Monday 30 May 2011

Happy Vesak Family Day Funfair 2011

Following Sunny’s blog is an excellent way to get the latest information about vegetarian related event. Actually she has diligently updated the sidebar of her blog with various religious and health events. Personally I am more interested in the ones about food. Having missed the Vegetarian Food Fair at Ngee Ann City a few weeks ago, I made a mark on my calendar to make myself available for this one.



This event was meant to commemorate Vesak Family day. Being an event of Buddhist nature, a vegetarian food fair was included. Held on 29th May 2011 in the open field near Eunos MRT station, the fair was extremely crowded. Much to my delight, the booths were dominated by cooked food and snacks, which matched my agenda of the day.

The Food

Sri Lankan Vegetarian Food Set Meal, S$ 3.00

Disappointment was the first feeling that hit me, since I was expecting some exotic flavour from a cuisine that I hardly had any exposure to. As I recalled my Geography lesson from way back, I remembered that Sri Lanka is quite near to the southern part of India, which could explain the sense of familiarity I had. Notwithstanding the general similarity in flavour between this rice set and a typical South Indian dish, I had to admit that the curry-flavoured potatoes and chick peas were enjoyable enough. Concealed beneath the brown rice were a few thinly sliced bitter gourds. Being a salad dish, the gourds retained a significant amount of raw bitterness, only to be appreciated by fanatics of bitter gourd (me included).

In my opinion, the most interesting feature of this rice set was the jackfruit curry. If you had problem finding this side dish in the picture, I could understand. Initially I was reluctant to touch the brownish pile of what I thought was mock mutton and left it to the end. When I finally tried it, I was surprised by how it felt more like eating some fruits. During that time, I did not know this was jackfruit. Instead my mind was drawing a weird hypothesis that gluten would acquire a fruit-like texture when stewed too long. At that instance, my initial disappointment gave way to the curiosity of trying something for the very first time.

Jackfruit Curry

After I finished this delicious rice set, I returned to the booth of Mahakaruna Buddhist Society to enquire more about this interesting side dish. That was how I learnt that what I had eaten was actually jack fruit, not mock meat. Sensing my desire to take some pictures, the volunteer generously opened the lid for me to do so. He requested that I shot in an angle that did not show the oil. Sir, thank you for your kind gesture, but I still prefer to show my readers things as they were.

Almond Beancurd, S$ 1.00

Tapioca Kueh, S$ 2.00

Pumpkin Ang Ku Kueh, S$ 2.00

These were some of the other items I had bought at the fair so as to use up my coupons. The almond bean curd dessert at the top, though had a rich almond taste, carried a hint of milk. Due to this experience I made it a point to ask the volunteers, especially those selling cakes, if eggs were used and I got quite a few positive answers. Then again it was unfair to accuse the organizer for misleading the public. After all, this was a vegetarian food fair, not a vegan food fair.

Conclusion

After exploring the entire food fair, I concluded that the Sri Lanka Vegetarian Set meal was the most value-for-money and best tasting item I had bought at the fair. Thinking back, I regretted not asking the volunteers if the society opened an eatery that sold similar food items.

A little improvement I would like to see is to have the coupons fully in smaller denomination, say S$1.00, to make payment easier. Other than that, I am certainly looking forward to such events in future.

Organizer:Singapore Buddhist Free Clinic
Venue:Eunos MRT open field
Date / Time:29 May 2011, 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Bus Service:-
MRT Station:Eunos
Website:http://www.sbfc.org.sg/

Sunday 29 May 2011

Honzen Cafe

Now that I think back, I was thankful to the day I signed up for the VSS E-newsletter. Hence I get to know about Honzen cafe at the convenience of just reading my emails. This cafe is another addition to Bugis, which was already crowded with vegetarian eateries. However, it is located in North Bridge Commercial Complex (Opposite Bugis Junction), away from the rest of its competitors in or near Fortune Centre.



Despite an upmarket style of interior design, the service crew were actually quite down to earth, so were the price of the main course in general. Rice dishes, especially fried rice, dominated the menu. Apart from that, there were a few soup ramen and spaghetti dishes to choose from.

The Food

Fruit Enzyme Vinegar, S$ 0.00

Before my food arrived, I was given a small cup fruit enzyme vinegar. It was basically a mildly sweet berry flavored drink. Even if it was not free-of-charge, I would not complain about its portion since drinks of this nature was never meant to be consumed in large quantity.

Honzen Special Rice, S$ 6.90

Old Cucumber Soup (Comes with Honzen Special Rice), S$ 0.00

So what is the X-factor behind Honzen special rice? Here's the answer: the rice grain was shaped into a cone. Sealed its fate by flattening the mound with the cutleries as one began to tuck in, all that was left was plain brown rice. It did not help that its portion size was dismal. The accompanying ingredients, however, were the showstopper of this self-claimed special dish.

Flanking the surrounding of the rice, these ingredients not only appealed visually with their array of colors, but also treated ones taste buds to a range of flavors. Starting with the gelatinous black fungus, the tangy undertone attributed to the use of vinegar was a great appetite stimulator. Next up, the crunchy assortment of well-roasted cashew nuts, seeds (pumpkin and sunflower) and dried fruits (Cranberries, sultanas and goji berries) was like a fantasy to any tidbits-loving individual. Tossed them into the raw alfalfa sprouts and lettuce, and a lovely sweet and savory salad was created. Moving on to the traffic lights trio of bell peppers, they were probably lightly sautéed since their natural sweetness was retained. The same could be said for the green beans although the flavor was more subtle.

A typical Chinese habit was to have a small bowl of clear soup at the side of relatively dry main course. The soup of the day was brewed using old cucumber, which was believed to have cooling properties. According to the waitress, the main ingredients used for the soup of the day was determined by the weather condition. Seems like this cafe adheres to the Chinese yin-yang system, which I am a recent convert of. Red dates, wolf berries, ginger and carrots were added, both for extra herbal flavor and nourishments. Although it was on the verge of tastelessness, it harmonized well with the main course.

With so many food items to keep my stomach busy, I could easily forgive the cafe for the minor misrepresentation in the naming of this dish. The lack of something “special” in Honzen rice, was adequately compensated by the value-for-money factor. However the S$6.90 was only a promotional price. I was told that the price would increase to S$8.90 in future. Hopefully they would at least serve more rice when that happened.

Citron Tea, S$ 3.00

Citron tea is a Korean traditional tea made from thinly sliced citron with its peel and combined with honey or sugar. Since no tea leaves is used, there is hardly any bitterness typically found in tea. In Honzen cafe, you could choose whether you want to have this drink hot or cold. I chose the hot version, which turned out to be lukewarm, but I would not complain in this case. Being scalded by a piping hot drink did not sound pleasant to me anyway. This sweet citrusy drink was a nice thirst quencher. I also hoped the peel found in the drink was edible since I had eaten some of them.

Conclusion

I wonder if the rising number of organic eateries in Singapore accurately mirrors the increase in number of health conscious locals. It will be great if it does. Instead of worrying about the medical cost that keeps heading north with no sign of turning back, why not keep ourselves healthy so that we are less likely to use those services? I believe our ex Health minister, Khaw Boon Wan, was trying to bring across this message but I don't think most Singaporeans appreciate that.

Hence I am grateful to Honzen cafe for providing me another choice of healthy and delicious vegetarian food. My real complaint for this cafe is that it is closed on Sundays and Public holidays, when I am more free to explore food outside of my work place near Aljunied MRT station.

Address:470 North Bridge Road, #01-01
North Bridge Commercial Complex, S(188735)
Opening Hours:Mon - Sat, 11.00 am - 9.30 pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Bus Service:7, 32, 51, 61, 63, 80, 145, 175, 197, 851
MRT Station:Bugis
Website:http://www.honzencafe.com.sg/

Saturday 21 May 2011

QQ Rice - Novena Square 2

{Note: This is NOT a 100% vegetarian eatery. However close to 50% of the menu does cater to vegetarians.)

Rice is considered plain to most people when consumed on its own. Yet this property, which appears to be a weakness at first, actually renders rice one of the most versatile food around. It can be served plain to complement other dishes, especially the heavily seasoned ones. Alternatively, one can whip up a one-dish meal by cooking the rice, with other ingredients, salt, herbs and/or spices.

An interesting way to eat rice, in my opinion at least, is to knead the grains like a dough into any three-dimensional shape. To achieve this feat, only rice grains with adhesive nature is used. Stuffings can be included for extra flavor. This rice dish is common among the oriental community, for example the Chinese rice dumpling (Zongzi) and the Japanese rice ball (Onigiri).



To stand out in the F & B industry today, novelty is crucial. QQ Rice takes this cue, by incorporating other grains into their rice roll, instead of sticking to the safe tradition of using purely glutinous rice or short grain rice. Its signature product, purple rice, has a glamorous history of being exclusive to the ancient Chinese Emperors, and forbidden for anyone else. Touted to contain high quantity of iron and antioxidants, and blessed with a splash of rich purple coat, it is sure to trigger enough curiosity among consumers to at least try it once. Boasting a non-flatulent technology by adding digestive enzymes to the rice, I can see the zealous effort put in by QQ Rice to target the steadily growing health conscious market.

Follow these steps if you want to try this dish.
  1. Head on to Novena Square 2, the venue of my review, or its other 2 newly opened branches in Jurong IMM and Boon Lay Jurong Point.
  2. Choose your rice from this list: brown rice, mixed grain, purple rice, wheat germ, wheat five, red rice.
  3. Choose 5 fillings. There are 24 vegetarian fillings to choose from.
  4. Unfortunately the sauces may not be vegetarian, so I suggest that you skip this step.
  5. By default, the food here are meant to be takeaways, so do remind the service crew if you want to dine-in in the limited space available in the eatery.

The Food


As I tore open the plastic wrapping, the purple rice roll made a pleasant first impression by charming my sense of smell with a mild peppery aroma that reminded me of five spice powder. On sinking my teeth into the rice, I was surprised that the rice did not have much taste apart from its natural nutty flavor, suggesting that no seasoning was added. Hence the combination of fillings was crucial. If your rice roll tasted horrible, blamed it on your wrong choices of ingredients. What a sly way to shirk responsibility!

Anyway, here's what I had chosen for the purple rice roll: 1) emperor vegetable (premium) 2) burdock 3) seaweed salad 4) sweet corn 5) mushroom. This particular combination had a savory sweetness characteristic of Japanese cuisines, which was within my expectation since the seaweed salad was a food of Japanese origin. After I tested the crunchy emperor vegetable and burdock individually (Both of them new to me, especially emperor vegetable), I realized that they too shared this flavor. The mushroom however was the one that contributed the five spice powder like fragrance.

In a nutshell, chewing on the purple rice roll was akin to eating a grainy version of Chinese rice dumpling. I thoroughly enjoyed my mouthwatering selection of items which had successfully spiced up the subtly flavored rice.

Mixed Grain Rice Roll, S$ 4.30

Broccoli must be a really expensive vegetable. When I asked for this filling, the service crew only scooped up two miserable florets. There was a minute improvement in the quantity of cherry tomatoes, Japanese cucumber and burdock given. Surprisingly she was rather generous with the shimeji mushroom, probably because it was classified as a premium item. 30 cents sure made a whole lot of difference.

Compared to the purple rice, the mixed grain rice roll did a even better job in living up to its name of QQ Rice. I supposed containing a mixture of twelve mostly unrefined grains helped in increasing its chewiness. However, like the purple rice, it also relied on the fillings to enhance its taste. Due to the presence of some raw ingredients and the lightly blanched broccolis in this combination of fillings, the mixed grains rice roll acquired a crisp and natural flavor. If I was lucky to pick up the sparsely distributed cherry tomatoes, there would be an additional tartness. This mixture of light flavors harmonized well with the slightly peppery shimeji mushrooms.

I adored this combination of fillings as much as the one I chose for the purple rice roll. Portion wise, I seriously believed the mixed grain rice roll could afford to pack a few more broccoli florets without falling apart.

Purple Rice Juice, S$ 2.30

Curiosity made me fork out extra cash to try the purple rice juice. Anyway, I got a 50 cents discount since I bought it with the rice roll. It turned out to be a simple and mildly sweet drink. Guess I was paying for the health benefits it provided rather than the taste.

Conclusion

Novelty may be a good way to market a food business in the beginning, but to survive in the long run, taste is still the ultimate determinant. The fact that QQ Rice have gone on to open another 2 branches proves that it does well in the taste department too.

If you are a vegetarian who happen to be around Novena and you need to have a meal, this is a viable option, provided that you are comfortable eating in a non-vegetarian eatery. At a starting price of S$ 4.00 per rice roll (I doubt we are limited to just 5 fillings), I find it affordable enough. It is definitely nice to eat something different from the usual vegetarian dishes once in a while.

Address:10 Sinaran Drive, #01-06, Square 2, Singapore 307506
Opening Hours:7.30 am - 9.30 pm
Bus Service:-
MRT Station:Novena
Website:http://qqrice.sg

Sunday 15 May 2011

Xiu Yuan Good Food Cafe

At this time of the year, our friends in the northern hemisphere are slowly approaching summer, whereas we, the inhabitants of Singapore, are already experiencing this season in its full glory. When the weather is extremely hot, I prefer simple and light meals so as not to put further burden on my digestive system.

I may have lamented about Bugis in one of my previous posts. Then again, I also have to admit that it is one of the “safer” places in Singapore for vegetarians to go to. When it comes to the amount of vegetarian eateries available, if Bugis declares itself the runner-up, no where else in Singapore dares to claim the top spot. To me, finding vegetarian food that suits my light palate is not easy, because Singaporeans in general likes rich and deep flavor. As a result I usually can't find something I like in vegetarian stalls offering only the standard fare. With numerous choices in Bugis, I should be able to find a place to dine at, such as Xiu Yuan Good Food Cafe, which offers a good mix of light and heavy flavored food.



Xiu Yuan certainly has no qualms showing off its vast menu, as seen on the neatly arranged food gallery on its wall. In fact, they have so much items that the wall runs out of space and they have to display the rest of the pictures on a white board. Thanks to those appetizing looking images, I get to find out what they sell without having to ask. Needless to say, I was delighted to see a variety of clear soup dishes.

The Food

Spinach Noodles Soup, S$ 4.00

One look at the noodles of spinach noodles soup dish told me that it was store-bought, not homemade. Considering that it cost only four dollars, not that paying this much for a small bowl of noodles was cheap, expecting the cook to make the noodles herself was a still little too much. If I did not find spinach and enoki mushroom as part of the ingredient list, I would have felt totally ripped off. Flavor wise, it was no different from the thin yellow noodles used in wonton mee. Even the act of contributing a lye water taste to the soup was similar. Fortunately, the salt and MSG content was fairly low, thus the entire content was still bearable by my standard.

Although the cook added quite a lot of ingredients, as a whole, the ingredients had an incongruous throw-in-whatever-I-can-find-in-the-fridge feel. They tasted all right though, just short of exceptional. Overall, this noodle soup dish had an almost close to bland taste which was occasionally punctuated by the seasoned mock fish ball and fish cakes. It might have satisfied my requirement on that day, but I could not help having an unjustified feeling at the back of my mind for the four dollars price tag.

Amaranth Mini Pot Soup With Noodles, S$ 4.50

Amaranth (Yin choy) mini pot soup came with a solid fuel burner. Despite the massive set-up, the soup only made up about one-third of the entire assembly. Closing one eye to the portion size, I still enjoyed the clear and light soup that generally maintained the natural flavor of amaranth greens, with a subtle enhancement by the Chinese parsley garnishing. This soup dish shared almost the same ingredient list as spinach soup noodles. Personally I would have preferred the proportion of ingredients to skew towards the greens, after all the dish was called amaranth mini pot soup.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the noodles, which was supposed to be a side to accompany the soup, containing more than just noodles. That made me feel better paying S$1.50 for it. The noodles was soft as opposed to the firm elasticity that most people raved about after the Taiwanese started this QQ trend. One had to share my inclination towards foods that were easy on the teeth to accept this. Contrary to what you might see in the picture, there were more mung bean sprouts burying among the noodles. They added some crunchiness when eaten together with the noodles. Since I did not take spicy food, I requested for the chili sauce to be left out, and was left with a watered down version that consisted only of a blend of vegetarian oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and seasonings that I would rather not know about. Nevertheless, the overall taste was satisfactory enough to act as a contrast to balance with the relatively blander soup.

Conclusion

I may complain a lot about their pricing in my reviews. To be fair to them, there are cheaper items on their menu too. Perhaps as a punishment to my fussy taste bud on that day, I somehow chose the more expensive ones. If the weather of Singapore doesn't cool down any time soon, this might just be one of the places I frequent for lunch.

Address:190 Middle Rd, Fortune Centre #02-18
Opening Hours:Mon - Sun, 8.30 am - 8.30 pm
Rest on Wed
Bus Service:56, 64, 65, 131, 131A, 139, 147, 147A, 166
MRT Station:Bugis
Website:-

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Loving Heart Cafe 2


See Newest Update

Geylang is a haven for vegetarian food, more specifically Chinese vegetarian food. As far as I know, it seems like all the vegetarian eateries in this area are owned by the Chinese. Fortunately, many of them diversify their menu by offering a few common non-Chinese cuisines, particularly those of Malay and Indian ethnicity. Speaking of Indian food, it is always just nasi briyani.

Loving Heart Cafe is an exception to the above rule. After reviewing its sweet potato porridge in April, it becomes one of the places I have lunch at on working days. Since I frequent this cafe, I get to witness the measures it implements to distinguish itself from the neighboring Kwan Im Zhai. The most significant one is the introduction of a range of Indian dishes apart from briyani (Briyani is there as well though). Loving Heart goes one step further by hiring Indian chefs to whip up these dishes. While it does not offer much varieties of Indian breads, I see quite a few flavored rice dishes, all of which I have never heard of. That gives me enough reason to do a second review on it.

The Food


Please pardon my feeble attempt at creating an Indian-Chinese fusion cuisine. The Indian and Chinese components of this dish were coriander rice and the vegetables from the economic rice section respectively. I was supposed to eat the rice with potato mock chicken (Based on my observation) curry and achar. Although I was assured by whom I suspected was the lady boss, that the curry was not spicy, the scorching hot weather deterred me from trying anyway. In the end I picked the amaranth greens and hairy gourd side dishes to go with the coriander rice.

Since the star of the dish was coriander rice, allow me to take this opportunity to share something interesting about coriander leaves which I read online. Due to genetic factor, certain people perceive the taste of this herb to be soapy. Needless to say, they hate coriander leaves to the core. On the other hand, lovers of coriander detected a more pleasant citrus overtone. In the case of this dish, I tasted neither. Apart from giving the rice a green hue and packing it with plenty of health benefits, the ground coriander leaves did not contribute much in terms of taste. Instead, the rice was dominated by the nutty and peppery flavor of cumin seed, which I found appetizing nonetheless.

Although it was not compulsory to use basmati rice, the texture of this dish could have been further enhanced if done so. The chef could also go a little easier on the oil.


Unlike the coriander rice, the lemon, or rather its juice, did impart the expected citrus taste to the rice, so that one knew he or she was indeed eating lemon rice. The mild sourness actually went very well with the Indian spices. I found it a pity that the rice was not thoroughly mixed, hence I did not get to relish this delicious blended flavor in every mouthful.

While having achar as one of the sides bestowed a more “Indian” identity to the dish, its strong sweet and sour taste eventually overpowered the savoriness of the lemon rice. Ironically, the hopelessly mismatched Chinese vegetables coriander rice combo had the relatively lighter tasting vegetables sitting at the sideline, hence allowing the flavor of the rice to stand out more.

I also preferred basmati rice to be used in this case. It would be great if all the flavored Indian rice dishes made use of this grain, but I guessed the boss wanted to save money, so he or she decided to use the same long grained rice used for the Chinese dishes.

Conclusion

There is certainly rooms for improvement with regards to the Indian dishes. However for people in the Geylang area who crave for Indian food but are too lazy to travel elsewhere, I would say whatever Loving Heart Cafe has is decent enough.

Address:Blk 134 Geylang East Ave 1 #01-219 Singapore 380134
Opening Hours:-
Bus Service:2, 13, 21, 26, 40, 51
MRT Station:Aljunied
Website:-

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Email Reply From Prata Wala Cafe Restaurant

I had just received an email reply from Prata Wala Cafe Restaurant. After getting their permission to publish the reply, I took a screenshot of the relevant portion. Check it out below, vegetarian status of Prata Wala straight from the horse's mouth (Click on it to enlarge):


Here I conclude that this place is suitable for vegetarians who do not mind dining in a non-vegetarian eating place. In addition, Prata Wala has much more to offer for the vegetarians than the 3 dishes I mentioned previously. So vegetarians who happen to be at NEX can go try it out. Good luck in finding a seat though.

Address:23 Serangoon Central NEX Shopping Centre #02-K5/K6
Opening Hours:Mon - Thu & Sun, 10.00am - 10.00pm
Fri, Sat, Eve of Public Holidays, 10.00am – 11.00pm
Bus Service:-
MRT Station:Serangoon
Website:www.pratawala.com

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Prata Wala Cafe Restaurant

(Note: This is NOT a 100% vegetarian eatery. I asked the cashier if they used separate utensil for the vegetarian dishes. She did not seemed to understand my question and only told me the meat and vegetables were served in different trays. What an ambiguous reply. To play safe, I DO NOT recommend this place to strict vegetarians who do not want their cutleries and utensils to be tainted with non-vegan ingredients. Please see here for latest update.)

On Saturday, I went to NEX Mall to perform the mundane task of depositing a cheque. Whenever I stepped into NEX, I always recall reading one blogger's post lamenting its total lack of vegetarian eatery . Sorry for only remembering the complaint, not the blogger's identity. Anyway he or she is right. Despite boasting two food courts, a slew of restaurant Goliaths and of course its huge size, you cannot find a pure vegetarian dining place. Yes, not even a humble food court stall selling the most common vegetarian economic rice or bee hoon. However, for vegetarians who do not mind relaxing the standard a little, they can still find something to eat there. Based on what I read from the vegetarian blogs that I follow, there are some of them who are comfortable about dining in a non-vegetarian eatery, so long as there is a vegetarian item in the menu. In my case, I am not even a vegetarian, therefore this arrangement is more than enough for me. After I left the bank and having loads of time to spare, I decided to explore NEX, paying special attention to the details in the menu (If available for display outside the eatery). That was how I spotted Prata Wala Cafe Restaurant.



In Prata Wala (A cute catchy name there), only the cooking and ordering areas are enclosed in a unit. Patrons have to dine in the open but since everything is housed within the air-conditioned shopping mall, it is not much of an issue unless one needs more privacy. More importantly, I spotted two vegetarian dishes, namely vegetarian white rice set and vegetarian murtabak. That has already made it better than Subway on the second floor. As usual, my camera was not with me and besides I had eaten, so I planned to visit it on another day, but only after much hesitation.

You see, my relationship with Indian cuisine is not a fairytale. Unlike majority of the Singaporeans, I do not take hot and spicy food. There is neither a health nor a religious reason behind it. I simply fail to acquire this taste. My worst dining out nightmare is when a nimble hawker adds a dollop of chili sauce into my food without asking if I want it, just because I am a Singaporean. Therefore I tend to avoid cuisines that are meant to be hot and spicy, sadly missing out on an epic proportion of delicacies. Indian food is one fine example. I have never sampled anything beyond the generic roti prata with sugar or egg. Then again, this blog has made me a little more adventurous in my taste-bud. I am also getting a little tired of Bugis and Aljunied, as most of the places there have received extensive coverage in other blogs. Armed with a large water bottle, I decided to give it a go.

Again, what I had in mind, which was vegetarian murtabak, was not available. I asked for vegetarian white rice set and got the same reply from the cashier. She told me that the only vegetarian dish available was vegetarian briyani set. So there's a third vegetarian dish. In terms of price, I only needed to pay 50 cents more. It was certainly a blessing in disguise that the white rice set decided to take a break that day.

The Food

Vegetarian Briyani Set, S$ 5.00

The vegetarian briyani set consisted of briyani rice, daal, achar, pappadom and 2 vegetable dishes of my choice. I selected potato masala and cabbage side dish, since they were the only ones that were not reddish in color, meaning they were unlikely to be very hot. And I was right.

The potato masala was not totally mashed up, so I could still feel the chunks that easily turned to a smooth paste as I chewed on them. It was also lightly spiced so the original flavor was more or less retained. When taken with the rice, the potato masala enriched the rice with additional creaminess. Speaking of the rice, it possessed the free flowing quality characteristic of basmati. As someone who grew up eating jasmine rice, I found the soft grainy texture refreshing. The rice was not heavily spiced to the point of overwhelming the fragrance of the rice. Instead it was only lightly salted to develop the savory taste. I could eat the briyani rice on its own. Another enjoyable factor of this dish for me was the daal, that tasted like a bowl of viscous minestrone soup. Surprisingly it was not spicy at all. Having more whole beans or lentils in it for the extra bite would make me love it more than I already did.

When compared to the rest of the ingredients, the cabbage side dish could easily fade into oblivion if not for the crunch to remind me of its existence. It was not awful or anything, just average and forgettable. Nevertheless, as long as it was not too hot, I was already grateful. The real sore point was the rubbery pappadom which I had expected to be crispy. Or was it meant to be this way?

What I adored most about this dish was in spite of its sinful appearance, the dish was not too greasy or over-seasoned. Instead it achieved its great taste by a clever combination of herbs and spices. Looks like I have another option when it comes to choosing a dish to feature in my blog.

Conclusion

It is wonderful to see more non-vegetarian eateries offering something for the vegetarians. Doing so actually incurs extra cost on the business as there is a need to purchase an extra set of utensils and cutleries solely for the vegetarian dishes. Therefore I deeply appreciate the endeavors of these eateries.

As for Prata Wala Cafe Restaurant, I am not sure where it stands. While it serves good food, I think it is equally important for them to be a little more precise in their definition of "vegetarian". At this juncture, I shall remain reserved on my judgement while waiting for an email reply from them to confirm the "purity" of their vegetarian dishes.

Latest Update: Click here to see the reply from Prata Wala.

Address:23 Serangoon Central NEX Shopping Centre #02-K5/K6
Opening Hours:Mon - Thu & Sun, 10.00am - 10.00pm
Fri, Sat, Eve of Public Holidays, 10.00am – 11.00pm
Bus Service:-
MRT Station:Serangoon
Website:www.pratawala.com