3 Paws Saloon Attic

On my first Sunday morning back in Singapore, we visited Bollywood Veggies, one of the last working farms in Singapore. The 10-acre organic farm was situated in Kranji, north-west of the island and was run by Ivy Singh and her husband Lim Ho Seng. The place also serves as an educational centre, a food museum and a culinary school to promote organic farming in Singapore.

There was a walking trail that led through the extensive gardens with a plethora of vegetable plots, shrubs, fruit trees, as well as plants for medicinal uses. There were little notes or signs attached to the trees and plants, along with a brief account of their uses and history. Schools would arrange for excursions there; probably the only chance children living in concrete-bound Singapore would get to see how vegetables and fruits are grown.

Hints of Ivy’s sly sense of humour would be seen in the proliferation of signs about the gardens. The smokers’ corner at the entrance to the farm had the defiant declaration: “Smokers Unite”. It was right next to the sign: “Rubbish Bin”. My cousin’s favourite sign had the suggestion: “For customers with pets or dribbling husbands!” I was fascinated by the one that warned us to beware of this triumvirate: "3G - Ghosts, Governments and Gods".

My cousin and I enjoyed a leisurely saunter through the grounds, while her husband waited for the food with Cookie, their furkid. We peered curiously at Bollywood Villa in the distance, where Ivy herself resided. The owner has been described in the media as “eccentric” but my cousin, who’s met Ivy, says that she’s a warm, strong-willed individual who believes in using the land responsibly and in a way that doesn’t harm the environment. All vegetables and fruits served at the bistro, Poison Ivy has been grown on the farm.

Returning from our stroll, we found that the food had arrived. Breakfast was amazing. The Nasi Lemak Platter was an eye-catching display that came with ‘blue’ rice. The rice was fragrant and coconut-flavoured, tinged with an exotic hint of blue from organic blue pea flowers. It went really well with the chicken wings, egg omelette, sambal kangkong (water spinach with chilli), tofu and green beans, cucumber-and-tomato relish, deep-fried ikan bilis (whitebait) and roasted peanuts. We also enjoyed a side serving of braised mutton curry and fresh-made roti prata (flat bread). All washed down with iced black coffee.

It was a great start to the day.

http://bollywoodveggies.com/

http://bollywoodveggies.com/bistro-farm/poison-ivy-bistro