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Posts Tagged ‘Vegetarian’

Whole Earth

Posted in burgers, Food, Food Stalls, Peranaken, Restaurants, Singapore, take out, Tanjong Pagar, Thai, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Dear Whole Earth Singapore,

I love you.

xx Laura

Whole Earth

Whole Earth

I was taking a graphic design short course in Tanjong Pagar when I found this vegetarian place that specializes in Peranakan and Thai cuisine.

A main with brown rice after tax and service charge was $24, so it’s not particularly cheap. It is, however, healthy and delicious with nice interiors. I even experienced good service.

Penang Redang

Penang Rendang

Brown Rice

Brown Rice

If you are a vegetarian but have always wondered what some of the classic Asian dishes taste like (hello shark fin soup), you must go here. My penang rendang was made of pan-fried mushrooms and had an amazingly meaty texture with the perfect blend of spices.

I took a look at the dessert menu and passed in favor of a green tea ($1.50) at the nearby divey but vegan Loving Hut. Excellent tactic as tea to go at the nearby western coffee stands was $4-$6. People, it’s just hot water and a tea bag I’m after.

Loving Hut

Loving Hut

I figured I was on a roll so the next day I gave Loving Hut a chance.  This was a much less exciting experience. The vegan ocean burger was, shall I say.. disgusting. The lemon ice tea was full of sugar. Why do people pre-load sugar? I really wish they would stop. Singapore does indeed have a sweet tooth that I am missing.

In summary, in two days I had good vegan food and not so good vegan food near Tanjong Pagar.

OMG I just found out that you can get Whole Earth delivered.

Whole Earth is located at 76 Peck Seah St (Tg Pagar MRT Exit A) 

For Reservations:  Tel: 65 6323 3308    

Open Daily.  Operating Hours: Lunch: 11:30am to 3pm (last order at 2:30pm) Dinner: 5:30 to 10pm (last order at 9:15pm

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Hawker Food Diaries: Thai Tofu at Holland Village

Posted in Cheap Eats, Food, Foodie Photo of the Day, fried, Hawker Food Diaries, Singapore, Thai, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 28, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Watch out, it’s a bit spicy.

Thai Tofu

Thai Tofu

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Yalla Yalla

Posted in Cheap Eats, Food, Lebanese, patio, Restaurants, Soho, take out, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

First I saw a blurb about Yalla Yalla on Time Out. Then Gourmet Chick lists it as a top ten cheap eat in London. The very next week, the Hungry Engineer and her husband are visiting London from Austin. They give me a run down of the top places that they’ve eaten so far in London. They do not shut up about the batata harra at Yalla Yalla.

“We know” says April. “It’s weird to say the best thing we’ve eaten is potatoes but they were so good!”

I resolved to scope this Beirut street food venue out.

Yalla Yalla has two locations near Oxford Street. The one I visited is tucked away in Soho in a street that is more of an alley. To find it I cruised down Brewer, poking my head down every street I passed until I finally saw the yellow Yalla Yalla sign. For the record, Green’s Court is between Lexington and Wardour. It’s not a place that you just bump into while not paying attention.

The small cafe was full with people waiting for takeout and eating in. There were a few full outdoor seats as well. The secret is out.

I slipped into the only small empty table and started contemplating my order.

Busy staff behind the counter

Olives and pickles while I contemplate.

I settled on the lunch special – a wrap (I chose halloumi) with a side of hummus. I added an apple mint ginger lemonade. How can you resist a drink like that?

Apple mint ginger lemonade? yes, please.

Hummus and pita bread

Halloumi wrap

I left completely stuffed. I could have done without the hummus and pita bread.

Seriously affordable.

I returned a few weeks later for another halloumi wrap, this time to go. I waited outside as the order was prepared and took my wrap to devour in the park. I’ve really got to make it back again to try out those potatoes.

Yalla Yalla on Green’s Court is open Monday to Saturday 10am – 11pm and Sunday 10am – 10pm.

 

Yalla Yalla Beirut Street Food on Urbanspoon

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Sacred

Posted in Cheap Eats, coffee, Food, New Zealand, Soho, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , on April 19, 2011 | 1 Comment »

People love Sacred. Time Out recommends it, my coworker recommends it, random stranger on the street recommends it, so I decide to try it.

Sacred plays on it’s name as a place of worship. The barista is set up on a pulpit and the congregation spills out onto the street at it’s Soho location near Carnaby Street. This makes it a very nice place to hang out on a sunny day soaking up the rays or people watching, on your lunch break, or in-between shopping.

A customer approaches the pulpit.

Sacred offers plenty of sandwiches and pastries. It’s run by New Zealanders who sell things like  jelly lolly cake. My experiences at Sacred and the Roastery are causing me to wonder what exactly is the deal with antipodeans and London coffee shops. Two coffee shops in a row- is this a chance thing or are NZ natives really into their coffee hangouts? I think I’m going to have to make a trip to New Zealand to get to the bottom of this. Either that or call up a friend and ask. The former option seems more dramatic and fun.

Scrambled eggs with wholewheat toast.

I had scrambled eggs with feta and spring onion on wholewheat toast and an Americano. This set me back between £8 and £9. Quite a bit for what is basically an egg sandwich and regular coffee. It took about 20 minutes to get my eggs and coffee, even though there weren’t many in the congregation that morning. In their defense, it was early morning so there were probably a lot of unseen to go orders and I think one of the baristas was training. Also, the coffee was very good.

Empty early morning.

Coffee!

Sacred on Urbanspoon

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Hummingbird Bakery

Posted in Bakery, cake, Cheap Eats, coffee, Food, gluten free, Restaurants, Soho, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 5, 2011 | 2 Comments »

I don’t have a sweet tooth so I don’t crave more than the occasional cookie or candy. Even when I do indulge, I will usually only have one or two bites. I would say this is a good thing except I tend to crave the fatty savory foods instead. It is more likely for me to dive into a bag of crips (chips) than a bag of biscuits (cookies).

However, while Rachel was in town we developed the wonderful habit of topping off our meals with a treat. I was getting a welcomed crash course in London pastries and sweets. We just finished a meal in Soho when I remembered that Hummingbird Bakery was around the corner. It had been recommended to me so I suggested we go there.

Cakes and treats at Hummingbird Bakery

Hummingbird Bakery makes American style cakes, cupcakes, brownies and pies and even has a gluten free selection of treats. After much deliberation, Rachel chose a red velvet cupcake and I chose the tiramisu.

Tiramisu

All throughout Rachel’s visit we had been sharing food but we both drew the line here. The tiramisu, which is only available on Wednesdays, was so good that I might have involuntarily bitten off someone else’s fingers if they tried to come near it. That is a huge endorsement from a girl born without a sweet tooth. This may have been the best cupcake I have ever had.

Sorry, Mom.

Hummingbird Bakery has locations in South Kensington, Notting Hill and Soho with a Spitalfields location scheduled to open in May of 2011. Check their website for more location details and hours. http://hummingbirdbakery.com/

Hummingbird Bakery on Urbanspoon

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Vantra

Posted in Cheap Eats, Food, Restaurants, Soho, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , on April 1, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Vantra.

11-13 Soho St

London W1D 3DJ

www.vantra.co.uk/

 

After our experience at Leon, Molly and I decided to add Vantra to our list of places to try.

Vantra is a casual restaurant in Soho that specializes in raw, vegan and gluten-free foods. The cafe is open and inviting with large wooden communal tables and an organic food bar.

“So how does this work?” I asked Molly.

“You can either pick from the foods behind the counter and pay per serving or you can get a takeout container and fill it up completely from another bar yourself and pay per box.” she explained.

“Kind of like Luby’s but healthy and minus the take-out option.” I reasoned.

The take-out self service option starts at £4 for a box and is available Tuesday through Friday. The food bar offers many selections for £1 to £2 per small bowl. In addition, you can grab crackers and dips, dim sum, kale chips and truffles for dessert.

Choices.

After struggling a bit with the process, getting the attention of the staff,  and making our choices, we finally settled down to a table in the back. Some of the items were better than the others, but most were tasty. At £1 or £2 per item, it’s OK if you get something that’s not your favorite. You load up with different curries, vegan stroganoff, vegetables, noodles and salads to try and go for it.

My choices

Molly's choices

mmm... Smoothie.

We decided to try some of the vegan raw truffles. I want to say they were great, but honestly they were just OK.

Raw vegan truffles

I love this concept and am grateful for this option. During my visit it was obvious that there were still some kinks to be worked out, particularly when it came to the staff. Vantra is still new and going through an adolescence phase. I will be back regularly to check on it’s progress.

11-13 Soho St
London W1D 3DJ
Area: Soho
Nearest Transit:

Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern)

Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly)

Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central, Victoria)

Hours:

Mon-Sat 12:00 – 23:00

Sun 12:00 – 21:00

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The Roastery

Posted in bagel, car, car repair, Cheap Eats, Clapham, coffee, Food, Restaurants, sw8, Vegetarian/Vegan, Waiting, Wandsworth, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

789 Wandsworth Rd
Lambeth SW8 3JQ

020 7498 5630

Has anybody noticed the glut of car repair shops over in Wandsworth? It seems there’s an entire row of them. I took the car to Wandsworth to have the oil changed. The man told me it would take an hour and a half. The hour and a half ended up being three and a half hours. I stopped into The Roastery in North Clapham to kill some time and manage the extreme appetite I had not initially planned for.

The sign outside promised brunch and coffee good enough for a Clapham coffee snob. The small cafe is fun and welcoming with free wifi and really great music. The barista was friendly as she let me down gently. Brunch is only served Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Panic, then acceptance. “Well, what is that girl in the corner eating?”

The barista pointed to the most lovely looking bagel sandwiches. She described what was in them but all I heard through my hunger was “deliciousness, deliciousness, deliciousness.” Context clues told me that one was vegetarian and one was smoked salmon.

“Great, I’ll take that one. And one of these baked goods? Afghan cookie made with cocoa and cornflakes? Yes, please. Oh and a Latte.” I was fully aware that my eyes were much bigger than my stomach but I was beyond any notions of self control.

I found a seat and relaxed into it. No telling how long the car was going to take at this point, but this was a place I could happily chill at for a while.

Afghan Biscuit

Interesting enough, Afghan biscuits are not from Afghanistan at all. They are a traditional New Zealand treat. The menu and condiments at the Roastery subtly incorporate  the owners’ Antipodean heritage.

 

Latte served with brownie treat

Bagel sandwich

The barista brought out sample Spirulina smoothies to try. The other patron looked at the glass of bright green with curiosity but I dove right in to the algae laced drink. The sweetness of banana overpowered any flavor that might be mistaken as slightly too healthy. I slurped up my tasty and refreshing smoothie while eyeing the price board. For more than £4 a smoothie I hope it is a large serving size.

Afghan biscuit + bagel sandwich + latte = £8. A little pricey for Clapham, but for a cozy place with wifi and friendly staff, I would definitely come back.

The Roastery on Urbanspoon

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Wagamama

Posted in Cheap Eats, Food, Restaurants, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , on January 26, 2011 | 2 Comments »

For years I heard about the Wagamama chain. When we lived in the U.S., Husband told me this was a top choice for broke university student night out food in London. Wagamama is all over London, so it’s surprising that it took me this long to try it.

I understand why it’s an old standby. Wagamama is healthy and affordable. The atmosphere is casual and it is a comfortable spot for solo dining. Staff approach you at long benches or booths on the side of the restaurant.  It’s style is dining out for the masses, albeit well designed.

The dish was standard issue but the warm broth and noodles in my Saien Soba were comforting on a cold day. I left utterly stuffed.

Saien Soba: whole wheat noodles in a vegetable soup topped with fried tofu, bean sprouts, courgettes, asparagus, red onions, leeks, mushrooms, mangetout and garlic. Garnished with spring onions.

Wagamama on Urbanspoon

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Rootmaster

Posted in Cheap Eats, Food, Restaurants, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 13, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Rootmaster's Routemaster

Elys Yard
The Old Truman Brewery
Hanbury Street
London
E1 6QL

07912 389314

http://www.root-master.co.uk

I was stumbling around Spitalfield’s Market and was getting very hungry. I wasn’t sure I wanted to actually eat inside the market as it seemed noisy and separated from the sun. I exited the market and headed slightly northeast, combing the streets for interesting shops and affordable restaurants.

In my search I spied this double decker bus serving food with a sign that read “Rootmaster.” Back home, the funky converted buses, cargo containers and trailers converted into restaurants is the best place to experience street food ranging from simple to gourmet.  Food trailers are found there grouped in parks together, alone, tucked away behind or in between bars and parks, and with their own movie theaters. It’s quite the scene.

I was very excited because I hadn’t seen many of these type of things around London. I took a seat on the makeshift patio and had a look over the menu. Wow, what a great vegetarian friendly menu with gyozas, chickpea dishes, paninis, pastas and curries.

I settled on a Rootmaster burger. I typically avoid veggie burgers as they are often the cliche token vegetarian option. I had successfully avoided them for so long that one actually sounded appetizing! The Rootmaster burger was described as a flame grilled savoury bean burger served in a wholegrain bap (that means roll, y’all) with lettuce, tomato, bus made mayo & tomato sauce and served with organic potato wedges.

I asked the server as I ordered “That’s bean burger only, right? No beef or meat or anything?”

“No, this is a vegan restaurant.” She looked at me sideways waiting for my reaction.

“Score!” She smiled back with a slight bit of relief. That was random luck to stumble on a vegan restaurant in a double decker bus.

Rootmaster Burger

The burger, bap and potatoes were delicious. The bap was slightly toasted. The burger was homemade instead of prepackaged. The potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. The plate in all was a mere £6.50

I felt a little like I should have branched out and tried some of the other menu items as I saw wonderfully looking plates pass by me and make their way to other tables. I have had my bean burger for the year so I’m ready now to try other things.

Boyfriend later explained to me that the name of the restaurant, Rootmaster, was  a play on words. Routemaster is the type of double decker bus and was in production from 1958 until 1968. Root as opposed to Route is a nod to it’s vegan cuisine.

Molly at the Particular Kitchen informed me of a similar Routemaster turned vegan restaurant in Soho. Vegan Routes is not affiliated with Rootmaster and is at the moment closed.

Bottom Line: Yummy affordable vegan food in a funky converted double decker bus.

Rootmaster on Urbanspoon

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Vanilla Black

Posted in Food, Restaurants, Vegetarian/Vegan, tagged , , , on September 5, 2010 | 1 Comment »

17 Took’s Court
London EC4A 1LB
020 7242 2622

www.vanillablack.co.uk/

One thing about living in a world city like London is the totally different class of vegetarian restaurants available. In many towns, the vegetarian establishments are typically cute and quirky but not particularly fine dining. Don’t get me wrong, I love my quirky and fun veggie restaurants, but it’s nice to branch out for a special occasion.

The name, Vanilla Black, creates images of stark contrasts. The establishment rides on this theme with a fine but demure atmosphere. During lunch the crowd was mostly polite people in business attire and a solo me in my denim and trainers plopping down a humongosized hobo bag with camera, maps and books spilling out the edges.  At the moment, I felt like Vanilla in a world of Black, but it was lunch and I had been on the lookout for upscale vegetarian dining for a while.

Weekdays from 12-2:30 Vanilla Black has an amazing set menu of 2 courses for £18 or 3 courses for £23. I decided on 2 courses: an appetizer of Sweet and Sour Glazed Baby Beetroot with Candied Fennel and Wasabi Cream and a main of Asparagus and Chervil Pesto Crumpet with Yoghurt Curd, Potato Cakes and Leek Tagliatelle.

The staff was courteous, polite and attentive but formal. In keeping with the contrast theme, the server brought bread with sea salted butter and black peppered butter which I immediately chowed down on along with a glass of white wine.

Sea salted and black peppered butter for the bread, wine.

The wonderfully presented beetroot dish had the most amazing wasabi cream. The power of the wasabi mixed with the cooling cream made an unusual but perfect pairing and flowed nicely with the natural sweetness of the beetroot.

Sweet and Sour Glazed Baby Beetroot with Candied Fennel and Wasabi Cream

The unlikely combination of ingredients were proving to be well thought out and delightful. I conquered every bite of the beetroot and was anxious for the main course.

Asparagus and Chervil Pesto Crumpet with Yoghurt Curd, Potato Cakes and Leek Tagliatelle

“This is what crumpets are?!?” I thought as I vowed to eat crumpets every day. The aparagus, yoghurt curd, potato cakes and leeks were extremely pleasing. At this rate, my ordering skills were  having a 100% success rate. I decided to go ahead for the dessert. The plates were small-ish, I reasoned.

The peanut butter parfait sounded a bit rich so I chose Olive Oil and Vanilla Roasted Pineapple with Chili Syrup, Mango Pureé and White Chocolate Ice Cream. That’s where my lucky streak ended. The Pineapple overpowered all the other ingredients and left the dish feeling stagnant. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t live up to the expectation after the other two courses.

Olive Oil and Vanilla Roasted Pineapple with Chilli Syrup, Mango Pureé and White Chocolate Ice Cream

Bottom Line: Vanilla Black works the contrast theme with amazing and inventive results. The pricetag is a little hefty for everyday, but the restaurant boasts a decent set lunch best with dessert skipped.

Vanilla Black on Urbanspoon

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