February 16, 2017

As people are becoming more health-conscious, many are switching their diets, going down the vegetarian or vegan path. Personally, I have three friends who turned vegetarians last year. One of them was a huge meat lover, and I was slightly upset that I had lost my BBQ partner. As much as I love my steak and sashimi, I must say that vegetarian dishes have their own charms too. Here are some vegetarian/vegan dining places that are worth visiting—even for meat eaters like myself.

1. Real Food

Like its name, food served here are made from real and fresh ingredients, free from artificial preservatives or trans fats. I visited the Killiney outlet and I was impressed. The restaurant is spacious with a small ‘supermarket’ section where you can buy organic snacks that aren’t widely available in Singapore. There is also a café corner with sofas and bookshelves to relax and unwind.

Food wise, I had Genovese Pesto Pasta while my friend ordered the Portobello Burger. When my pasta arrived, I thought I wouldn’t be full looking at the portion size, but to my surprise, it filled me up. The Portobello Burger had a rich mushroom flavour, and was rather tasty.

With good food, nice ambience and excellent service, Real Food is a gem.

110 Killiney Road, Singapore 239549

Quinoa and Spinach Hash Brown Burger

Quinoa and Spinach Hash Brown Burger

2. Afterglow 

I stumbled upon this restaurant while walking along Keong Saik Road, and the exterior decor caught my attention. Once I entered, the place had a warm and cosy vibe, which made me feel right at home.

I tried two dishes: the Raw Lasagne and Quinoa and Spinach Hash Brown Burger. For the Raw Lasagne, instead of pasta sheets, the restaurant substituted them with slices of zucchini. Between the layers, there were marinated spinach and shiitake mushrooms, while the sauce had a mixture of nuts and tomato. This dish was a refreshing change from the typical lasagne.

For Quinoa and Spinach Hash Brown Burger, the ‘buns’ were romaine lettuces and the patty was packed with quinoa, spinach and rolled oats. It was served with sweet potato wedges and coleslaw. In terms of taste, I was more impressed with Real Food’s Portobello Burger.

Overall, Afterglow serves pretty decent vegan food, but you have to be prepared to pay a little more than your usual meal.

24 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089131

Vegetarian-Restaurants-in-Singapore-art2

3. Maki-San

Maki-San isn’t a full-fledged vegetarian restaurant but there have great options. The place allows you to DIY your sushi or salad, so you can pick your ingredients that go into your sushi or bowl of salad. Maki-San is affordable yet delicious, and it is one of my favourite go-to places.

2 Handy Road, Singapore 229233

 4. Project Açaí

A dessert that is guilt-free and healthy and actually tastes good? Sign me up! Açaí berries are considered as a superfood because they are rich in antioxidants, fibre, omegas 3, 6 and 9 and have very low sugar levels. At Project Açaí, their signature Açaí Bowl consists of blended açaí smoothie topped with freshly cut fruits like banana, mangoes, strawberries, blueberries and grapes. For the finishing touch, sprinkle some chia seeds and bee pollen!

I’m in love with the Açaí Bowl because it tastes amazing plus it is super healthy. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

27 Lorong Liput, Singapore 277738

 5. HUSK

If you are more of a frozen yoghurt or ice cream person, Husk is a great alternative. The frozen coconut, or froyo, is made from a young coconut’s flesh. I came to discover this dessert when I was offered a free sample from their (cute) staff. The coconut flavour was strong and rich, and I was instantly hooked. Frozen yoghurt and coconut ice cream should take a backseat because froco apparently has raised the bar. If you are feeling fancy, you can add fruits or other toppings but for me, the froco is great enough on its own.

Plaza Singapura #B2-49, Singapore 238839