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  Proprietor-cum-chef of Helio Coffeeshop Huang Yuxiong says that he seldom drinks water, instead he regularly imbibes floral tea, which is his favourite choice of drink.

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SINGAPORE: 39-year-old interior designer Huang Yuxiong loves flowers. To be more precise, he loves eating them, and he's spent many years experimenting with different ways to prepare his favourite food.

Several months ago, Huang gave up his 15 year long career and opened a coffeeshop in Marina Square that serves floral dishes.

Customers wishing to dine at his establishment - the Helio Coffeeshop - would have to make their reservation two days in advance.

Huang said his personal record was when he ate six champagne roses in one hour. To date, Huang has sampled over 30 different species of flowers, including sweet osmanthus, roses and hibiscus.

"Roses have a sweet and fragrant taste. When chewed delicately, the petals release oils that fill your entire mouth with a delicious scent. It's a thoroughly luscious sensation," he said.

Huang seldom drinks water, but instead regularly imbibes floral tea, which is his favourite choice of drink. He also eats flowers three to four times every week.

Huang's interest in floral dishes blossomed from his love for floral teas. He said, "When I heard that there were people who actually cooked flowers and ate them, I decided to learn how to do so as well."

In the beginning, Huang would constantly ask his friends to sample his creations and tell him what they thought. To his delight, they loved his dishes.

Aside from light snacks, Huang's floral culinary creations include salads and main courses.

After Helio Coffeeshop opened, Huang would draw curious stares whenever he had to bring in batch of fresh ingredients. Sometimes people would even mistakenly assume that the large bouquet of flowers was meant for his girlfriend!

Whenever Huang bought flowers for his shop, he would pluck and eat a few petals.

"Based on my cooking experience, I can easily tell if a flower has been sprayed with pesticide by tasting it," he explained.

This is because not all flowers are suitable for eating, and those sprayed with pesticide are unfit for consumption.

It's difficult enough to find pesticide-free flowers, but Huang's insistence on using only fresh ingredients makes it even harder to keep his coffeeshop supplied.
That's why customers wishing to hold a floral banquet at his coffeeshop have to make their bookings 2 days in advance.

A few days ago, a customer held a banquet for over 30 guests at Huang's coffeeshop. It took Huang a week to prepare for the event, where over 30 different types of roses and other flowers were used in the dishes.