You’ve heard of farm-to-table, but are you familiar with the intention behind it?
Located in the heart of Singapore, Open Farm Community is a trailblazing restaurant featuring its own urban farm, where fresh local vegetables and herbs are cultivated for use in their dishes. They aim to inspire diners to appreciate the origins of their food, sourcing ingredients locally and regionally to complement their homegrown produce.
Their newly refreshed menu emphasises a communal dining experience, encouraging families and loved ones to come together over a wholesome meal.
Our honest review of Open Farm Community
As someone who dreams of retiring in a cute cottage farmhouse, I was really excited to give Open Farm Community a try.
It is definitely worth making the trip if you do not mind splurging a bit for a quality dining experience that deepens your appreciation for the food.
If you’re looking for date ideas or a family-friendly activity, the restaurant offers farm tours every Friday evening led by their in-house agriculture specialist and urban farmer, Teresa. It is a great way to engage your senses before your sit-down meal at Open Farm Community, allowing you to touch, smell, and taste the freshly harvested local vegetables and herbs.
Appetisers at Open Farm Community
You know you’re in for a treat when a restaurant offers warm, housemade bread.
The OFC Farm Bread ($12) features a selection of brioche and sourdough, paired with whipped Mexican oregano cream cheese. If you are a bread lover, this is a must try.
Otherwise, I suggest saving room for their other impressive range of sharing plates.
Among all the starters we tried, three truly stood out: the Red Snapper Ceviche ($24), House Chips ($16) and Stracciatella ($28).
The Red Snapper Ceviche features locally farmed snapper, delicately marinated in a vibrant, citrusy dressing made with preserved lemons. The addition of fresh kiwi lends a subtle sweetness, while the Tamarillo — an intriguing, lesser-known member of the tomato family from their gardens — adds a nice tang. A great dish to awaken your palette.
At first glance, they might look like your typical potato wedges, but these House Chips ($16) are anything but ordinary. Golden and crispy on the outside, they reveal a melt-in-your-mouth, buttery richness with every bite.
They were so addictive I could not stop reaching out for more. The team mentioned that the preparation takes over two days — a real labour of love, and you can totally taste it in the flavour and texture.
The combination of the Stracciatella cheese, figs, and house-cured Duck Prosciutto was interesting yet well-executed. It honestly almost felt like a dessert.
The duck prosciutto had a pleasantly chewy texture, and unlike traditional cured meats, it wasn’t overly salty. It’s definitely something worth trying if you’re a fan of cured meats looking for something a little different.
Other sharing plates we tried:
- Spiced Okra with Lemon Garlic Aioli ($16)
- Momotaro Tomatoes ($22)
Mains we’ve tried
The mains at Open Farm Community were decent, though the prices are definitely on the higher side. That said, considering the proteins are sustainably and humanely sourced, it’s justifiable.
We tried the Hay-Smoked Chicken ($65), Thai Flower Crab Pasta ($38) and “Pure Black” Ribeye 300g ($85).
Not pictured was a fragrant laksa chimichurri sauce that complemented well with the tender, juicy smoked chicken and roasted potatoes.
I really enjoyed the Thai Flower Crab pasta which also features laksa herbs with a spiced tomato sauce. The flavours were balanced and the herbs really brightened up the dish.
You can’t go wrong with steak. The Australian Angus ribeye, sourced from barley-fed cattle, was beautifully cooked and came with blistered sweet Padron peppers and a rich béarnaise sauce.
Desserts at Open Farm Community
One of the main highlights of the meal was definitely their dessert, you could tell a lot of thought was put into combining the different elements together.
The Deconstructed Tiramisu ($19) featured a rich Kahlua soaked sponge, light mascarpone espuma, coffee jelly, chocolate cremeaux, and aerated chocolate.
The Lemon Meringue Pavlova ($19) was my favourite.
Each element came together beautifully, creating a dessert that was as visually stunning as it was delicious. Absolutely loved the caramelised lemon ice cream along with the key-lime mousse and milk chips.
All in all, it was the perfect way to wrap up a satisfying meal.
Location: 130E Minden Rd, Singapore 248819
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 12-3pm, 6-11pm
Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm, 6-11pm
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