Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant, Singapore | Restaurant Review

When Anu visited us for 2 days, she wanted to have good vegetarian Malay food in Singapore. I hadn't really looked around for asian vegetarian food in Singapore, we mostly just get Indian when we eat out or maybe Mexican or Italian. A quick search brought up Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant in Upper Dickson Road, near Little India, and boy, it was a treat!

Their menu is extensive, and when I say extensive, I mean extensive! They have Asian (Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Singaporean) vegetarian food and also North Indian and South Indian food, including starters. Everything is 100% vegetarian and the dishes don't even contain egg, onions or garlic.

A quick look at what we ordered and the reviews for each.

Gobi 65 to start the meal. It was crisp and perfectly cooked inside. We especially loved the mint chutney it came with. They also served fried papad for the table.

Vegetarian Laksa. Anu specifically wanted vegetarian Laksa and Gokul did a decent job of it too. The portion size was quite but and the broth was quite authentic in terms of texture and colour. However, for someone who has had the real thing, this was no match. I could taste too much coconut in the gravy (btw, there's nothing called too much coconut, ever, but in a Laksha, there sadly is) and without the fish, a Laksa is not a Laksa. Anu and family were quite happy with it too. The fried tofu was sodden and cooked perfectly too.

The chilli chicken that TH and I ordered. They use mock meat made with soy protein for this and it was really good. I could manage with this if I just can't eat the real thing anymore. It came on a sizzler plate which was an added bonus.

Manchurian Fried Rice. Was flavourful, spiced just right, and was a generous portion than four adults could share.

Malaysian Sambal is made with dried anchovies and I was a bit skeptical when they offered the vegetarian version of this. This sambal fried rice was a pleasant surprise! It was delicious and had a pretty distinct flavour from the Manchurian Fried Rice above although they look the same.

Vegetarian Char Kway Teow with mock meat. Char Kway Teow is a dish very close to my heart so I was eager to taste the vegetarian version. It was good. Not Penang-street-food good but still very good for a vegetarian version which had to take its flavour from mock meat.

The delicious vegetarian kheema masala dosa that Amrith and I shared. It was spicy, made with soya chunks and peas, and some masala, and was very filling. Came with sambar and three kinds of chutney in generous quantities. A great order and one I would repeat if I went back although the menu is so vast and has so many other enticing things for us to try.

TH and I also shared a drink called Ice Lychee Delight. We both love Lychee so this was pleasant and cooling, especially paired with the spiciness of the kheema dosa. Anu's daughter got a veggie burger that came with fries and also an ice cream sundae.

For a very filling meal for 4 adults and one child, the cost was very reasonable at SGD 75.

Their website has the detailed menu with pictures to show what it is. Portions are generous so be cautious of over-ordering. They also have South Indian and North Indian food but since Asian / Malay / Indonesian vegetarian food is rare in Singapore, I would definitely recommend that.

Overall, highly recommended for a different vegetarian dining experience in Singapore. Check out more restaurant reviews on Edible Garden. 

Gokul (Asian) Vegetarian Restaurant

19 Upper Dickson

Road Singapore 207478

Tel: 6396 7769

Alternate Location:

190 Fortune Centre

#01-07 Singapore 188979

Tel: 6337 4811

Irvin's Live Seafood House, Upper Thompson Road, Singapore

It definitely doesn't seem that long but just over 2 years back, I had posted a review of Irvin's Seafood Place when they were in River Valley Road.

Well, a lot has changed since then. They have moved to Upper Thompson Road, changed their name slightly, set up a lovely more upscale restaurant space, and revamped their website and even their menu.

Steph from Irvin's invited TH and me for a meal so we headed down there last week for dinner. We got the most amazing welcome ever and TH was all "wow! what did you do to get treated like this?". Hehe.

We were greeted by a beautifully arranged buffet but we were there for food tasting from the ala carte menu, which btw, is quite extensive.

Irvin's is known for their very reasonably priced crab dishes, especially the salted egg crab which I tasted the last time I was there. So this time, I was recommended the salt and pepper crab that comes with a lot of fried garlic garnish.

Admittedly, I get a bit thrown off by the look of a crab on a plate but this was quite delicious. It's cut up nicely for our convenience so there wasn't any awkward moment with me and pliers and crab legs.

TH got a pretty nice plate of mixed vegetables cooked with mock meat. The vegetables were cooked perfectly and very fresh. He didn't care for the mock meat much but I thought it was very good.

We ordered one plate of Hong Kong noodles (vegetarian, with egg, you can request for no egg too) and one plate of steamed plain rice. The noodles was excellent. I would go back just for this.

But I don't need to because this right here is one of the tastiest plate of chips I've ever eaten. They are yam chips doused in salted egg sauce. It was absolutely delicious and very very addictive.

This here is butter chicken. Looks very different from the Indian butter chicken, right? Well, it tastes different too. There's a ton of curry leaves and the chicken is super crispy. However, it's very heavy. I couldn't eat more than 2 pieces and had to pack the rest for home. This is a perfect dish to order if you are large group and have enough to share with.

Salt and pepper tofu with mayo dip, another favourite for TH. He likes tofu and it is usually the only vegetarian item on the menu for him but Irvin's is super good about customizing dishes so this was a sure win, We brought back the rest and re-heated it the next day. Still tasted great!

Oh, our drinks. How could I forget that? The one on the right is the Eat Your Vegetables drink which is a mix of orange, beets, and spinach. I was skeptical so I ordered the melon juice on the left but the EYV was yum. You really can't taste the spinach and there's an undertone of beets, but mostly you just taste the orange juice. It was fresh and refreshing.

We were too full for dessert but definitely plan to try the fried ice cream on the menu. Irvin owns the Leban HK Cafe next door too so you can order from both the menus. In fact, our drinks were from Leban cafe next door.

Final verdict: I was impressed by Irvin's Seafood House the first time around and I will say that again. It's a great place to go in large groups, especially. In their new restaurant, they have private spaces for you to reserve and that leaves you and your group alone. On the day we went, there was a b'day party going on and I hear that corporates love booking the place too because the food is great, the portions are family-sized, the crab is cheap, and they have a space for themselves to crack confidential office jokes in!

Avg price per person - SGD 25-30
Ideal for groups of 4 or more

Irvin's Life Seafood House
No. 4 Jalan Leban, Upper Thompson Road
Singapore, 577548

Website

For reservations, enquiries, takeaways, deliveries and catering, call 6836-5020.

Disclaimer: This is an unpaid, unbiased review. Our meal was complimentary but there was no obligation to write about them, especially good things. 

Punjab Grill at Marina Bay Sands - Restaurant Review

Although our new office is now very close to Marina Bay Sands, I haven't gone that side in the evening. So when Sohail suggested we head there for a team dinner, I agreed. I had heard good things about Punjab Grill, managed by Jiggs Kalra, especially some recent awards they won in India.

The tandoor dishes in Punjab Grill was supposedly top notch. It's a fine dining place, so obviously a bit on the expensive side, so reserve for special occasions. Sohail, Armin, and I were definitely headed there for a special occasion :)

We each ordered Shikanjvi, which is a Punjabi Specialty - flavoured lemonade with salt, sugar, black salt, and a dash of cumin seeds. It was a bit too strong for me and it's a large drink.

For starters we got paneer tikka...

... and chicken tikka.

The paneer was extremely soft and fresh but was mostly bland. I was quite disappointed since this was one of their specialties. However, the chicken tikka more than made up for it. It's easily one of the best chicken tikkas I have had, both in India and in Singapore. It's a signature dish so they add the regular spices in the marinade and their own special touch. Whatever that is, it worked.

While we were waiting for the main course, we got complimentary amuse bouche - aloo tikki. It was nice. Nothing to write home about but nice to munch on as we waited.

Main course was aloo paratha, butter nan, dal makhani, and butter chicken (murgh makhani).

The aloo paratha was too thick and not made of atta, but maida. Doesn't get a thumbs up from me.

Nan was good, but not special.

I am not a huge fan of dal makhani but as far as dal makahnis go, this one was in the top 5%. Creamy, cooked perfectly, and good.

The butter chicken, ah, now the butter chicken is delicious. Must-try!

You would think that we would be quite full at this stage but no, we ordered dessert, especially since I saw the lichi ki tehri in the menu which is my favourite dessert from Sahib Sindh Sultan (btw, management of Sahib Sindh Sultan, you are most welcome to open up a restaurant in Singapore. You have my full blessings!).

Yeah, so lichi ki tehri and rasmalai was ordered.

The rasmalai was a bigger portion than I expected. It was spongy and everything, but the surrounding milk syrup was too watery. I wish they had thickened it up a bit more. The sweetness level was just right though and probably this was for the best because our meal itself had been pretty heavy.

The lichi ki tehri was sweeter but can't really be compared to the awesomeness they serve in Sahib Sindh Sultan. It was still very good, especially if you haven't tasted the "real deal" in SSS.

One other highlight of the meal was the final paan shot that they served, again, complimentary. It is liquid paan in a shot glass and it's delicious! A great way to round off the meal.

Overall, the meal was good, the ambience was great, and the company and conversation - superb. A good dinner out was had and 300 SGD paid for the three of us.

Yep, I told you. Not the cheapest place, but worth it if you order the right things. Don't forget that chicken tikka and butter chicken.

They also have a power lunch menu at Punjab Grill which looks very decent for SGD 40. Hoping to try that out with TH soon.

LOCATION:
Punjan Grill
B1-01A, Galleria Level, 
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands


Ph: +65 6688 7395


**excuse the noisy quality of pics. All taken in pretty dim light (remember, fancy restaurant!) with my Nexus S while trying to look sophisticated.  

Salivation Vegetarian Restaurant, Singapore

TH and I go to Mustafa Stores about once every three weeks. I like to stock up on Indian ingredients and dal every so often. I have to buy toor dal before my previous stock is over, so yeah, we are quite regular visitors of Little India and unlike a lot of Indians in Singapore, I don't mind the crowds and the unruly traffic (although I do crib about the difficulty in finding a taxi after all the shopping and eating!).

Anyway, the other way we came across this restaurant called Salivation, tucked away in the far corner after Murugan Idli Kadai, Raj Restaurant and that Thai massage place. It was small and caught our attention because it was a vegetarian cafe that had burgers, pizza, and even some Mexican fare.

We had already eaten on that day so postponed the visit. Yesterday we went again and when a couple of our friends who live close by agreed to join us, we zeroed in on Salivation cafe.

The menu is not extensive but very interesting. They have 4-5 different items in each category above in the menu picture.

We decided to start with the Mezze Platter which had 6 pieces of warm toasted pita slices and three dips - hummus, tzatziki, and red pepper flavoured sour cream. The hummus was especially delicious but as is usually the case, we were left with too much dips and not even bread.

It'd been ages since any of us had a burger so we jumped at that chance. TH and I ordered the paneer burger and the other couple ordered the feta cheese burger. You can ask them to cut in into halves to avoid "my share is smaller" argument later at the table (not that I ever have such petty fights, ahem, but you know ;)

The burgers come with a side of fries and a simple salad. It was just perfect because we also got a pizza for the table.

I know it looks slightly burned but it wan't. This is the spinach pizza with additional olive topping. It was not overtly spinachy-y and the cheese was just the right amount. There were 8 pieces so perfect to share among the four of us.

We decided to skip dessert here and head to Max Brenner and indulge (picture below). They had some interesting desserts though, like parfait, cheesecake, and gelato. Maybe next time. .

The price is very reasonable, the portions are not that huge. The meal for four of us came to SGD 34. Not bad, eh?

Cafe Salivation
75, Syed Alwi Road
Ph: +65 6298 1412
Daily from: 10:00am - 10:30pm

Here's a picture of the super indulgent dessert we had at Max Brenner in Vivocity Mall, Harborfront. The waffles with hazelnut cream was especially delicious!

Strictly Pancakes, Singapore | Restaurant Review

I love pancakes. Especially thick not-too-sweet ones doused in maple syrup. Not the maple-flavoured syrups but the real deal. Ah, bliss. While homemade pancakes are all good, I do like it when someone makes me a batch. Who doesn't eh?

Strictly Pancakes is not a place I would call a restaurant. It's a refurbished old shop house near Dhoby Ghat, Singapore. The menu is almost exclusively pancakes.

We decided to go with savory pancakes since I have never tried them at home and these sounded delicious. We ordered and waited around 15 mins for this plate of thick, spongy, warm leek, potato and cheese pancakes with sauteed mushrooms on the side, called Potatoes Leeking Cheese. Heh. 

Each order comes with a portion of good quality maple syrup and a flavoured butter of your choice. We chose the herb and garlic butter. One grouse I have though is that this is all the maple syrup you get and if you want more, you get the same quantity but for an extra dollar. Since TH doesn't like maple syrup, I got the entire thing but if you want to share, this is really not enough.

Oh, and we got some hazelnut chocolate milkshake to share as well. It was thick and quite delicious. Almost like drinking diluted liquid Nutella... which is probably what it was anyway!

TH and I went in the evening and it was almost empty, very laid back and we shared our plate of pancake which was perfect portion-wise. 

Overall rating: 3.5 / 5

Average cost per person: SGD 10 if you share

Website

44A Prinsep Street
Singapore 188674

Eataly Italian Restaurant, New York

Based on the recommendations from a friend, Iris and I decided to head to Eataly for brunch on Sunday. I really wasn't prepared for the visual and sensory treat that was Eataly.

It's a market-style restaurant where there are eating stations between the product isles. The amount of stuff you can buy is endless, and everything is Italian-food related.

Olives in jars.

Different cuts of meat and fish.

Freshly made pasta. *drool*

Bottled pasta sauces from popular chefs.

Fresh bread and focaccia. Really, endless!

We ordered a cheese platter that came with 5 cheeses, come cuts of meat, fruit preserve, and fresh artisan bread. And because I knew I wouldn't be able to remember the names of the cheeses, I took a picture of the name board. Price: USD 22++

Here you go. The fresh ricotta was amazing and unlike anything I've ever tasted. My favourite was the Parmiggiano Reggiano though. Amazing flavour!

After a 30-min wait, we also tried some pasta. Simple ravioli cooked up in some butter. The flavour was simple and mindblowing. Price: USD 18++

If you are ever in New York, definitely head up to Eataly. The food is not cheap but it's fresh, authentic, simple, and delicious. You can also shop the stores for some great ingredients and cook up an Italian meal yourself too.

Website

EATALY NYC
200 5th AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10010
Entrances on 5th Avenue and 23rd Street


** all pics taken on my phone camera (HTC Evo)**