Yuan Vegetarian Bistro
Yuan Vegetarian Bistro
Many assumed that vegetarian restaurants’ ingredient costs are low in general since it can’t have meat in it, but the truth is that it is the opposite. A whole lot of time and effort is required to marinate (> 24 hours sometimes) or to create the seasonings to achieve strong tasty flavor, especially mock meats. Yuan Vegetarian Bistro strongly believes in getting only good quality condiments which are not be easily available locally – supply is rare or has to be imported.
Being owned by a vegetarian family, it is constantly pushing itself to achieve breakthroughs in its menu and taste. Most of the time, new menus are tried by the grandparents (who are experienced vegetarian eaters) first to get their approval before launching them out.
Boneless Chicken ($12)
This dish contains “teriyaki fish” (looks like flatter version of the japanese seaweed chicken), “fried chicken” and “chicken cutlet”. All are made from scratch with vegetarian ingredients to achieve its appearance and taste! Apparently, this is very well-liked by those who are born in the 80s as this is like a snack of their era.
The “teriyaki fish” is actually made with layers of bean-curd sheets before deep-frying it and coating it with teriyaki sauce. It does tastes like fish fillets! Another hot snatch is the “fried chicken” which is actually fried mushrooms – really tasty and fragrant!
Curry Chicken ($5.50 – $6)
This is a popular dish often ordered by the lunch crowd! Made from gluten, the chicken tastes like meat balls. The curry inclines towards malay spices which goes well with white rice!
Gongbao Chicken ($10)
The gongbao chickens are actually mushrooms and they taste really crunchy as you chew on them. The sauce is the key to the entire dish – strong vinegar flavor intensified as the cabbage absorbs the gravy. Sour, but not spicy.
Satay ($6)
Looks like the real deal and it smells exactly like one! Even the strands on the “satay” looks legit as the marination. True satay lovers will probably shun it as the texture is rough, unlike soft/charred real satays. And I don’t blame Yuan for this, because honestly, it is extremely hard for one to make nothing turn into the artificial satay appearance, not even talking about the taste!
Mala Xiang Guo ($15)
This really decent dish is the latest new addition to Yuan’s menu and I lift both my hands to applause for them! The chefs behind this new dish really cannot be underestimated. Their range of cooking style and skills are vast! I was really full when I reached this dish, but my mouth just wants more! Because this pot of goodness is all about vegetables, this may be an easy dish for Yuan. But Yuan’s homemade Mala paste is shiok, and the vegetables are really clean and fresh – if you get what I mean. Just look at the colours of the vegetables and you know Yuan doesn’t skimp on quality ingredients!
Barbican: Non-alcoholic Beer ($4.50)
Similar to halal wines, the beer is filtered till the alcohol essence has been eliminated. It tastes like apple ciders just that you will never get tipsy on this. It even has some health benefits – cooling effects, rich in Vitamin B, good for bones and the source of essential Amino Acid (the protein needed to build and maintain muscle tissue)!
If you are a vegetarian, I highly recommend you to try their dishes! If you are not a vegetarian, time to jio your vegetarian friends here – where nobody will be missed out to enjoy a good meal together!
Address: 2 Kallang Ave, CT Hub #01-07/14, Singapore 339407
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9:30am daily, closed on Sundays
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yuanvegetarianbistro/
Written by Maisie Liu – Damn Worth It Foodie