3 eco-friendly eateries in Singapore that are changing our relationship with food

Not all sustainable efforts need to start from the ground up. 

Spa Esprit Group has teamed up once again with Edible Garden City to open a Japanese restaurant on the roof of Funan. At its porch: a 5,000sq ft urban garden that is home to over 50 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and micro herbs. 

The harvests find its way into the menu at Noka, sometimes in a hearty tomato salad, or at other times, as an accompaniment to main dishes. 

“Many people believe that local produce isn’t easily found, or aren’t as fresh,” says Cynthia Chua, the founder of Spa Esprit Group. “Local ingredients are also perceived to be inferior in taste as compared to their imported counterparts.” 

Noka hopes to prove otherwise. Other than growing its own crops, the restaurant is also the first in Singapore to use a local source for its blue prawn sashimi. This helps reduce food mileage while supporting the agri-food industry.  

The restaurant also adopts other eco-friendly practices. 

It avoids single-use plastics, and uses recyclable chopsticks and kitchen storage boxes. Special effort also goes into planning how much food should be prepared to ensure that food wastage “is limited to almost none.”

“From carefully planning the menu to the ordering of ingredients, Noka applies simple steps to waste less and recycle more,” says Cynthia.

Back at Kausmo, guests are learning about the ‘ugly’ produce that the restaurant uses. 

Many are surprised – not at the misshapen objects, but rather, at how normal it looks. “They are shocked to learn that great produce is discarded due to filtering standards,” says restaurant manager Chiew Sian.

“We wouldn’t use the word ‘ugly produce’ as the ingredients we get have absolutely no damages or bruises in any way – contrary to what the term implies,” adds Lisa. 

But even sourcing for such produce comes with its difficulties. For one, the availability of ingredients changes frequently, and with it, the need to constantly adapt the menu. There’s also the hidden logistics and transportation cost, given how little the 16-seater restaurant purchases as compared to large-scale importers. 

Beyond the eco-friendly provenance of ingredients, extra thought has been placed into how the way Kausmo operates. Coasters are fashioned from scrap fabrics, and cutlery holders are made from upcycled wood. Chiew Sian sums up Kausmo’s ethos in one word: thoughtfulness. 

She explains: “Sustainability is a huge word with multiple layers of meaning behind it, and it might seem daunting to start. Thoughtfulness, however, refers to the small steps that everybody can incorporate in their daily lives.”

“We can all make more thoughtful decisions in different aspects of our lives. Kausmo is just starting with food.”