Wellness restaurant Foura at IMBA Theatre pairs food with activities like yoga and sound bath

Wellness, a buzzword in the hospitality space, has re-surfaced in the Singapore restaurant scene with a community-building element. Foura, a wellness-led dining concept is set to open at arts venue IMBA Theatre at Gardens by the Bay on July 9.

The 4,000 sq ft glasshouse space, near Bayfront MRT station, combines holistic longevity-inspired cuisine and immersive wellness experiences beyond the typical realm of spa facilities.

The contemporary Asian and European restaurant features dishes inspired by the dietary patterns of Blue Zone communities — cities often associated with longevity and healthy ageing. They include Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece and Sardinia in Italy.

The 120-seat restaurant is helmed by four Singaporean entrepreneurs with backgrounds spanning hospitality, coffee and food technology. They include Dharma Wang and Benjamin Aryanto, co-founders of Bae’s Cocktail Club and rooftop restaurant and lounge Milli; Ryan Pang, founder of Equate and Habitat Coffee; and Elwin Tan, a food technologist who has a PhD in stem cell and ageing from the National University of Singapore.

“Wellness today often exists in fragments, people move between fitness studios, cafés and social spaces throughout the week,” says Aryanto, co-founder and marketing director of Foura. “With Foura, we wanted to bring nourishment, movement and connection into one cohesive hospitality experience.”

The restaurant’s name references the four pillars of well-being - physical, mental, emotional, and relational - that anchors its design, F&B and community progammes.

Inspired by the Blue Zone diet 

Foura’s nutritious all-day menu centres around ingredients such grass-fed and free-range proteins, omega-rich seafood, nutrient-dense produce and high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil.

Dishes include Burratina & Roasted Pumpkin; Three-Fish Chirashi Don, a trio of hamachi, salmon, and bigeye tuna with soy sauce salmon roe topped on shari rice; and Shio Koji Rainbow Trout, served with balsamic crema, free-range onsen egg and yellow bean soup.

The Herb Confit Chicken Leg is accompanied by artichoke purée and crushed pistachio, while the Patagonian Toothfish is paired with roasted cauliflower purée, clam-kelp broth, sweet corn salsa, and high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil.

The beverage programme echoes the same health-giving philosophy. Alongside specialty single-origin coffee and ceremonial-grade matcha, Foura serves herbal elixirs, kombuchas, cold-pressed juices and nutrient-dense smoothies. Drinks include the Ube Matcha and Nimbus Dawn, a combination of espresso foam and coconut water.

According to Tan, Foura’s co-founder, the objective was to create dishes that prioritise both nutrition and flavour.

“When designing our menu, we curated ingredients based on nutrient density and their associated health benefits,” he says. “From these ingredients, our experienced culinary team crafted flavour-forward dishes designed to satisfy. From this we aim to make quality, nutrient-conscious dining feel seamless and enjoyable from day to night.”

Eat, exercise, socialise, repeat

Besides dining, visitors to Foura can look forward to weekly programming at IMBA Theatre, which recently hosted the wildly popular Flower Market by Australian artist, CJ Hendry. Activities will include immersive theatre yoga led by Jyan Yang of Jyan Yoga Studio, 9D breathwork sessions by Paul and Leila Foster of Foster The Love, as well as pilates classes, run clubs, sound baths and mental wellness gatherings.

To mark Foura’s opening, the restaurant will collaborate with yoga practitioners such as Jyan Yang of Jyan Yoga Studio on classes.

“We designed Foura as a destination people want to return to — whether for a meal, a gathering, or one of our recurring wellness sessions,” says Wang, co-founder of Foura. “We aim to support each guest’s individual wellness journey, whether they are just beginning or have long made it a priority.”