What it’s like to dine in Singapore’s first and only restaurant in a 'cave' at Rainforest Wild Asia
Does it rock? Not geologically, but it’s certainly a novel experience. Here’s what to expect at Cavern Restaurant by the TungLok Group when it opens on Mar 12.
Cavern Restaurant offers Western dishes and plenty of ambience. (Photos: CNA/May Seah)
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The number of natural cave formations we have in Singapore is approximately zero, but is that going to stop us from dining in a cave? Absolutely not.
Cavern Restaurant, opening Mar 12, is the first and only restaurant where you can experience what it’s like to have a meal inside a “cave” on our shores.
Part of the new Rainforest Wild Asia at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, it’s situated within a larger The Cavern attraction that simulates a cave complete with stalactites and stalagmites, a snake enclosure and a scorpion enclosure.
The attraction is faithfully modelled after Sarawak’s UNESCO-listed Mulu caves, with designers visiting the actual caves to 3D-scan the interiors and digitally model them before sending them off to be pre-fabricated in panels in a Johor factory.
Inside Cavern Restaurant, undulating, textured walls, soaring ceilings and lighting effects do a good job of offering diners a novel experience.
Located near the entrance of Rainforest Wild Asia, the restaurant is open to the public and you don’t need a park entry ticket to get to it.
The large 150-seat space, operated by the TungLok Group, offers a family-friendly menu of Western-style dishes like a Stone Age Burger (S$20), an Ironstrike Knuckle (S$28), a Caveman’s Meat Skewer (S$38) and a Mushroom Ragout Fettuccine (S$22), along with Asian-inspired cocktails and desserts like a sour plum lime margarita (S$18) and durian with soft-serve ice cream (S$12).
In fact, it’s better than dining in a real cave, said TungLok founder Andrew Tjioe. You get to enjoy your meal “in a clean, comfortable, air-conditioned environment ... minus the water dripping, the smell and the humidity”, he quipped.
He also foresees it being a popular venue for events, and not just weddings – Flintstones-themed nuptials, anyone? – but also wine dinners, champagne parties and fine dining events.
Food-wise, he wanted dishes that encourage eating with your hands, “caveman” style. They also decided on a Western menu with Asian touches because “the food has to suit everybody”.
No matter what food is served, though, it’s the experience of eating it by (electric) candlelight that will go down in your memories. And if you are still wondering what it’s like to dine here, well, we are happy to be of service.
Q: Is it a real cave?
A: No.
Q: Does it look like the inside of a cave?
A: Yes, it’s reasonably realistic, especially with the mood lighting.
Q: Will I need to squint to read the menu due to the mood lighting?
A: Yes.
Q: Is it echoey?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there bat guano?
A: No. There are no bats. For extra ambience, we recommend BYOBG (Bring Your Own Bat Guano), although we cannot guarantee you will be allowed in.
Q: Are the restrooms cavern-themed, too?
A: No, they have modern lavatorial conveniences like flushing toilets (thank goodness).
Q: Is “cavern” pronounced “cave-vern” or “cav-vern”?
A: Cav-vern.
Q: Does it rock?
A: It’s an experience you shouldn’t take for granite.
Cavern Restaurant opens Mar 12 at Rainforest Wild Asia, #02-32, 20 Mandai Lake Road.
