The days of being served up an uninspiring salad and a plate of mushrooms when you request “something vegetarian” are long gone, and good riddance too. Whether your reasons for seeking out something vegan, organic or vegetarian (or any combination of these) are for health, in the interests of animal welfare, for religious reasons or out of concern for the environment, there are plenty of options here in Singapore.
We checked out a range of restaurants, from fine-dining organic food to local neighbourhood all-raw vegan dishes, where the chefs go to extra lengths to cater for the discerning foodie in search of healthier options.
Excellent Vegan Grub at HRVST
Opened by boutique gym Kilter Avenue, HRVST is a delicious vegan spot to visit with friends if you’re in the CBD. Must tries include the pumpkin gnocchi in tom yum sauce ($16) and BKT Bali Risotto ($16), which includes diced daikon, pink radish and braised nuts with an amazing coriander oil that they make in-store! End the meal with a cold-pressed juice or refreshing dessert – we loved the matcha ice-cream with blood orange puree, poached plums and pistachio ($8). Opt for a set lunch ($18), which includes one main and a cold pressed juice or go all out with a three-course meal priced at $28.
#05-06 OUE Downtown Gallery
6A Shenton Way
6920 7500 | kilteravenue.com/hrvst
Joie by Dozo Restaurant
Located on the rooftop garden at Orchard Central, Joie (“Joy”) by Dozo Restaurant offers meatless fine dining. Choose from an elaborate six-course lunch ($38.80) or seven-course dinner ($68.80) consisting of contemporary dishes with Japanese-European flavours.
#12-01 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road
6838 6966 | joierestaurant.com.sg
Loving Hut
Tuck into a mix of local and fusion food at this modern vegan café in the east. Standouts include the nyonya laksa lemak ($9.90) noodle dish and the Bali Bliss soba salad ($12.90), among an extensive menu of local-inspired and Asian fusion dishes, burgers and pasta favourites.
#01-01, 229 Joo Chiat Road
6348 6318 | lovinghut.com.sg
Café Salivation
Since 2008, this vegetarian café has been serving up Mediterranean inspired cuisine with subtle Indian influences. Look forward to a vast menu of pizzas, pastas, burgers and enchiladas, alongside a variety of eggless and gluten-free desserts. A popular pick is the gratin a la verdure ($13), penne pasta cooked with mushrooms, broccoli and red chilli, topped with tomato sauce and baked with cheese.
176 Race Course Road
6298 1512 | cafesalivation.com
Whole Earth
Located in buzzy Tanjong Pagar, this Peranakan Thai vegetarian spot boasts an industrial-chic interior and serves the likes of assam pedas vegetables ($18; a sour and spicy Peranakan dish) and steamed stuffed shiitake mushrooms ($25).
76 Peck Seah Street
6221 6583 | wholeearth.com.sg
Brownice Italian Vegan Ice Cream & Kitchen
We’ll take ice cream any way it comes, including its vegan incarnation at Brownice. Expect flavours like “Hi Hazel, I’m Nuts About You” (hazelnut), “Chocolate French Kiss,” “Mr Earl Grey” and “Sunny Strawberry Fields”, all made with organic brown rice milk and evaporated cane juice.
#01-03 Sin Ming Centre, 8 Sin Ming Road
6456 6431 | brownice.weebly.com
Real Food
Apart from serving vegetarian dishes, Real Food – which has four outlets islandwide – makes a point to avoid processed ingredients, artificial preservatives and trans-fats. Fan favourites include the beet burger ($13.90), steamed dumplings ($9.80) and organic mushroom aglio olio pizza ($10.80), to name a few. You can also order the food via Deliveroo.
Veganburg
Meat-free burgers can be tasty too, especially when they come in flavours like Veganburg’s chargrilled satay ($9.90) – featuring rich Asian peanut sauce drizzled over a grilled soy patty – and smoky barbecue ($9.90), with a delish mushroom patty. Go with a bun, or get your burger in a lettuce wrap instead. Visiting with friends? Order a side of creamy garlic fries to share.
44 Jalan Eunos
6844 6868 | veganburg.com/singapore
Elemen
This vegetarian restaurant has three outlets, at Thomson Plaza, Millenia Walk and HarbourFront Centre, and the menu here is on-trend, with specialties including salads of watermelon and feta ($5.80) and quinoa ($5.80). Other notable items are the tempura tofu with avocado roll ($15.80) and a mushroom risotto with black truffle ($15.80) – and don’t miss the five-course set for $26.80!
Afterglow
This cosy vegan café uses fresh, local plant-based ingredients in a healthy menu that features a mix of raw and cooked dishes. One not-to-miss dish is the raw lasagne ($20) – layers of zucchini sheets with cashew nut cream cheese, pine nuts and herb pesto, with dehydrated cherry tomato sauce, shiitake mushrooms and almond crumble. Dessert fans should definitely try the raw chocolate salted caramel fudge ($12.50), made with avocado and cacao fudge, tahini, vanilla, honey and a date-infused walnut crust.
24 Keong Saik Road
6224 8921 | afterglow.sg
Not enough for you? Here are even MORE vegetarian and vegan options in Singapore…
Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant
Here you can find the very best in North, South Indian and Asian vegetarian food. With over 100 food items from small bites like samosa chaat, dosa to mains like tom yum noodle, Hokkien noodles and paneer fried rice to Western and Asian salads, it can be quite overwhelming, but the more the merrier, we say. All foods contain no onion, garlic and egg.
19 Upper Dickson 6396 7769 | gokulvegetarianrestaurant.com
Herbivore Zen
Here’s another option for Japanese food. This small café serves udon, sushi, bento set and more. Dishes feature mock meat like chicken, pork and also mock unagi and salmon sashimi.
Fortune Centre #01-13/14, 190 Middle Road | 6333 1612 herbivore.sg
Water Drop Teahouse
A relaxed casual restaurant, this teahouse offers Chinese vegetarian cuisine serving mostly rice and noodles dishes.
Fo Guang Shan, 1 Punggol Place 6411 0590
Genesis Vegan Restaurant
Farrer Park’s Genesis Vegan Restaurant has plenty of options for diners whether you’re in the mood for Western or Chinese cuisine. Their dumplings and homemade desserts (tofu cheese pie and apple pie) are a big hit.
115 Owen Road 6438 7118
7 Sensations
A holistic and vegetarian restaurant, 7 Sensations has plenty on their menu, including Asian fusion, Japanese, Thai and Singaporean Peranakan. They also have cakes and pastries and a beverage bar for organic juices. Food choices include pumpkin soup, Portobello mushrooms, avocado hand rolls and black olive brown rice.
16 Madras St, Singapore 208413 | 7-sensations.com
The Living Café
A modern menu of raw and raw-fusion dishes. No red meat, no cow dairy, no white sugar, no preservatives, no additives and no artificial colourings.
779 Bukit Timah Road (just before 6th Avenue) 6468 4482 | balancedlivingasia.com
LingZhi Vegetarian
From clay pot to steam-boat, Chinese favourites made from vegetables and mock meat here.
541 Orchard Road, Liat Towers | 6734 3788
Velocity@Novena Square | 6538 2992 lingzhivegetarian.com
JAAN
Award-winning JAAN launched its Jardin Gourmand menu earlier this year, taking vegetarian food to new heights. Chef Julien Royer’s five- and seven-course menus use vegetables in beautifully artistic ways while staying true to the ingredients. Lunch: $118 (5 courses). Dinner from $148 (5 courses).
Level 70, Equinox Complex, Swissôtel The Stamford 9199 9008 |jaan.com.sg
Little Green Cafe
Fancy going veggie at home? Seek out Little Green Café, an East Coast cookery school that teaches vegetarian recipes from India, Vietnam, Thailand and more.
9763 1483 | littlegreencafe.com.sg
For Indian Veggie…
Almost a third of Indians in India are vegetarian, so it’s no surprise that Indian vegetarian restaurants abound. These are our favourites in Singapore:
Annalakshmi
While Little India is the epicentre of Indian veggie restaurants, one of the city’s best is, surprisingly, on Amoy Street in Chinatown. Annalakshmi also has a most interesting concept: eat what you want, pay what you want. The restaurant is staffed by volunteers and all donations go to charity. And the home-style curries, breads and rice dishes are excellent.
104 Amoy Street (there are also other outlets) 6223 0809 | annalakshmi.com.sg
Ananda Bhavan Restaurant
Celebrating its 90th anniversary next year, Ananda Bhavan is said to be Singapore’s oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant. There are now at least six branches, the one next to Mustafa’s being the most popular. Try the thosai set with accompanying curries and dhal.
95 Syed Alwi Road 6398 0837
Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant
The queue at the main Serangoon Road branch of Komala Vilas is already forming by the time the doors open for breakfast, and it rarely shortens. It has a great ambience and excellent South Indian dishes served with silver pots of masala tea.
76-78 Serangoon Road 6293 6980 | komalavilas.com.sg
Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant
Specialities include mock chicken and prawn dishes.
19 Upper Dickson Road 6396 7769 | gokulvegetarianrestaurant.com
Like this? Read about more vegetarian here. Plus:
We review a family friendly bistro in the east
Foodie news: What to check out this month
Bar Rouge comes to Singapore from Shanghai
This article first appeared in the City guide 2018 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
