Published 16 November 2015 ● Last Updated on 8 October 2020
First, a confession. Team Secondsguru is not vegetarian.
Second, a disclaimer. We are not persuading you to become one. That responsibility can be handled so much better by The Vegetarian Society, Singapore or Paul McCartney or a growing list of celebrities and establishments that are leading the way for plant-based diets in a trend across the world.
What we will say is this – vegetables are bloody tasty, especially when prepared in the loving and able hands of the chefs in the restaurants below!
The motivation to make this list comes from our dissatisfaction with the way veggies are often treated – as if they are medicine, or a miracle cure for climate change, or a stop on the road to world peace! Somewhere, the marketers have forgotten just how goddamn mouth-watering veggie dishes can be!
Yes, you can choose to be vegetarian because there is animal cruelty at food farms. Or because livestock farming is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Or your religion. Or because Beyonce and her hot bod said so. But whatever your motivation – veggies are not something to be suffered with noses closed. They deserve to be celebrated, enjoyed, and well, eaten – for their own sakes.
So we searched for restaurants that share our point of view – that veggies are a joy. We tried out several all-vegetarian restaurants in town, and here is our top 7 list!
[We have excluded Indian food restaurants here because, ahem, they can populate a whole list by themselves and deserve a different blog post!]
Loving Hut
229 Joo Chiat Road #01-01 Singapore 427489. Tel: +65 6348 6318.
Opens Daily 11am – 9:15pm
Official website here.
Nestled within heritage houses and a boutique-ized neighborhood, Loving Hut has a charming flagship outlet at Joo Chiat. I entered and instantly fell in love with the decor that proclaimed indie – its indoor plants, wall murals, bursts of yellow, eclectic upcycled furniture – all tying up to creating a warm, bohemian atmosphere.
The vegan menu borrows from Peranakan, Asian and western heritages to offer a wide variety of dishes- from chicken nuggets for kids to pan-grilled vegan scallops for discerning adults.
I had a hard time choosing between the mouth-watering descriptions, and ultimately ordered the Mango and Orange Salad (was absolutely as refreshing as it sounds!) followed by a Banana Leaf Nasi Campur (perfectly prepared and presented on a banana leaf). Would happily head back to try the rest of the menu!
Recommended especially for: Weekday lunches with your buddies. Enjoy great prices [$13.90 set meals] and ambiance while you catch up over a yummy meal!
Joie by Dozo
181 Orchard Road, #12-01 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896. Tel: +65 68386966
Official website here.
Pure vegetarian and fine dining do not often come together, and so it was especially delightful to find Joie! The cool, dark, plush interiors of the restaurant are located next to the rooftop garden at Orchard Central, letting patrons look out and over the busy shopping district.
The restaurant concept is meatless cuisine of Japanese-European sensibilities. (So expect cheese and mushrooms, not mock meat.) The menu is set (6-course for lunch and 7-course for dinner), but there’s plenty of flexibility as you choose one of several dishes offered under each course.
The dishes are meticulously crafted: consider what I had as a side dish – Tempura Platter on Mash – which puts together charcoal coated yam, eggplant, apple, banana with Japanese orange sesame dressing!
I caught up with an old friend for lunch here, expecting to click photos of various courses – but our visual and culinary senses were so overwhelmed by the beautifully presented and uniquely crafted food courses that I got my act together only when finally dessert appeared!
Recommended especially for: 6-course set lunch ($38.80++) for official (or unofficial!) meetings. The quiet interiors and rooftop view are a perfect setting for privacy and conversation.
VeganBurg
44 Jalan Eunos Singapore 419502. Tel: +65 6844 6868
Official website here.
Belinda Carlisle loves it. Paul McCartney loves it. And well, so do we!
The burger joint is located on a busy stretch on Jalan Eunos, quite close to the MRT. At its entrance are painted drums displaying environmental slogans and a very cool bicycle. Inside, the seating is spread out and some benches have turf instead of cushions (!). You get the vibe! No surprise then, when I visited it late afternoon on a weekday, it was nowhere near empty.
The menu follows the path of all burger joints. You can order combos or stand-alone burgers. All patties are made of soy – but their preparation changes depending on what you order. Kid meals and sides are available. There are a seasonal cool drinks too (but not Pepsi/Coke).
I ordered an Avocado Beetroot burger with a pan-grilled, GMO-free soya patty. To my surprise – it did not taste meaty – but then, everything doesn’t need to taste like meat! The patty was juicy on the inside, perfectly textured, and left me feeling light rather than bloated. The bun was fresh and had crunchy seeds on the crust. And the toppings – lettuce, beetroot, avocado – they looked every bit as crisp and fresh as on the poster! Best of all – I had a fantastic meal – and had no reason to feel guilty about hogging a burger 🙂
Recommended especially for: a quick stop when you are craving junk!
North South East West Fusion
200 Tanjong Katong Road, 436998. Tel: +65 8100 0049
Official website here.
This no-frills eatery with Buddhist chants in the background is a simple place with high popularity. It’s clean, comfortable, air-conditioned, and though its indoor signage apologizes in advance for bad service (seems they are short-staffed and know it!), when I visited, I only met friendly faces and quick service.
The menu is thick, mostly featuring mock meat, and offers options for American, Chinese and even Thai palates (hence their name, I guess!), and it took me a while to browse through before I made my choice. I went with Claypot Hot & Spicy Dumpling for the main course and Aloe Vera Honey Lemon for dessert.
The servings were generous – but so flavorful, that I did not leave a single dreg behind. The spicy claypot consisted of crisp vegetables and fresh dumplings floating in a potion of red sauce – since I love my chillies, it was pure joy and one that I will definitely repeat! The dessert was a bowl-ful of aloe vera pieces floating in chilled sweet honey water – refreshing and light.
Recommended especially for – family meals. There’s something for everyone, and the meals are healthy and hearty!
Ling Zhi
Liat Towers #05-01, 541 Orchard Road, Singapore 238881. Tel : +65 6734 3788
Official website here.
Nestled in the unassuming Liat towers, Ling Zhi is a true blue hidden gem. When I walked in I was greeted by patrons of all ages- young adults catching up, mums hanging out, and a family celebrating what seemed like the grandmother’s birthday.
The menu is elaborate and offers a wide range of mock meat options as well as a varied range of pure vegetable options. I stuck to the latter as I wanted to try their pure play vegetarian preparations.
Almost all the reviews I had read about the restaurant gave it a thumbs up, and most them had recommended the Sautéed Monkey Head Mushrooms with Dried Chilli. And when I tried it, it was as I had expected- delectable! The secret ingredient here was mushroom which was well-spiced and left an fabulous aftertaste in the mouth. Two more dishes which I tried and instantly fell in love with were the vegetable satay with peanut sauce – this had water chestnut in generous portions and took the taste to the next level with the crunch in the midst of the mush- and the assorted vegetables in yam ring- made with the perfect blend of spice and chilli. Overall I would give Lingzhi a thumbs up and would definitely visit again in the near future.
Recommended especially for – afternoon meetings, girls lunches and family dinners/ lunches. There’s something for everyone’s palette!
Real Food
6 Eu Tong Sen St, The Central #B1-52/53, Singapore 059817. Tel: +65 6224 4492
Official website here.
The “little organic cafe” at The Central (Clarke Quay) is where Real Food’s journey began. Whenever I’ve visited, it has been humming with the buzz of office crowds. And why not! The decor is cool – from recycled newspaper cutlery baskets to a paper-clip chandelier – and the food is delectably wholesome.
The menu at Real Food is perfectly paired with the office area that surrounds it. All day breakfast, soups and sandwiches, pastas – perfect for working lunches! That’s how I first discovered this eatery, when a friend took a quick lunch break to meet me, and I loved it enough to go back a few times since! My favourite here is the dumpling soup, handmade with no less than 10 ingredients.
Recommended especially for – Office lunches!
Original Sin
Blk 43 #01-62 Jalan Merah Saga Holland Village, Chip Bee Gardens, Singapore 278115. Tel : +65 6475 5605
Official website here.
This Mediterranean restaurant opened its doors in 1997 and continues to be amongst the best-known vegetarian dining options in the city. It is located among the row of fancy restaurants at Chip Bee (and priced accordingly), just across Holland Village, and its al fresco seating area is a prime spot for cozy dinners any given night!
The menu is easy European – pizzas, pastas, salads – that everyone is familiar with. It won’t rock your world with novelty – but for vegetarians who sadly have nothing more than a token dish to choose from in most menus, this place is a treasure trove!
Recommended for – vegetarians visiting the city! Start with a mezze platter, get some wine, and take your time!
If you do visit any of these 7 restaurants or have any other vegetarian restaurants you think we must visit, do let us know! Team Secondsguru is very easily reachable on blog@secondsguru.com!
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