Sunday, December 30, 2007

Green Connection @ Melleo's Place - CLOSED DOWN

Dear all, this cafe has closed down. Please let me know if they have relocated.

Thanks for Gwennie for the treat on her BDAY! Quite like this cafe as the service is good and there are daily specials.

Chicken Rice $5.00

Served in a bento box as shown, the chicken rice set comprises of chicken cutlet, beansprouts and a soup. I like the chicken cutlet as it tastes good with the sourplum sauce. Also, chili is not very spicy. However, I was thinking instead of beansprouts, maybe they can use green veg instead, given this price. Rice does not taste that fragrant, but its the healthy kind as it is not Oily.

Dumpling Soup Ramen $5.00


Gwennie said that this place sells the best dumpling so far, and i couldnt agree more. The skin is not too thick and full of ingredients. Also, the soup is tasty (not the msg taste). If I'm not wrong, there should be more than 5 dumplings in this bowl.

Other than set meals, there are also al la carte dishes available. I remember going there with the girls for a meal and we love the kang kong! Recommended: Oatmeal Prawns, Spicy Kangkong, Rojak

Location: 05 Angus Street, Merchant Square (S) 058277

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 10 am to 9 pm; Saturaday 10.30am to 9 pm. Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Tel: 6536 1770

Website: http://www.melleosplace.com/

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Food #03

Got to know this place from the vegetarian society website. Food #03 is a Veg Place and an art project started by a group of creative people interested to change the world.
This little social enterprise is part of Post-Museum and a significant part of the profit goes to Post-Museum.
Had my Xmas dinner there. Here's the intro to contemporary vegetarian food~

BeetRoot/ Pumpkin Soups $4.00 Each

I'm not exactly a soup person when it comes to creamy and thick soups. However, the beetroot soup is a very healthy choice as it is really very thick in nature. Beetroot is very high in vitamin C so it is good for complexion too! However, some may find it hard to drink as it is very raw. As for the pumpkin soup, tastes similar to potatoes, thick as well. It tastes good with the breadsticks though.

Tempeh Burger $11.00

This is my first time trying on the tempeh burger hence I'm not able to compare with others. However, I find the taste acceptable, tempeh is soft and blends well with the fresh vegetables, egg and bread.

Spinach Pizza $12.50

Our favourite dish of the night is the pizzas. Ingredients include Spinach, Grilled Peppers, Feta and Egg, which blends well with the well baked cheese.

Asparagus Pizza $12.50

Ingredients include Asparagus, Oyster Mushroom and Olives. Tastes special as we seldom have asparagus in pizzas. Both pizzas are made using vegan and onion free special sauce base.

Red/White Linguine $7.50

Portion is just right for 1 person. The pasta is well cooked with olive oil and tastes rather blend I think. It could have been better if more ingredients like mushrooms can be included.

Banana Cow $7.00

We had the banana cow for dessert. Served on a hot sizzling plate, this is a hot Pancake with Orange Sauce. Not very sweet and the pancake is chewy. I like the almond slices on top.

Chocolate Brownie $5.00

Not the best i ate so far, tastes a little hard. I think it could have made better with a scoop of ice cream.

On the whole, I like the concept of the cafe which is very cosy and lighting is good. Its a very good and quiet place to chill out for the night. Also, almost everything is recycled at this place, making it really eco-friendly. Food wise, something different as there is no mock meat used, and no deep frying as well! A good choice for a healthy eater as we were all too full after taking all the fresh veggies. As for the price, 6 of us ordered a total of 8 dishes including deserts and it only cost $10 each, definitely Worth the ambience and food!

Note* Some items are already Vegan (V) and Onion+Garlic Free (OF). For many other items, Vegan Option (VO) and Onion+Garlic Free Option (OFO) are available.

Location:


109 Rowell Road Singapore 208033

Opening Hours: Tue - Thur 5pm - 10pm; Fri 3pm - 11.30pm; Sat 12pm - 11pm

Tel: 6396 7980

Website: http://www.food03.sg/

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

7 Sensations

*thank you sunnietart for her review on the Christmas Meal at 7 Sensations~

I came to know of this place via Zaobao’s recommendation. They were offering a Christmas set menu which comprised of a starter, soup, main dish, dessert and drink at $39.90. I thought it was kinda ex for standard veg fare but there were not many places that offers western Xmas set meal so I wanted to give it a try.

It is located in Little India in a little alley behind Shing Siong (Tekka Market). The nice thing abt this little quaint place was the interior décor, which is contemporary and cosy, something different from the usual boring Chinese veg restaurant decor.
We were first served the starter which is a salad. There were a mixture of greens, baby tomatoes, cranberry bits. However, the sauce was quite sour and some vegs were bitter. I got to admit I’m not a salad person so I didn’t really like it.

Tuna Chowder Soup

Next came the tuna chowder soup. There were bits of celery (if I didn’t rem wrongly), veg ham, carrot etc in the clear tomato based soup. It’s the first time I had chowder soup as most veg places offer mushroom cream soup. But it was pleasantly light and delicious. I couldn’t have enough of it.

Main Dish (Aglio Olio)

The next dish is the Main Dish ~ Aglio Olio with 2 ‘drumsticks’. The Aglio Olio was a tad too oily for my liking but there were lots of mushrooms and capsicum in the dish. I thought Aglio Olio should be spicy but it was not spicy at all. The drumsticks were a nice surprise though. It was actually mashed potatoes with veg ham bits and mushrooms deep fried in batter. A creative change from the usual beancurd sheet drumsticks. In all, the main dish was pretty good, except the portion was too big for us, girls. I think it would be more ideal if they offered only 1 drumstick or 2 smaller sized drumsticks. Sometimes too much of a good thing is not good.

The dessert that evening was Passionfruit Pudding. It was not too sweet but was also quite a big bowl. However I would suggest that they could offer more choices such as mango pudding, or a hot dessert like chocolate fondue.

We ordered Enzyme for drinks. According to the staff, it is like wine but taste better than wine. And there were only 3 choices, tea, coffee or enzyme..so we chose the latter. It does taste like wine.. and unfortunately, I’m not a wine lover so I didn’t really like it either. Perhaps they should offer juices too. Or maybe I should have ask if I could choose fruit juice.

All in all, it was quite a pleasant dining experience. The food was above average, except for the salad. Service was good. Ambience was cosy. I will be back to try their ala-carte menu again, hope that its not as expensive though.

Location: 16 Madras Street S208413

Tel: 6298 8198

Opening Hours: Closed on Mondays;

Tuesdays - Saturdays Lunch: 11am - 3pm Dinner: 6pm - 10pm

Sundays and Public Holidays 11am to 5pm

Monday, December 24, 2007

Green Vegetarian at Kofu Commonwealth

Last time when I drove to office, I would go for lunches with irene at Commonwealth. There is a stall in Kofu Food Court which sells really good spagetti.

Black Pepper Steaks (With Fried Rice or Spagetti) $5.00

Portion is really large and Its unique cos' you can choose between spagetti or fried rice to go with the steaks. The black pepper sauce is good and not so spicy.

Location: Kofu @ Commonwealth

Commonwealth MRT

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Sakae Sushi (荣寿司) - MENU REMOVED

**Thanks to Sunnietart's info, the veg menu is removed from sakae sushi due to low demand**
This is not a vegetarian outlet, but Im very happy that Sakae Sushi is going Green! They have started vegetarian options at certain outlets in Singapore. The one dish that I ADORE is the Veggie Hiyashi Ramen.

Veggie Hiyashi Ramen $7.90

Portion is just right for 1. This dish is served cold. The noodles is similar to maggi mee, but I like this better as it is more tangy. Ingredients include shredded carrots, cucumbers, vegetarian ham, mushrooms as well as tomatoe slices. There is a special sesame sauce for you to mix into it. Tastes special as the sauce makes the noodles and ingredients blend well, crunchy and tangy at the same time. Don't worry if the utensils used are not clean, as we have enquired before, the wok and Utensils used for preparing vegetarian food are separated from the Meats one. Hence, this is safe!

Other than that, there are many other options of noodles, donburi Bento (rice sets), Tofu as well as sushi available.

*Picture from Sakae Sushi Website

Locations:

Bugis Junction (Bugis) #02-54

Changi Airport North Terminal 2 Viewing Mall #036-085

East Point (Simei) #04-11

Funan Digital IT Mall (Cityhall) #04-32

Lot 1 Shoppers Mall (Chua Chu Kang) #03-10

Northpoint (Yishun) #B2-04

White Sands (Pasir Ris) #02-19/20

Website: http://www.sakaesushi.com.sg/

Friday, December 21, 2007

Yuan Yuan Vegetarian (渊远素食) - CLOSED

As per my understanding, the stall seemed to have moved elsewhere. This stall is currently operated by Sui Yuan Vegetarian, which is the stall from Tiong Bahru Plaza Food Court.

That day had lunch with my FT friends since they are also working around my area. Yuan Yuan Vegetarian is one of the stalls i like cos' the Auntie is very nice and they cook really good food.
As usual, my love for spicy food never stops, i ordered the laksa which even my coll who is a non-veg likes it.

Laksa ($2.50)

Lots of ingredients and there is even fried egg on it! The soup is thick and not spicy. I love the tau pok as it is very juicy!

Hor Fun ($2.50)

Huimin's favourite cos' she can't stop loving it. haha. As seen, there are more veg than kway tiao! Really a good buy and I ate a mouthful, it tastes good.

Fried Kway Tiao ($2.50)

I love this fried kway tiao a lot! Serving is big and the taste of sweetness is just right. Most importantly, unlike most stalls, this stall is willing to add egg into the kway tiao which makes the fragrance of it!

Mixed Vegetables Rice $2.50

Other than selling the "Zhu Chao", there is also Mixed Vegetables Rice available. There are more than 15 dishes to choose from. I love the Sweet and Sour Pork as it tastes crunchy and it never fails to disappoint.

*Sadly, Yuanyuan is moving in January. We have enquired and seems like the stall owners are looking for new stalls. Hence, you may still call them.

Location: Blk 43, Holland Drive, Singapore 270043

Opening Hours: 7am - 2pm, 5pm-8pm

Tel: 9006 9689/ 9844 8644

Nearest MRT: Buona Vista

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Yuan Xiang Vegetarian (园香素食)

The other day me and the girls had a gathering.. and I brought them to this stall at bugis for a good meal. Yuan Xiang has been around for quite some time and one of their famous dishes is the Salad Prawns.

Salad Prawns
Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. The girls favourite. Fran commented that it tastes like the real one. hehehe. Not suitable for people on diet though.
Black Pepper Udon

This is the best Black pepper Udon I have tried so far. The black pepper taste is just right and it is not too spicy as well. Serving is also enough for 2.

Mee Goreng


As compared to the Udon, there are more ingredients in this plate of mee goreng. However, taste wise is just so-so. Perhaps it is becos we ate the more tasty black pepper noodles first. Nonetheless, if you eat this alone, it is really good as well.

Sweet and Sour Abalone Mushroom

This dish in chinese is called 世界名片。The abalone mushroom are fried and then cooked with sweet and sour sauce. I love it cos its crispy too!

Spicy Soup


Really Spicy. If you have a weak stomach, avoid this. I like it as there are many ingredients in this soup.

Kang Kong

You might see me ordering this dish everytime. Simply bcos i love it. However, I think Green Connection sells the best dish so far.

Overall, Yuan Xiang has been in the market for years and they have opened 4 outlets so far. Hence, they do have a big variety of dishes available for all. Cost wise I believe is affordable to all, we ordered 2 noodles and 4 dishes this time round and it costs a total of $36, which is $9 per person and we could not finish everything.

Other recommendations: BBQ Fish (chili); Sliced Fish with Egg Chilli; Dim Sum

Locations:

1. 134 Changi Road Singapore 419720 Opening Hours: 11am till 9pm

2. Blk 216 Bedok North St 1 (Stall # 01-32 and # 01-34) Opening Hours: 12pm till 10pm

Tel: 9878 6705, 94569079

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Ji Lin Vegetarian (吉林素食)

Sometimes my mum when does not cook in the evenings, we will go to a nearby coffeeshop for Zhu Chao. The seller has been in this business for more than a decade and business is quite good. There are some dishes that I like eating. Most importantly, food is served piping hot. Also, it is affordable to all.

Mock Duck in shredded Ginger slices $5.00

In chinese, this dish is called 姜丝鸭 and it is a must try! the ginger is very finely sliced together with the meat. Then, they are fried together in a special dark sauce. It tastes really crispy and fragrant. I can just order this dish and eat with rice alone.

Bai Ye Tofu $5.00

Yet another dark sauced dish. This is called the 百页豆腐 in chinese. Cooked with celery, carrots and mushrooms. The tofu tastes good as it is the chewy kind.

Sambal Kangkong $5.00


A common dish sold almost everywhere, it depends on your luck of the day as sometimes it can be oily. Nonetheless, i think the vegetables is very fresh.

Seaweed Soup $4.00


I could not see any seaweed in the soup though im very sure that my dad ordered seaweed soup. hahaha! Nonetheless, for $4, this soup is a good buy as there are more ingredients than soup.

So total of 3 dishes and 1 soup + 3 plates of rice cost us $20. So if you are at the bedok area, do try out at this coffee shop!

Location: Blk 515 Bedok North Ave 2, Coffeeshop, Opening Hours: 8am - 8pm

Monday, December 10, 2007

Genesis Vegetarian Health Food Restaurant

Had Lunch with Gilly last week. Thank you sooo much for the treat babe!

Since Gilly is working around that area, I will try to meet up with her ocassionally. Our favourite from this cafe is non other than the Mango Salad.
Mango Salad $10.90

Served in a large portion, this dish comprises of Mango Slices, Shredded Cucumbers and Mushrooms, walnuts as well as rice flour (those clear jelly type). All you have to do is to pour the special sauce on top and mix it like rojak. Totally addictive. This dish is served cold, and it is a blend of sweet and sour taste. Very similiar to the Thai Mango Salad dish. Anyway, it never fail to disappoint.

Almond Rice $4+

Gilly's favourite organic drink. She totally adores it and said that she doesnt mind drinking it every single day of her life. haha. Anyway, I tried and it does has a strong Almond Aroma in it, very natural and its not sweet at all.

I quite like the concept of the cafe, as they have a open kitchen for baking organic breads. However, if you do not take onion/garlic, do be careful of the dishes you order and make sure you enquire before ordering.

Location: 1 Lorong Telok S049014 (Behind Boat Quay)

Nearest MRT: Raffles Place

Tel: 6438 7118

Opening Hours: Mon-Thur 8-8pm, Fri & Sun 8-3pm, closed on Sat.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Fu Yuan Vegetarian Stall (富元素食)

Every Wednesday, my company bus will fetch us to Alexandra Village for lunch. Hence, without fail, I will always visit this stall for the Fish Porridge (the teochew style).

Fish Porridge (鱼糜汤) $2.50

The chinese pronounciation of the middle word is "mi", which i always fail to say. So normally, i just tell the auntie that I want Fish Rice Soup (鱼饭汤). heh. This is not the normal fish congee which you can find. They actually adds freshly cooked soup onto cooked rice and tada! thats what makes the "porridge". I like it because it is a generous serving of ingredients, especially vegetables. Most importantly, the soup is tasty and makes you crave for more! I love it with chili padi. Also, this is one dish that is almost OIL-FREE!

Other than this, mixed vegetables rice is also served. The mee rebus is only so-so.

Location: Alexandra Village Food Centre

#01-68, Opening Hours: 7am - 2pm

Monday, December 3, 2007

Indinine Cafe (MOVED to MALAYSIA)

I heard from Jamie this has moved to KL. Will update again!

Had dinner with my girlpals the other day and as usual I wasn't disappointed with the food here. One of my top favourite is the side dish Fried Papadums.

Papadum Surprise ($4.50)

Though the serving is small, I personally loved this "deep-fried" food. Tastes crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. It is your usual papadum (which you may find at major supermakets), wrapped with tofu in the middle. Deep into the special sweet sauce and it tastes simply heavenly. Note: Sinful! The only thing i hated is I saw oil dripping down each piece, but still, it went into my mouth. hah. Guess the cook could have dripped off the oil first before serving though.

Portobello Supreme ($9.80)

For big eaters, this is one of the good choices available, as the mushroom burger is huge and hard to resist. The portobello mushroom is grilled to perfection, and wrapped together with fresh lettuce, capsicum and tomatoes, blending the taste really well.

Shrooms Simplified ($8.50)

This is the very basic mushroom fried rice. However, the aroma was good and we might not be able to cook till the same taste at home. Mushrooms are fresh and chewy making it complimentary to the aromatic rice. Comes with 2 papadums too.

Note: Garlic & Onions are optional. Hence, do remember to enquire with the staffs if the dishes contain onion/garlic or not. It may be full on weekends.

Location: 3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall Sky Garden

Level 3 #03-016 Tel: 6238 6755