Saturday, January 26, 2008

佳明素食 (S11 Food court behind Centrepoint)

Half Chicken. That's its name & its shape. Can you see shape of the drumstick & chicken wing?

Rather well marinated & cooked, while served hot, its skin is rather like the roasted chicken skin and the mock meat texture is too like shredded chicken pieces while tearing it apart. The beans are not warm but not too cold either, the fries are average. Generally, can try, for those who miss western food after becoming vegetarians.:-)

The S11 Foodcourt is located between (behind) Centrepoint & Orchard OG and the stall is at far right corner from nearest entrance to OG.

Vegetarian stalls at Tiong Bahru Market

There are 2 vegetarian stalls at 2nd level of Tiong Bahru Market: RuYi Vegetarian & Cong Cong Vegetarian. Both are located at a corner of the food centre close to each other.

RuYi had been with the market for more than 30 years by now. My mum told me that it used to be run by a nun before & now you can see a few elderly Cantonese taking care of the stall. You can always see long queues infront of the stall. They serve only very traditional vegetarian mee hoon & mee with mock duck, chicken, charsiew, & slightly cooked vege as in photo below.
I think people like it for its traditional & simplicity way of cooking. Personally, I thinks its well marinated green chilli plays a great part in adding flavour to its plain meehoon which is reasonably well cooked. I don't like its glutton ingredients like mock duck & charsiew but I love its beancurd skin mock chicken which I think they are stingy in providing even if I ask them to just give me purely mock chicken for ingredients. Well, what more to ask for $2 a plate.
On the other hand, I help the other stall Cong Cong to feel stressful with long queues infront of their competitors. Usually, I could not stand the long queue of Ruyi so I usually patronise this stall. The stall had changed owner/chef last year a few months after moving back to the renovated market. To be competitive, besides having those standard vegetarian meehoon package, it allows us to choose 3 vege of our choice with rice, meehoon or mee at $2. It retained the specialty fried maggie mee that previous owner always sell. Taste wise ok lah, a good alternative as I don't like the standard vegn set with mock ingredients.

Located at 2nd level food centre, Far left Corner from direction of escalator of Tiong Bahru Market (30 Seng Poh Road), about 2 bus-stop away from Tiong Bahru MRT. Bus: 5, 16, 33, 63, 195, 851

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Green Vegetarian Kitchen (Koufu, Commonwealth MRT)

Just when I need something plain & warm!!! Their porridge is cantonese style, mixed with some unpolished rice with ingredients of long bean cubes , fried tofu cubes & fried flour pieces. Taste quite ok, not saltish but maybe too big a bowl.

I like porridge cooked in cantonese style, usually soft & tasty. I find few vegn stall selling such porridge. The only other one I know is the vegn stall at Hong Lim complex food centre (2nd flr) beside the fishball noodles. They have nice peanut porridge in cantonese style (with ingredients like vegn fish cake slices etc, haven't been there for long time so can't recall exact ingredients) that goes well with the best vegn otak I find so far (but their otak is with egg :P that made its texture smoother than those in mkt without)
Sweet & Sour Pork!!! Was steaming hot, fresh out from wok when I ordered the porridge. It looked so good that I couldn't resist to order. I think this is so far the best replica I had tried. The sweet & sour flour covering was very well-done & the texture of the mock meat was very much like the real meat taste that I could recall. I asked my mum who is non- vegn to try & she complimented it was nice & tasted like the real stuff too. However, it has to be eaten hot or else will lose its texture feel (口感) when it turns cold. This stall is located near entrance of Koufu Foodcourt beside Commonwealth MRT.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Kampung Senang (Aljunied)

There is actually an eco-friendly kitchen section at Kampung Senang (both at Aljunied & Tampines branch) selling healthy organic lunch.
If you are sick of eating mock products, and want to try something more natural & healthy, you can visit them. (I think I had been eating too much outside food & mock products & flavouring recently that I start to miss their organic healthy food)

Just visited their web & found out that in this festive season, they have specially prepared Organic Goods hamper, Festival Salad (Yusheng) with fresh home-made cream and Cashew Nut (from 5 - 13 Feb 2008) and
Steamboat Reunion buffet (from 26 Jan to 2 Feb 2008 for lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm and/or Dinner from 5pm to 7pm. Kindly book 3 days in advance.)

My impression of vegn steamboat is usually mock products so I wonder what would be their ingredients as Kg Senang does not advocate mock products. Would be interesting to try:-)

For more info, pls refer to their web: http://www.kg-senang.org.sg/
Blk. 106 Aljunied Crescent #01-205 S380106 (nearest MRT: Aljunied)
Tel: 67498509

Forks & Spoons Food Court (Toa Payoh Central)

There is actually another vegetarian stall at Toa Payoh central (between HDB hub & Courts) that I almost long forgotten. Always missed this foodcourt at a corner of TP central, 2nd level.
At $3.30, you can choose rice, meehoon or noodles with 3 side dishes with free bowl of soup. It has quite a variety of dishes such as peanut sauced seaweed, vegn satay, mock meat & fresh vege & you see long queue during lunch hour. I must compliment their free soup. The soup so far I have seen are white toufu with red dates, or cabbage with dry wolfberry which is considered well-boiled for a free version.
They also serve alarte dishes like laksa, claypot mee etc.

Located at Forks & Spoons Food court 2nd level, building beween HDB hub & Courts building

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Miao Yi Vegetarian Restaurant (Coronation Shopping Plaza)

Had another gathering here, this round we ordered the cold dish combination. However, was abit disappointed when was informed that the version shown on their poster with sushi was not available. Was recommended the alternative with 5 dishes: mock duck, sweet & sour chicken dices, fried prawn ball, minced meat, and tofu stick with white cabbage? We all like the sweet & sour chicken dices, very well done. Maybe next visit can find out if they have this dish on its own:P

Vegn sharks fin - Nice!!! Using shredded bean curd skin, was able to create texture of crab meat sharks fin, would surely order this again during next visit.
Err, forgot the name but I think it is supposed to be seaweed roll wrapping Golden needle mushroom & something else. I think the flavor of the seaweed is too strong that it covered other ingredients.


Sambal Sweet Potato Leaves - VERY NICE!!! I think they do it even better than KangKong. Should try!!!


Hot-plate Toufu - Nice

Ham sandwich - a piece of cucumber + ham+ bean curd skin. The bean curd skin was very crispy, well-fried :-)

Yam ring-ave, maybe by now we are so full:P

Their business is quite good considering a non-vegetarian day, so do call for booking if you need a big table. :-)

Located at 587 Bukit Timah Rd Coronation Shopping Plaza #03-01/02 Spore 269707
Tel: 6467 1331, 6467 1511 (It's best to call for booking 1st as it is usually packed)

随缘素食 (Kopitiam at Tiong Bahru Plaza)

Another nice dish from this stall, Pineapple Fried Rice.
Sorry, picture does not look appetising:P
The fried rice was covered generously on top with vegn pork floss. Unlike those in market, the vegn pork floss was finely shredded, making it smooth & nice, just like peanut powder. I would think so far this is the best vegn pork floss tasted. Maybe even better than the real one:P
Usually I do not like those rubbery texture vegetarian fishball/cake & shrimp but the shrimp used as ingredient in this fried rice tasted quite ok/Q which I am surprised. Wonder the production had improved or the chef had added some wonders to it.
And nearly forgot to mention, by eating with chilli padi, shok!!!:P
Located at Tiong Bahru Plaza Food Court - Kopitiam (3rd level) near entrance

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Bright Hill Temple


Interesting, saw the posters at the notice board of Bright Hill temple that their "cafeteria" is catering for vegetarian Steamboat & YuSheng. Sometimes, you wonder where to find vegetarian food on the 1st day of CNY as most vegetarian restaurants may also rest on that day. So, why not visit the temple on that day & also enjoy a nice vegetarian meal.

The wordings may not be visible in picture, pls do take note of their operating hours...
21/1/08-21/2/08 (except 3, 9 & 17th Feb for steamboat due to festive grand prayers)
Betw 10.30am to 2pm for steamboat & 10am to 4pm for Yusheng

It is advisable to call 68495333 for enquiries or visit front office to book in advance to avoid disappointment as it is 1st come 1st served basis or for enquiries according to the poster.

Bright Hill temple is located at 88 Bright Hill Road.

How to reach the temple:If you are coming by MRT, pls alight at Bishan MRT station and take bus 410 (white plate) and bus 52 from the bus interchange. It will bring you to the temple front gate within 10 minutes. Official website of Bright Hill Temple:http://www.kmspks.org/

Nature Vegetarian (Sin Ming Ave)

Mee Soto - was thinking if there is vegn version & abt to ask Crystal to help recreate when there it is, Special menu for the day at Nature vegetarian.:-)

With shreds of vegn chicken & generous portion of bean sprouts, the soup is mild in taste (has a slight replica taste but mild) with flavour enhanced by the sliced chilli & the most important ingredient is the shredded vege which is sprinked on it. I think for real mee soto, this vege is also there to enhance the fragance of the soup, tasted like mini celery stalk, not sure its vege name:P

So far didn't fancy vegn fishball, always taste rubbery & feel could choke on them:P. I think the dish can do without fishball & replace by maybe mushroom instead to enhance the soup flavour.
Generally taste ok lah, well enough to be called mee soto:-)

Noticed that there are many unique replica dishes at Nature Vegetarian, eg. Hakka 算盘子 & mee soto etc, maybe if you crave for anything & suggest to them, they will help you recreate in vegn form. :-)

Located at 409 Sin Ming Ave, #02-01 (Opp Bright Hill temple)
Opening hrs: 7am to 9.30pm

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

随缘素食 (Kopitiam at Tiong Bahru Plaza)

This is the taste I am looking for, Punggol Mee Goreng style. With noodles cooked just nice, accompanied with lots of ingredients: bean sprouts , caixin, tomato, tofu & vegn chicken, although sauce abit sweet, I love it :-)

Very traditional laksa, though can't really taste coconut milk in it, very oily & really Sinful.:P With generous portion of the toupok, bean sprouts, vegn chicken, vegn fishcake & the last touch of the laksa leaves sprinkle on it, Nice espy on cold weather when you need something warm...
Really must start to resume my exercise to burnup all the fats after drinking more than half a bowl of the soup :P
Located at Tiong Bahru Plaza Food Court - Kopitiam (3rd level) near entrance

Monday, January 14, 2008

随缘素食 (Kopitiam at Tiong Bahru Plaza)

Was there again for dinner, this round I ordered their Lor Mee. As always, generous portion of mee, vege & 2 big slices of fried fish. Although it appeared thick, the soup is actually more of dark sauce soup & not traditionally thick starchy Lor Mee soup. Nice but I feel thirsty after dinner, maybe too much flavoring....
I saw someone ordered their Laksa, looks good, will keep that in mind in my next visit.:P
Located at Tiong Bahru Plaza Food Court - Kopitiam (3rd level) near entrance

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Eastern Highland Healthy Cake House (Rocher Centre)

Interesting Vegetarian Bread!!!

(Garlic bread)
Smell like garlic bread & I have to ask the shop assistant if it is real garlic ingredient. Fortunately it does not have the garlic aftertaste and I like its replacement: the yellow butterish & the green spices combination. Nice :-)
I wonder what the green leave spices are called? Is similar to the type to add for laksa? I like that.

(Potato bun)

Very unique appearance with potato as its filling. Its exterior squarish skin is actually like those thin layer of popiah skin.

The shop is also busily preparing & selling Chinese New Year cookies. Already on its shelves, I see pineapple tarts. Most likely I will dropby again nearer the festive date to get some New Year cookies:-)
It is located at 1 Rocher Rd, #01-510 Rocher Centre (Opposite Bugis OG)
Tel: 6294 6932
It has moved to be neighbors with Kwan Inn Vegetarian Food, at Blk 134, Geylang East Ave1, #01-227, S'pore 381034.
Tel: 67475580

Vegetarian Alert!!! Discounts!!!



Was flipping through the Chinese Newspaper this morning (14 Jan 2008) when a notice by the Spore Buddhist Lodge (bottom right of pg7 main section) caught my attention.

It reminds us that calendar day 15th Jan 2008 is the Buddha's Enlightenment Day.

Besides publishing its celebration events for the day, it also encouraged us to take vegetarian food. At the bottom of the notice, there are discount coupons of participating vegetarian restaurants giving 10% discounts*! We are encouraged to use the discount coupons at the participating restaurants from 14th Jan to 25th Mar 2008. (*However, pls note that some restaurants may have its own terms & conditions e.g. only cash payment with use of discount coupon etc, you have to clarify 1st bf use)

As the discount coupons from the picture may be too small for your eye, let me introduce the participating restaurants below:

Not in order of preference,

Su Shi Lin 素食林
100 Eu Tong Sen Street #03-16 Pearls Centre Spore 059812
Tel: 6222 6141
(I liked their Sweet & Sour Lotus Root roll 莲藕付卷, Fried rice, Hotplate TouFu)

Lao Di Fang 经典老地方素食之家
2 Havelock Rd, #01-38 Apollo Centre Spore 059763
Tel: 65338959, 6535 2513
(a Taiwanese bubble tea-house which also serves chinese dishes, I like their Spicy Noodles麻辣面, Fried Bean Curd (Taiwanese style), Dian Xin 小笼包 (Very similar to real but std/qly sometimes varies) & Sweet & Sour Duck pieces 酸甜鸭件 )

Xin Ming 新民素食馆
29 Kreta Ayer Rd, Spore 088996 (Opposite People's Threatre)
Tel: 6324 2481
(Haven't try bf, :P appreciate comments on their signature dishes)

Grand Court 鸿阁素食馆
321 Orchard Rd, #05-01/17 Orchard Shopping Centre Spore 2388866
Tel: 6235 2102
(Not been there for a long time but I recall their Potato basket/Yam Ring is nice)

Miao Yi 妙益素食楼
587 Bukit Timah Rd Coronation Shopping Plaza #03-01/02 Spore 269707
Tel: 6467 1331

(One of their signature dish is Vegetarian Suckling Pig intoduced in earlier blog)


新佛界素食馆
153/155 Kitchener Rd, Spore 208528
Tel: 6398 0836
(Haven't try bf, :P appreciate comments on their signature dishes)

佛有缘素食馆
20 Geylang Lorong 1, Spore 388712
Tel: 6744 8009
(Haven't try bf, :P appreciate comments on their signature dishes)

At the end of the notice, Spore Buddhist Lodge is also encouraging other interested vegetarian restuarants to join in this discount drive by contacting them at tel: 6737 2630.

This is really a cause for Joy as during this festive period, we are likely to have gatherings & it would be good that we can have vegetarian food instead of meat (avoid killing for food) and yet have some savings from the discounts. :-)
So, why not suggest your friends to have gatherings at the vegetarian restaurants?

Lets hope more vegetarian restaurants will join in the discount drive or even non-vegetarian restaurants to give discount for their vegetarian dishes:-)

#Generally, Spore Buddhist Lodge will publish such notices with discount coupons before any celebration day or event, do continue to keep a lookout for it or you may call their tel: 6737 2630 to find out more info.

Cheers:-)

Friday, January 11, 2008

Green Vegetarian Kitchen (Koufu, Commonwealth MRT)

Due to job requirement, I had been travelling towards west & thru my journey, I always passby the new mini mall beside commonwealth mrt. I can see that there is Koufu food court and knowing that it will always have a vegetarian stall, I finally made an effort to visit it.

This is new stall name to me. Besides selling mixed rice dishes, it has alarte dishes, Menu of the day like Lor Mee, Mee Rebus, Tom Yam Mee Hoon etc and also a small section selling 油条,蝴蝶 (deep fried twisted dough/sticks).
As I was craving for western food, I decided to order its Vegn black pepper sauce pork chop with spaghetti.
I might be the 1st customer to order this dish for the day so the chef actually prepared the sauces on the spot for me. Can see from the small window that spaghetti was prepared 1st followed by the pork chop. It could be the waiting time to prepare the black pepper sauce pork chop, when the dish was served to me, the texture of spaghetti had become a bit tough from the waiting or probably also under-cooked (personally I prefer soft texture noodles:P ) Its spaghetti sauce was generous & thick but too thick for me, I think abit more diluted would taste better. The black pepper sauce was nice but could be improved if it could be spicer.:P The vegn pork chop (just a name for the vegn product, texture does not taste at all like pork) was those instant products made from bean, but was well cooked & when you taste it, you can actually feel abit of cheese taste (I wonder if they marinated it or it comes with product). Though the fries do not look nice from picture, they tasted great! I am actually a french fries lover but really must cut down on potato to control my weight.:P
This stall is located near entrance of Koufu Foodcourt beside Commonwealth MRT.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Tian En Vegn Food (Beside Aljunied MRT)

Moved to corner coffeeshop (same stretch/row) nearer to Main Road
but will be moving back on 16 Jul 2013 after renovation

Another new listing! Just at the corner of Aljunied MRT, there is this coffeeshop. I think the stall shd be less than 6mths old, always passby to CiHang without noticing (thot it as another mixed rice stall) until this rainy day when seeking shelter. Indeed it has great variety of dishes for the rice/mee hoon.


The dishes are innovative too. I was surprised to find a number of unique dishes. Usually, we have cereal vegn prawn but they actually cook it with vegn "luncheon meat". I had tried vegn ham but this is the 1st time I tasted vegn luncheon meat & in cereal prawn style. The cereal & curry leaves is well cooked and the luncheon meat I wld say taste very similar to the real one & as saltish. I had never fancy the real luncheon meat but for those who used to love it, you cld find back the similar taste. (Applaud for vegn food suppliers' innovation & effort;-) )
Another unique dish is its mixed salad. Unlike normal salad, the ingredients are actually combinations of pieces of fried popiah, potato samosa (puff), vegn fish cake/ball & I forgot what else:P It can also be ordered on its own as a side dish.
Very fattening & sinful but ok lah once in a while. :p (just a thought, next time if you have any unfinished food, you can also just add them in a mixing bowl & add salad cream/sauce to it & it's another innovative dish)
The meehoon was quite nice & they also have ala carte dishes like Hor Fun, Fish & Chips etc. I miss nice western food, shall try it next time.

Location: 1st coffee shop at corner of Lor 25 Geylang ( just beside Aljunied MRT)

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Miao Yi Vegetarian Restaurant (Coronation Shopping Plaza)

I have long heard about compliments for this vegetarian restaurant but only managed to visit it recently. My sis strongly recommended its vegn suckling pig after being there with her friends so I decided to make an effort to try it.
It is eaten with similar method like the Peking duck, using a piece of lettuce? to wrap the slice of "pork" with the special sauce and cucumber. If eaten alone, the pork will taste oily but it tasted wonderfully with the combination of vegetables.
(Vegetarian Suckling Pig)

(Salad Prawn) - I like it
(GongBao Monkeyhead mushroom)
Abit disappointed as it is more like Dark sauce rather than Gong Bao as not spicy enough & a bit too watery. The mushroom was coated with a thin layer of flour but mushroom itself was not well marinated so you can still taste its tough texture (I think the texture was similar to the frozen instant type which I bought before from supermart) .

:P I know it is not easy to cook the monkeyhead mushroom well, you need a lot of work to marinate and soften its texture. Well, I think the Best GongBao Monkeyhead Mushroom I tasted was many years ago at LingZhi. The chef then really marinated it so well that it tasted as smooth as chicken drumstick meat & I fall in love with this dish & monkeyhead mushroom ever since. A pity its standard was not maintained for my last few visits :-( I tried preparing it myself from the dried mushroom as well as the instant frozen food version but failed to get the texture close to the old Lingzhi std so I know it is not easy to prepare nice monkeyhead mushroom dish. :-( & I would always order this dish whenever I see it in the menu. If you know places that serve nice monkeyhead mushroom, do let me know:-)

(Yee Mee) - ok

(Dark sauce Fish) - ave

(Claypot Chinese Medicine- flavored Toufu)

The toufu was nicely fried & smooth however we can't really taste its Chinese medicine flavour :P Maybe it could also be bec our taste bugs were numb after tasting all the earlier dishes which were more of dark sauce flavour :P

Before we left, I noticed that its poster showed Cold Dish Combinations which look nice, maybe I wld try that next round.

Located at 587 Bukit Timah Rd Coronation Shopping Plaza #03-01/02 Spore 269707

Tel: 6467 1331, 6467 1511 (It's best to call for booking 1st as it is usually packed)

随缘素食 (Kopitiam at Tiong Bahru Plaza)


This is my favourite from the vegetarian stall at Tiong Bahru Food Court (Kopitiam), Tom Yam Soup, I like to order it with Guotiao. The soup base is good, it is sour enough though not as spicy enough for me. (It used to be my number 1 Tom Yam stall until I discovered Tom Yam Dry Thick Mee Hoon at Pine Tree Cafe, Fortune centre, introduced earlier which is both sour & spicyhttp://vegefoodhunt.blogspot.com/search/label/Tom%20Yam%20Dry%20Mee%20Hoon. The vegn fishes unlike at Toa Payoh HDB hub basement foodcourt are big slices & coated with a thin layer of flour & fried before adding to soup. Also nice in different way.
Sorry if picture did not turn up as appetising but Must try if you like Tom Yam !!!
Located at Tiong Bahru Plaza Food Court - Kopitiam (3rd level) near entrance

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Yuan Wei Quan Vegetarian (YWQ)

Sob:-(, the stall has increased its other menu of the day from $2.20 to $2.30.
Well, what to do? inflation lor :-(

(Sliced Fish meehoon)

Another popular soup mee hoon I like. Nice to have when you need something "soupy" to warm your stomach.
Its fish is well fried & thinly sliced to taste it in 1 mouthful. It is still crispy as added after soup is prepared except for portion dipped in soup. Its soup base is with milk so if you add chilli to it, it becomes semi-laksa. :-)


The foodcourt is located at B1 of HDB Hub. You can either enter thru basement carpark entrance or from entrance besides McDonald from Bus interchange. The stall is located at far right end if from entrance besides McDonald.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

佳明素食 (S11 Food court behind Centrepoint)

Thanks to Anonymous, I get to know another stall at Orchard area. :-)
Also called 佳明素食, I believe is from same franchise?
The mock mutton noodles that I mentioned earlier is known as Spicy noodles here.

(Spicy noodles)
It is a generous portion of mee with lots of vegetables. The mock mutton even has a curry flavouring. To me, the soup is not too spicy , with satay sauce flavour. In fact you feel some "Ma" or numbness of your tongue after a while, I think it has some "MaLa" ingredients in its spices. Generally, it is quite nice & unique in its way. Can try :-)

The Foodcourt is located between (behind) Centrepoint & Orchard OG. You may miss the foodcourt if you usually walk near the main road to & from the 2 shopping centres.