Blue Bistro @ Bugis Burlington Square

Blue Bistro positions itself as a health food store and being strategically located in Bugis (where there are close to 10 other competitors within the vicinity, there must be something different served to attract customers.
Ms Veg was at Sim Lim the other day hence decided to try this cafe out since Burlington Square is right beside. Note that there's no Veg food in Sim Lim!

The Cafe

You will need to walk inside the building (level 1) to find this cafe. Its a small and cozy place, and ms Veg thinks can sit around 20 pax full capacity.

The Menu

The menu features quite a number of interesting dishes and cooked in the healthiest way possible. Note: everything is air-fried, so eat without guilt here.

Our meals~

Everything is in the "tabao" form as there isnt much space in the kitchen for washing.

Nasi Lemak $5

I was surprised that this Nasi Lemak was so healthy! They only use Basmati Rice here, and basmati rice is more expensive than normal white rice. There wasnt any mock used in this nasi lemak, as the "Ikan Bilis" was made from mushroom stalks.

Dried Noodles with Crispy Chicken $3.00

The Crispy Nuggets was the healthiest version Ms Veg ever had as there wasn't any oil at all given that it was air fried. It was a little hard. Noodles was chewy and beansprouts were crunchy.

Cabbage Soup $1

Ordered a soup to go with our meal. Tasted like those healthy soups my mum would cook at home. 

It was rather crowded on a normal working day, and its good to cleanse our body once in a while with healthy meals. The owner was friendly as well and he even gave us free air fried fries. They do serve other local delights like Rendang Curry and Udon Soup.

Note that their Mother's Day booking is full!

Location: 

Burlington Square, 175 Bencoolen Street #01-49

Tel: 6238 8676

Operating Hours: Mon-Fri (8.30AM - 5PM) 

Closed on Weekends and Public Holidays

Herbivore @ Fortune Centre Bugis

Hello all peeps, wishing all a really happy Xmas and Happy New Year 2012 in a couple of days time.

Alright, miss veg has been missing, yes.. because miss veg is really bz. And thank you some of you for helping each other on my chatterbox.. miss veg totally appreciate it!

If you are keen to help miss veg blog, miss veg is more than happy! heee! For those who had emailed me, no worries, i have kept in view of that..

Herbivore has been around for ages, i know, and yes, i've been there twice but haven't blogged it!

So here you go.. here's Herbivore for you.

Herbivore is opened by the owner of Zen Vegetarian, which I hear is moving away from Midlink Plaza soon, but to where, is still unknown. I've left my contact on the contact book which the waitress was passing around, so am waiting for them to let me know.

Anyway, what a great name it has! Herbivore! I've known about the real meat place carnivore and was thinking if anyone would open a place for us.

Herbivore is strategically located in the vegetarian heaven which Ive mentioned before.. Fortune Centre, where to date, I think there are close to 7-8 cafes within this building alone. In addition, Gokul has also jump onto the banwagon and opened a small cafe here.

Taking over the previous cafe Luo Han Veg, is Herbivore, which is by far one of the bigger outlet.

The Menu

Seriously I was quite taken aback when I was given this menu. It was really in a bad torn and tattered shape. I do hope they will change the menu soon.

The same open-kitchen concept as Zen.. Clean tables and neatly furnished place. Herbivore offers quite a range of Japanses/Western cuisine, so they do have similar food items that is available from Zen.

Black Pepper Steak Set $16+++

I do not recall the exact price, but this set that comes with Soup/bread costs close to $20 after tax.

Nothing really special about the mushroom soup.. Just normal and up the standard. Not suitable for vegans though.

Close up of the tomato spagetti. Pretty well done.

I would have expected the "meat" patties to be made by the chefs, but was a little disappointed when its the normal patty we can find from most veg suppliers. In addition, the meat was a little overcooked that tasted too chewy/hard.
Though the presentation for the western "meaty" set is good, I find the food so-so, and not exactly worth my $20 of spending. If you are a big eater, this serving is not enough to fill.

Side - Fish Rings $7+

One of the sides that I like also available from Zen is this Fish Rings. Really Yummy. I think we can get this from the veg suppliers and deep fry on our own as well.

Cream Rice $10+

One of the better dishes from Herbivore is this Cream rice, that is served with Cream, Cheese, Mushrooms, Hams and rice. Tasty though fattening.

Aglio Olio $10+

I guess this is the only dish i personally liked. The spagetti was really well done and simple. Tasty and spicy too.

Overall, Herbivore may not be your everyday choice due to its price, it is still not too bad a place to consider once a while for your gatherings/celebrations. The service staff were friendly too.

Location: Level 1-13/14, Fortune Centre , 190 Middle Road

Tel: 63331612

Opening hours: 10am- 11pm daily

Lao Yu Kee Vegetarian Health Food Stall @ Bugis (老友记)

Sometimes my colls & I will travel to bugis for lunch and we would eat at the newly renovated Hawker Centre which is located right beside the Fu Lu Shou Complex.

There are 2 vegetarian stalls in this hawker centre itself and I would usally eat at this stall. Both are equally crowded if you go on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month as many people usually eat there after prayers at the temple nearby.

Noodles & Dishes $2.50

One of the days I packed this back to the office to eat. The dishes are pretty okay, but cold.

The stall also sells popiah! In addition, they do have various tze char dishes like fried mee sua, hor fun if you want something hot and not the usual mixed vegetables rice.

Popiah $1

Not the best i've had, but I'll still go for it as its cheap!

Location: Queen Street, Blk 270 Albert Hawker Centre, Stall# 01-75, in the middle lane

Opening Hours: Till 8pm, daily, closed on day after the 1st and 15th of lunar month

Zen Japanese Vegetarian Restaurant Singapore *Relocating in Progress*

*Zen is relocating. They sent me an SMS, so they will let us know where the new location is. If you love Jap food, go to Herbivore, located inside Fortune Centre, its under the same owner.*
I first got to know the opening of this new Japanese vegetarian restuarant through the vegetarian society website. Newly opened for just a week, this restaurant is strategically located in the "vegetarian heaven" of Singapore, Bugis. In my earlier posts, I've mentioned that Bugis has close to 12 Vegan or vegetarian stalls and restuarants to date, all are within walking distance. I believe it is also because of the famous Kwam Imm (Godess of Mercy) Temple which is located nearby that led to the vegetarian boom. This new Japanese setting definitely has a strong competitive edge in this area.

Exterior of the Restaurant

Located on the 2nd floor of the building. Fairly easy to spot and its the only veg. place in this building.

At the Door

Simple posters pasted on the door.

Interior of the Restaurant & Kitchen

The interior of the restuarant follows a contemporary modern style with a zen feel, where the seats are white and decor is simple. It should be able to sit close to 70 pax. The partitions are quite high which does provide some privacy. I like the open kitchen concept as it does makes us feel like the Japanese eatery style.

Menu

It is indicated that no Alcohol, Eggs, Onions and Garlic on the first page of the menu. Also, it has included a verse from Gandhi :" The Greatness of a Nation can be Judged by the Way its Animals are Treated".

They serve quite a range of dishes ranging from hot soups to side dishes, salads, noodles, hotpots as well as Japanese sets. The names of the dishes are also written in Japanese. Sunnietart and I ordered a Jap Set each.

Japanese Green Tea (Ocha) $6

I'm used to drinking "powdered" or tea bag form green tea, hence was a little surprise when this came with fresh tea leaves. It is actually brown rice green tea, hence is different from the usual green tea bags you can get from supermarkets. In addition, they also allow hot water refill, hence quite worth the price.

Tonkatsu Set $13

Sunnietart ate this Tonkatsu set as she likes the Pork Cutlet. We enquired and found that this "meat" is not brought from veg. suppliers but totally made my their own chef. It has a unique taste that has a little resemblence of our veg. nuggets. Tastes crispy on the inside and chewy within. The homemade BBQ sauce also managed to enhance the taste further. This set consists of the cutlet, rice, miso soup, salad served with sesame dressing, steam veg (pumpkin, lady fingers etc) , pickles with seaweed and fruits. Considered a big portion if you are a small eater.

Unagi Don Set $14

I ordered this Unagi Don Set as I've always been dreaming of eating this since my colls are avid fans of the real Unagi. Unagi refers to "eel". Im surprised as the outlook of my fish really does look like the real version! This is definitely suitable for people who are not into the soy-protein made mock meats as the fish is totally tofu made. It is a fresh tofu mix spread on seaweed and creatively grilled with their homemade sauce. Tastes soft (no bones!) and goes really good with rice! The set also comes with the same side dishes as the Tonkatsu Set. I personally loved the salad as it comprises of raddish, lettuce and seaweed topped with sesame sauce.

Ganmo (Tofu) $6

This was the only side dish we ordered as they ran out of salmon sashimi. Basically 2 tofu balls pan fried and served with soy sauce. It tasted the same as my unagi, and I personally felt the price doesn't justify.
All in all, I was very satisfied and full after finishing everything served. I would definitely return again to try other food items. In addition, I really enjoy looking at the nice presentation of the dishes. Recommended if you are a vegetarian who is willing to try all kinds of vegetarian food. Do go with a open mind and be reminded this is fully vegetarian.
Location: 122, Middle Road #02-02, Midlink Plaza
Tel: 6883 1586 - do place your reservations on weekends.
Opening Hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm

Le Cafe Confectionary

Was introduced by bubby (my boss's wife) when she brought this for us sometime back. Le Confectionary is so far the only shop i've known to sell this special tart!

Beancurd Tart $5 for 6 pcs

From the outlook, you may think that this is your usual "egg" tart. However, instead of the high-cholesterol egg, this filling here is actually beancurd (Tao Hway) instead! ALso, the colour is slightly lighter than the usual Yellow. The texture is smoother and softer than egg, doesnt taste too sweet and is encased in a delicious pastry. No pork/lard is used here. However, I believe there is butter or milk in the crust. Hence its not suitable for vegans.

Other than this beancurd tart, the confectionary sells your usual cakes and patries as well.

Diet: Vegetarian, may contain milk/butter.

Locations:
1. 264 Middle Road Singapore 188990 ; Tel: +65 6337 2417

2. Blk 42 Cambridge Road #01-02 Singapore 210042; Tel : +65 6298 1477

3. Blk 637 Veerasamy Road #01-111 Singapore 200637; Tel: +65 6294 8813

Opening Hrs: Mondays to Saturdays10:30 am – 7:30 pm ; Sundays and Public Holidays10:30 am – 3:30 pm

Miao Yin Vegetarian @ Rochor

This stall was formerly located at Tekka Mall, but it has moved to Bugis since the food court there has closed down. This coffeshop is only a few stores away from the Eastern Highland Cake House and it serves a variety of tze char, mixed vegetable rice (with brown rice option) and some set meals. Thanks to miumiu again, for the post!

Store Front

The previous time I patronage them was when they were at Tekka Mall, I have tried their Breaded Prawn Roll ($3), Fried Dumpling ($2.50), Laksa ($2.50), Sambal Fish Set ($5) and mixed vegetable rice.
The mixed vegetable rice comes with a bowl of soup, but I am not sure whether do they still serve the soup after moving here. As for the Sambal Fish set, it comes with a small plate of vegetables and note that the fish is really spicy.
Their Laska is not bad and worth trying too. The Fried Dumpling tastes nice with the black vinegar sauce. The Breaded Prawn Roll quite oily and hence not suitable for the health concious.

Mee Rebus $2.50

Before I was able to take the picture, my mum already ate half of the Mee Rebus. I like the Tau Pok chunks which taste just nice with the thick potato gravy.

Fish Head Bee Hoon $3

The soup base used for this meal is actually salted preserved vegetable soup, hence it is quite different from the usual soup cook with ginger and carnation milk. The beehoon tastes springy, however, the the fish slice as it was not too well-fried.

All in all, there are a lot of dishes and tze char options available from this stall. And should you be in bugis area, as I've mentioned earlier, this is definitely a vegetarian heaven!

Location: Blk 1 Rocher Road #01-506
Operating Hours: 8am to 10pm
Tel: 97534280 (Ng Chew Guan, 黄楸原)

Eastern Highland Healthy Cake House (东山健康西饼屋)

I've been trying to write on a couple of vegetarian confectionaries in Singapore. However each time I go, I always forget to take down the pictures. haha. Thanks to miumiu once again, for contributing to this blog!

This is one of the vegetarian confectionary that has been around for quite some time. To date, I understand that there are 2 located in the East (One is Suya @ Ubi and the other is a breadstall located in Bedok) and also, thanks to irene, there is one at Blk 356 in Hougang. If you have any pictures etc, do send them to me too!

Anyway on eastern, it is located at Rochor Centre, which is just opposite the Bugis MRT. It sells eggless cakes and breads suitable for vegetarian and vegans.

Bacon Cheese Bread (培根芝士面包) $1

This shop does have a wide variety of breads ranging from Ham, Pork Floss, Curry Potato and pizza etc. The starting price is around $1 each.

(Eggless breads)

The other day sunnietart brought back some curry bun but I thought it was quite spicy for me. Moreover, I think the breads are a little hard as well. This could be due to it being eggless? Perhaps I prefer the ones at Bedok (to be posted soon!) All in all, it is very encouraging to see a lot more vegetarian confectionaries opening up in Singapore as we build into a greener and more vegetarian friendly country!

Location: 1Rocher Road, #01-510 Rocher Centre, Singapore 180001
Tel: 6294 6932

Block 134, Geylang East Ave 1
Singapore 381134, Beside Kuan Yin Zhai

Opening Hous: Till 9+PM

Su Shi Piao Xiang Vegetarian Cafe (素食飘香)

Another trip to fortune centre since it is a heaven for vegetarians. Thanks to fran for always accompanying me around to try new places too. Anyway, the stall owner used to operate in bedok before this shop at Fortune Centre. Food wise, quite normal, but cheap. Me and fran ordered 2 dishes to go with a fried noodle.

Sambal Kang Kong $4

Big portion for the 2 of us. Very fresh, but it was not spicy enough. I like it as it wasnt too oily.

Salad Prawn $7

Fran loves salad prawn whereever its sold.. so normally it is a MUST order dish should we be eating Tze Char. haha. Anyway, the Salad Prawn here is really a BIG portion that we can hardly finish it. Unlike the usual salad prawn, the "prawn" used is not as nice, and you gotta dip into the sauce. Normally the sauce is pan fried onto the entire prawn, where it is more fattening.

Guihua Noodles $4

Tasty and the noodles are chewy. I guess thats the best dish for the night. It is not too dry.

Location: Fortune Centre, Level 2 - 18

Opening Hours: till 8Plus daily

Roma Deli's Vegetarian Cafe

This cafe has been around for ages and has since becomed so popular that it is always fully packed. Anyway, had dinner with gwennie at this cafe the other day. What I think has been successful for this cafe is that it reaches out to the young and trendy with western dishes like pasta/bread/soups. I was quite surprised to see most young people patronising this cafe. I guess this is where we can actually start vegetarianism awareness among the young! Back to the food, set meals are popular where it comprises of a soup, main dish (pasta or pizza) and a soft drink. It costs around $10 per set meal, which is quite reasonable, however, not for your everyday meal.

Set Meal - Mushroom Soup

Soup comes with the baked herbs bread. The soup tastes thick and quite comparable to other places. I personally thought soup spoon is better. Anyway, this is not vegan friendly. Fattening too, as much butter and flour is used for the thick gravy. Opt for just drinks instead, if you are on a diet. Nonetheless, a little pamper once in a while is required.

Main Course - Spicy Cheese Spagetti

Not very spicy and I thought the gravy could have been thicker instead of it being so watery. Ingredients wise is quite reasonable. as there are quite a lot of ham stripes and lettuce included.

Curry Rendang Baked Rice

This is my all time favourite.. I tried the Satay Spagetti before but I thought that was too much like a chinese dish. Anyway, this baked rice never fail to satisfy my hunger pangs. It may not be too cheesy, but the taste is just right. The curry is not too spicy and the chicken chunks are fabulous.

All in all, it is a cafe that has started out unnoticed, but it business has since grown into providing ready microwavable meals today. I guess this is a good model for a business to sustain overtime.

If you are still thinking of indinine, perhaps this is an alternative.

Location: 100 Beach Road #01-23 Shaw Towers

Tel: 6293 4585

Opening Hours: 11.30am - 9pm (last order at 8.30pm)

Grandcourt Vegetarian Restaurant

Buffet

One thing recommendable about grandcourt is that it is the only Halal certified vegetarian restaurant in Singapore. One of my ex-coll told that though vegetarian food does not contain meat, some do contain rice wine, which they cannot consume. Hence you may bring them there. Items include soup, noodles, rice, curry etc. Of course, they also have the normal ala carte items. Do call up before you go!

Location: Hotel Royal @ Queens, 12 Queen Street #02-03, Singapore 188553

Tel : 6238 5085

Fax : 6238 5302

Opening Hours:Weekdays, Weekends, Public Holidays:11.30 am-2.30 pm5.30 pm – 9.30 pm

Luo Han Vegetarian Health Food

Went there for lunch the other day after much recommendations from Veggie Bun's web. Must Admit the Claypot Rice tastes fabulous!

Claypot Rice $4.50

As shown, there are many ingredients (e.g: Tofu, Cha Siew, Vegetables, Mock Meats etc). What i like about the rice is it tastes fragrant in dark soy sauce, and there are small pieces of salted fish on top, making it tastes like the real one. Worth the money i feel.

Hor Fun $3.50

Mrs Tibet order the Horfun, which i took a mouthful of it and find it so-so only. Similar to what they sell outside. However, the portion is big enough for 2 and mrs tibet could not even finish it. I personally prefer Hor Fun with egg though.

We also ordered 2 soups to try: Tonic Soup & Lotus Root Soup ($4 each)

Love the lotus root soup. We could have just ordered a bowl of rice with this soup! As for the tonic soup, too much ingredients that I could have suffered from nose-bleeding. heehee. Other than these, the cafe layout is clean and be sure to wait up to 20mins for the claypot rice on busy days.

Location: Fortune Centre #01-13/14,

190 Middle Road, Singapore 188979

Tel: 63331612

Opening Hours: Mon - Sun: 8am - 8.30pm