Food Review: Cavern Restaurant At Rainforest Wild ASIA | Singapore’s First & Only Cave Restaurant By TungLok Group

Posted on February 27, 2025 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place Dining in a cave setting is definitely something novel in Singapore and here is a glimpse of Cavern Restaurant, Singapore’s first cave restaurant at Rainforest Wild ASIA managed by TungLok Group. This is Singapore’s first and only restaurant in a cave setting where its location is part of a new attraction for Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Rainforest Wild ASIA, Singapore’s fifth wildlife park, and is inspired by Sarawak’s UNESCO-listed Mulu Cave.

Cavern Restaurant and Rainforest Wild ASIA are set to open on 12 March 2025, and I was fortunate to have a preview of what to expect at this exciting new dining destination.

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My first impression as I stepped into Cavern is fascinating to say the least, as it feels like I entered an attraction rather than a restaurant. Expect a spacious 150-seater setting with various table sizes for different group sizes, and what adds well to the cave-like dining area are the crystalline lights reminiscent of natural cave droplets. The restaurant is opened to the public even if you are not planning to visit the park.

If you are driving, simply look out for signs towards Rainforest Wild ASIA upon entering the carpark.

The Food The menu is a blend of international Western flavours curated by Head Chef Sheng Lim, who brings over a decade of experience from Jaan, Cure Concepts, and Ce La Vi Singapore. It will be opened for lunch through to dinner, and the menu here revolves around casual fares which are good to share for groups. In terms of beverages, you can expect a range of non-alcoholic drinks, mocktails, cocktails, and wines.

For a start, expect dishes like Stone Hearth Loaf (S$12) which comes with homemade butter with spring onion oil.

Other easy starters to share include dishes like Spicy Wing (S$16/4 pieces) with blue cheese dip and hot sauce; Emerald Canopy (S$12) which is romaine lettuce with green goddess dressing and radish; Crystal Cave Salad (S$22) which features heirloom beetroot salad along with burrata, truffle honey and walnut.

There are also sides like Pulled Pork Taco (S$22/3 pieces) with avocado and smoked paprika aioli; Cavern Fries (S$10); Potato Salad (S$12); and Forest Mushroom (S$12).

For mains, I had the Ironstrike Knuckle (S$28) which is essentially braised pork knuckle with mustard jus, a huge 500g serving which is good for even 5-6 people. The pork knuckle is braised over 12 hours in a blend of Chinese spices, dark soy sauce, five spice, cardamom and bay leaves.

One of the highlights here is the Caveman’s Meat Skewer (S$38) featuring 200g skewer of Great Southern Tenderloin grilled with shallots, padron peppers, and button mushrooms. This is one of the better dishes for me.

For something more carbish, there is the Rigatoni Alla Vodka (S$22) which comes tossed in tomato, parmesan cheese and vodka.

The Smouldering Core (S$20) is a take on grilled cauliflower with BBQ sauce, garlic aioli and pickles. I find the combination of flavours here a mismatch, and the texture of the cauliflower is also a tad too soft and dry.

In terms of desserts, expect the likes of Balinese Dark Chocolate Tart (S$18) which uses 75% dark chocolate, Pandan Bambolini (S$6/piece) which is akin to a Kaya custard donut, and Durian with Soft Serve Ice-cream (S$12).

Rants Hits and misses for the food in general, though if you come with the expectations of “theme park” food, it works.

Will I Return Again? The food is secondary at Cavern Restaurant in my opinion, as the cave setting is uniquely only found here in Singapore, albeit a man-made structure. A novel dining setting which should appeal to families with kids and curious tourists, the main demographics for Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

Make your reservation instantly at Cavern here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5