat for biodiversity.

About Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay will occupy 101 hectares of prime land by the water at the heart of Singapore's new downtown at Marina Bay. Gardens by the Bay will be an integral part of Singapore's City in a Garden vision, a whole country geared to nurture flora and greenery. It will capture the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical city with a quality environment to live, work and play.

Dr Kiat Tan, CEO, Gardens by the Bay
Mrs Christina Ong, Chairman, National Parks Board
Mrs Theresa Foo, Chairman, Gardens by the Bay
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

I am delighted to be at the Flower Dome of the Gardens by the Bay this evening. It is beautiful and shows how far we have progressed in greening Singapore.

When I planted my first tree at Holland Road Circus back in 1963, it was to make Singapore green. Cities cannot just be made up of concrete buildings, tarmac and pavements. It would be depressing and unpleasant to live in. You need to balance that with trees and flowers. This will make Singapore more pleasant to live in.

Singapore has become much greener, despite increased urbanization. Almost half of Singapore is covered in greenery. We have set aside land for world-class gardens, parks and nature reserves. Many visitors are amazed at our tree-lined roads, and this has become an economic value to us. More importantly, Singaporeans today live in beautifully-landscaped housing estates, and are able to exercise and enjoy fresh air in the urban oases right at their doorsteps. None of this would have been possible without decades of conscientious planning and commitment.

Many countries now do tree-planting and call themselves garden cities. To retain our edge and continue to improve our living environment, we have been transforming Singapore into a City in a Garden. This City in a Garden vision is not just about developing green infrastructure. We are actually building a home to be proud of in the next few decades.

Gardens by the Bay, a world-class garden, will contribute towards this vision. It will showcase what we can do to bring the world of plants to all Singaporeans. The Gardens will no doubt continue to grow and this is where the support of the corporate community and individual will make this garden the pride of Singapore. And I am sure Singaporeans will grow to love Gardens by the Bay as much as they do the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

It has been almost 50 years since we started the Garden City movement. Just as becoming a Garden City took strong political will and dedication as well as support from Singaporeans, achieving the City in a Garden vision will need innovation, ownership and dedication at all levels of society.

Looking at the new Gardens by the Bay now, I am confident that Singapore is one step closer to this City in a Garden, an endearing home for all to live, work and play. I urge all Singaporeans to work together with the Government to build our City in a Garden, and continue to improve the quality of our living environment.