What are the best vegetarian foods in Singapore?

I never quite thought about food when I visited Singapore, and it was only after I came back that I realised that I had some pretty amazing Vegetarian Food in Singapore. I know like me there are many Indians who do not eat meat and it's often a concern when traveling outside the country, and for this reason I decided to share my experiences of eating vegetarian food in Singapore.

However, I must confess something - way back when I was a kid, I used to be a carnivore and ate all animals possible. But something happened when I was in tenth grade and I decided to turn vegetarian. My reasons have been purely non-religious so I am not exactly very strict with it - for instance when I was in Jaisalmer last year and someone offered me a wild bird, I took a bite off it. Also, in Barcelona a couple of years back, my friend Sunny egged me on to try some Calamari, and I reluctantly agreed.

A few weeks back I was in Singapore and doing a street walk in Geylang, my guide offered me Turtle soup which also managed to startle me to the core (don’t be worried, its perfectly legal to sell it in Singapore when it’s not caught in the wild but reared for human consumption. In fact, you have have turtle soup in United States as well.). However, in the spirit of travel and experimentation I agreed to try some. Thankfully it didn’t taste how I imagined such a cute animal would, nonetheless I felt terribly guilty later.

Turtle soup in the left bowl

However, this article is not quite about eating animals but about Vegetarian Food in Singapore, so lets stay with it :)

Being a vegetarian has never been a challenge (so far) when I travel abroad, and Singapore was no exception. In fact, I was actually quite impressed with the vegetarian food there. Vegetarian food in Singapore can be classified into a few broad categories, and following short stories are an introduction to these. I am not a food expert, so will focus more on the places and sometimes on the food that I tried :)

Street Food - Makansutra Gluttons Bay

Street food till late in the night

I had just landed in Singapore late in the evening with a growling stomach. After a quick check-in at the Pan Pacific Hotel we headed out to explore some street food close-by. A short drive away was Makansutra Gluttons Bay and that’s where we decided to eat based on Naseem's recommendation for the hour.

Our spread - mix of veg and non-veg

My new friends in town, Anisha and Naseem, were both non-vegetarian and so had no challenges at all with food. On the other hand, being a vegetarian I was highly apprehensive about finding any food which would suit my taste palate. I decided to experiment with fish which was a little overcooked, but the noodles from the Indian stall were quite good. I had expected them to taste like the Indian Chinese but it was unique. I think it’s certainly worth trying it out.

Food on display

Even late in the night, the place is quite alive

Sticky rice with mango

However, the winner of the evening was ‘Sticky rice with Mango’! When I heard about it, I was very skeptical but when I took a bite, I fell in love with it. In fact, this was the perhaps the most amazing food that I tried in Singapore on this trip.

Address: 8 Raffles Ave #01-15

If you want to explore more street-food in Singapore, you must check out this excellent post by my friend Anisha Bangera at The Black Sakura.

Ling Zhi

Exotic experimental food

I am actually quite open to experimentation just as I believe every traveler should be, and so when one day I had the opportunity to try out some experimental vegetarian food, I jumped at the opportunity.

Interiors at Ling Zhi

Food on display

Established in 1991, Ling Zhi has been known as one of the finest Chinese vegetarian restaurant in the Singapore. Known for the mock meat dishes in the past, the restaurant has evolved into a place where food and art come together.

I tried the chef’s recommended menu and every single course was a delight. For S$42, I think it was also well worth the money.

Address: Liat Towers #05-01, 541 Orchard Road, Singapore 238881

Rang Mahal

High-end fine dining

Usually I skip Indian food when I am outside India, but Rang Mahal was so highly recommended that I decided to give it a try. The fact that they experiment with their flavors made it more interesting to me.

Naseem picking food for both of us

I was already happy after the ride and Champagne in the Singapore Flyer, plus also very tired after a long day full of umpteen number of activities. In that context also Rang Mahal was very conveniently located within Pan Pacific Hotel (which is where I was staying). With another glass of wine in hand, I ordered some really simple Indian food and ate with relish.

I am personally not a huge fan of Indian food outside India, but this place is special. They serve North, South and Coastal Indian food. So if you are in Singapore and missing ‘ghar ka khana’, you know where to head out to :)

Address: 7 Raffles Blvd, Singapore 039594

Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora

Eat with the fish, not the fish :)

Located on Sentosa island, this Ocean Restaurant has one of the best possible ambiance in Singapore. As you enter you can see a gigantic Manta Ray staring at you from across the glass wall. If possible, ask to be seated next to the glass wall and you are bound to love the time you spend there.

Don't miss the fish :)

As usual desserts were the best :)

Cat Cora is a famous American chef also famously known as the ‘Iron Chef’. She also co-founded Chefs for Humanity as "a grassroots coalition of chefs and culinary professionals guided by a mission to quickly be able to raise funds and provide resources for important emergency and humanitarian aid, nutritional education, and hunger-related initiatives throughout the world."

The restaurant is not a vegetarian one by any means, but I would still recommend going there for its ambiance. 

Address: 8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore 098269

PS Cafe

Hip and happening

The last place where I ate dinner in Singapore was also the most happening. Located on the Harding Road in Singapore the place is perfect for a spending a perfect and relaxed evening any day of the week. The hill is actually home to many interesting cafes and pubs, and given a choice I would love to explore many more of these if I visit the country again.

The cool interiors at PS Cafe

Yum desserts!

Day's special :)

Coming back to PS Cafe, the place is simply known for great food, especially great desserts. So even while I ate dinner with my new friends, I kept waiting for their meals to get over so that I could order something sweet for all. I had already expressed my love for sweets, so I was given full freedom to order anything I wanted. I ended up ordering so much that I had to take it back home (ahem hotel) with me and ate more of it later in the night.

Address: 28b Harding Road, S 249549

Epicurious Cafe

Try the iconic Kaya Toast

On my last day in the city, I finally decided to try and meet my close friend Nakul and also eat the legendary Kaya Toast. The place we picked for this was Epicurious Cafe.

So what exactly is Kaya Toast? Kaya toast is prepared with kaya (coconut jam), a topping of sugar, coconut milk and eggs, pandan (a tropical tree), and sometimes margarine or butter (Read more).

Kaya Toast!

Over a cup of coffee and great conversations, I discovered another Singaporean food which I loved. I know I would never ever cook it, so the next Kaya Toast breakfast will have to wait till I go to Singapore again. 

Address: #01-02 The Quayside, Robertson Quay

So what did I enjoy the most in Singapore? Well actually three things and all of them are predictably sweet :)

Here they go - Sticky rice with Mango, Kaya Toast and Pandan cake! Out of these, you can actually buy the Pandan Cake at the airport and take it back home as well. Just go to Bengawan Solo on either of the three Terminals, you won't regret this awesome soft cake!

Read this another interesting post on Food in Singapore by my Travel buddy Amrita Das - this will leave you salivating for more :)

Singapore offers!

This year Singapore is celebrating it’s fiftieth anniversary and to mark the occasion Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourism have come together for Indian travellers. When you book your flights in May-June this year at Singapore Airlines, there are some cool deals that you can use. 

1. Fares starting from Rs 22,000

2. Complimentary admission to one of these three unique experiences - 

     - Universal Studios Singapore ( 1-Day pass) OR

     - Executive Lunch Set @ Punjab Grill Restaurant in Marina Bay Sands OR

     - Singapore Flyer (Moet & Chandon Champagne Flight)

3. SG50 bundle which highlights the cultural and heritage elements of Singapore

Read more about the deals here.