The Pollen restaurant, Singapore review

A cloudy day of visitation by Marina Bay Sand's popular Gardens by the Bay. The Pollen restaurant is one of few high-end restaurants located directly beside a recently-established component and a must-visit Singaporean travel destination in the Bay Gardens called "the Flower Dome".

The Pollen provides a special shuttle service to and from the MBS hotel or information centre. So make sure to ask if you intend to dine at the Pollen, unless you prefer walking under in the typically hot Singaporean humidity for 500m or so to get to/fro the Flower Dome from MBS hotel. You would cut through the various mini 'outdoor cultural gardens' that range from chinese-indian-malay gardens etc. I would recommend saving your energy and resources if it's not your 1st visit. Considering the size of the Bay Gardens itself, and the huge size of the Dome, it takes a bit more effort than necessary to find the restaurant if you end up on the polar end of the Dome from where the restaurant is.

Dining at the Pollen provides free access to the Flower Dome. So for a $55++ set lunch consisting of a starter, main meal and dessert, nice ambience, you get FREE access to the Flower Dome. So do not pay for tickets to enter the Flower Dome separately if you intend to eat at the Pollen. You will not be reimbursed.

The price of single a-la-carte dishes ranged $30++. Therefore making the set meal of $55++ very worthwhile in comparison. Although, I must say that the meal tasted pretty average. The cost probably covers more of the cost of ambience, convenience of location, and blue cashmere shawls (80% pashmina, 20% silk) that they provide diners due to the constant and cold air-conditioning.

The Pollen accepts reservations and on-the-spot dine-ins. Tap water is not provided. Still water costs $18 per bottle.
For the set menu, please refer to the photo posted -I am fully willing to cooperate and remove this picture if requested and if informed that it does not comply with any form of regulation. Do let me know. Ty.-

Food ordered (through the set meal):
Starters: chicken liver parfait, big-eyed tuna
Main meal: braised duroc pork cheek, roasted hake
Dessert: lemon, dulce de leche

As expected from these forms of fine-dining restaurants, the plates were small; with exception of the main hake fish I got that swam in octopus broth. The broth was tasty but relative to the dish as a whole, did not seem to complement it much. The dessert of lemon was too sour for me. The big-eyed tuna was refreshing and probably the best dish of the set.

In the overall, The Pollen restaurant has:
- nice ambience
- friendly service
- convenient location beside the Flower Dome
- shuttle service
- average food
- pricey

- Posted on my TripAdvisor.