Cuisine: Western
Address: 10 Telok Blangah Green, Singapore 109178
Nearest MRT: Telok Blangah Station (Circle Line)

Adorned with distinctive European-style architecture and large welcoming spaces, The Alkaff Mansion is a multi-concept lifestyle and dining destination that is home to Wildseed Café, TXA Gastrobar and UNA. Perched atop the Telok Blangah Hill, the historic mansion is a quintessential destination perfect for dining, weddings and events. The Tudor-style mansion is adorned with fountains and large welcoming spaces that is fit for a modern day King and Queen.

I was here to attend my friend’s wedding. After taking my temperature and scanning the SafeEntry, I proceeded to the second floor. Housed at Level 2 of The Alkaff Mansion, the modern and romantic UNA takes diners on a gastronomic adventure with the best of Spain. Experience the robust flavours of exceptional Spanish small plates, paellas, grills and more, with a renewed emphasis on Basque Cuisine. Through a strategic partnership with Basque Culinary Institute, UNA partners producers and culinary associations from the Basque region to bring the best of Basque Cuisine and culture to Singapore.

My friend had held his solemnisation ceremony at the outdoor garden last August, and today was the wedding lunch which was held at the second level of the mansion. With a set of projectors, sound system and several staff on hand to serve the food, it was a wonderful experience for the guests. Before the actual day, the couple had collated the food orders from the guests. The only thing with choice is the main course, either a pork or fish dish.

This is the menu for the wedding lunch, with 4 courses and free flow of drinks. You can enquire directly with them over their social media or website with regards to wedding packages.

For starters, we were served the smoked salmon with wild rocket and horseradish cream. I had thought that the cream was some kind of cheese, but it did not taste of horseradish. There was no strong wasabi taste that would travel through your olfactory senses. The smoked salmon was at room temperature and I spread some of the horseradish cream to go with it.

The next course was a soup. This is the light cream of pumpkin, with cinnamon milk foam. I liked the light taste of the pumpkin soup because if it were too thick, I would not have enjoyed it as much. The cinnamon milk foam was weird because it provided a sweet taste to the soup which was already sweet. For some contrast, some sour cream could have been used as the topping instead.

After a long pause with some wedding filler activities, we were finally served the main course. I had chosen the seared fillet of barramundi, with saffron potatoes and truffle vinaigrette. There was a small logo of fish printed on my name card, so it would be easier for the waitress to distribute the food. At first I thought that the black thing on the plate was sauce for the fish, but it turned out to be just a decoration. The fish was seared such that the juices were still inside. The potatoes were just right for the amount of carbs. I also tried my friend’s meat dish, which was the smoked pork collar. It was pleasing to the palate too.

Last but not least, it was time for dessert. The plating was done nicely, with some strawberry sauce by the side. The dessert was vanilla panna cotta with yuzu strawberries. I enjoyed the panna cotta which was not too runny. I also liked the crust.

Overall, the food at Alkaff mansion was decent, with nice aesthetics and it makes for a true escape from the bustling city. Even the interior of the mansion is also very picture-worthy. The Wildseed cafe on the first floor is also very popular. When we left the restaurant around 3pm, there was a queue to enter the cafe. It is popular with families and young couples alike. Even though the location of Alkaff Mansion is not the most ideal and if you were to walk in from the main road, it would take around 10 – 15 minutes up a slope which can be tiring and also make you sweat quite a bit. Nevertheless, many people still enjoy the atmosphere of this place, or they drive over here, so it continues to attract crowds every weekend.