Let’s yum cha! Dim sum has traditionally been a popular choice for communal meals in Singapore. Whether you are dining with family or friends, sharing steaming baskets of bite-sized goodies is a fantastic way to encourage bonding.
Unfortunately, this activity becomes less accessible when accommodating for vegetarian family members and friends. Even for popular Chinese restaurant chains, their vegetarian dim sum selection tends to be uninspired, and is sparse at best.
To maintain the spirit of dining together, here is a list of restaurants that offer a more robust menu of vegetarian dim sum items, and are led by chefs with sufficient imagination and skill to recreate non-vegetarian dishes into original vegetarian alternatives.
By serving up palatable vegetarian dishes, these places prove that meatless doesn’t mean tasteless!
Photo Credit: https://www.pscafe.com/chopsuey-cafe-at-dempsey-hill/
CHOPSUEY CAFÉ
Chopsuey Café, the Asian spinoff of PS. Café, has matured from a maladroit eatery into a restaurant adept at serving modern interpretations of Chinese dishes. Located in Dempsey, diners can find repose in the colonial-styled dining space while sipping on infusions inspired by regional flavours.
Amidst its menu, one can find a comfortable selection of dishes that are either fully vegetarian or can be modified into vegetarian alternatives.
Start off with their dim sum selection – the refreshingly light Vegetarian Crystal Dumplings and the mildly honeyed Vegetarian Char Siew Pau are choice picks.
To supplement your meal, their San Choy Pau is laced with a kaleidoscope of flavours and textures, while the vegetarian Chopsuey Satays – with alternating tofu chunks! – retain the sweet-savoury profile of its meat counterpart.
Block 10, Dempsey Road
#01-23
Singapore 247700
Tel: +65 6708 9288
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 4pm, 4pm – 6pm (Dim Sum), 6pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 4pm, 4pm – 6pm (Dim Sum), 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Queenstown
Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/vegetarian.sg/
DIVINE REALM VEGETARIAN
Initially a vegetarian steamboat buffet restaurant, after being subsumed under the Zizai Restaurant brand, Divine Realm streamlined its menu into an eclectic mix of vegetarian zichar offerings.
Besides more unusual vegetarian options like ramen and prata, the restaurant offers all-day dim sum dishes. Due to the consistent quality of ingredients and careful craftsmanship, even tables not expressly looking for dim sum dishes are fond of padding their order with these morsels.
Customer favourites include the succulent siew mai and the piquant fried dumplings – both brimming with an assortment of sliced vegetables, the former induces a burst of fresh sweetness with each bite, while the latter’s sinfully savoury profile makes it dangerously easy to pop.
Hougang Avenue 8
Block 501, #01-630
Singapore 530501
Tel: +65 6387 2058
Daily: 7.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Hougang
Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/empresssg/
EMPRESS
Hidden in the Asian Civilisations Museum, Empress reinterprets Chinese cuisine by interweaving traditional offerings with vibrant contemporary flavours. Overlooking the Singapore River, customers can enjoy spectacular views of the waterfront and skyline while sampling the restaurant’s lively modern fare.
By leveraging on a recent meat substitute called Omnipork, Empress utilises this invention to reconstruct pork-based dishes without forgoing the dominant textures and flavours of said protein.
Using a combination of Omnipork and Impossible Meat, Empress is able to recreate favourites from char siew to sweet and sour pork balls with an astonishing likeness to their original counterparts.
For an added surprise, these weekend dim sum brunches at Empress entail unlimited servings of your favourite dim sum items for a truly indulgent dining experience!
1 Empress Place
Asian Civilisations Museum, #01-03
Singapore 179555
Tel: +65 6776 0777
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 4pm (Dim Sum), 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place
Photo Credit: https://www.fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-singapore/
JADE
Found in the historically preserved The Fullerton Hotel, Jade is more than a restaurant that serves impeccable Chinese food. Possessing a space evocative of a time-worn past and a spread rooted in authenticity, Jade has evolved into a present-day keeper of our culinary heritage.
Although a standalone vegetarian dim sum menu isn’t available, Jade offers vegetarian and vegan set menus. These sets present an extensive six-course spread, of which the first two courses include creative dim sum bites.
For patrons more partial to traditional Chinese vegetarian fare, the vegetarian menu is a homely and comforting mix of familiar flavours. Those looking for something more unusual, the aptly named “Taste The Future” vegan menu heavily features Omnipork in its adaptations of non-vegan favourites.
1 Fullerton Square
Level 01, Fullerton Hotel
Singapore 049178
Tel: +65 6877 8911 / 8912
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm (Dim Sum), 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place
A vegetarian offshoot of TungLok Group, LingZhi Vegetarian is one of the linchpins of Singapore’s vegetarian scene. Spending nearly three decades redefining what scrumptious and healthy vegetarian food should taste like, LingZhi maintains the gourmet quality representative of its lineage.
Prepared à la carte fashion, the lunch buffet provides the freedom to mix and match a free flow of your preferred dim sum items, making this the perfect spot to hold family gatherings at.
With twelve distinct dim sum dishes available, be it more uncommon flavour combinations – ever considered trying a chrysanthemum dumpling? – or harder to find vegetarian alternatives – fancy a vegetarian “char siew” sou? – chances are if they’re not found in LingZhi menu, you’ll be hard-pressed to find it elsewhere.
541 Orchard Road
Liat Towers, #05-01
Singapore 238881
Tel: +65 6734 3788
Daily: 11am – 3pm (Dim Sum), 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Orchard
** Multiple outlets islandwide.
Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/LotusVegetarian/
LOTUS VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
Iconic in the vegetarian circle for its comprehensive buffet spread, Lotus is a popular location to host large family gatherings or celebrations at. Between Friday to Sunday, a sojourn into the Asian Buffet showcases both progressive Chinese vegetarian dishes and local favourites.
Diners can help themselves to pickings of meticulously recreated staples – the unassuming Wild Mushroom Crystal Dumpling holds within its gossamer skin a rich and colourful flavour – alongside more unique dim sum originals such as the BBQ King Oyster Bun.
Head over to chefs-manned stations after to pick up a warm serving of Chicken Rice or Laksa; whichever your pick of comfort food, their scent profiles are comparable to their original inspirations.
201 Balestier Road
Quality Hotel Marlow, Level 2
Singapore 329926
Tel: +65 6254 0090
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm (Dim Sum), 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Farrer Park
** Multiple outlets islandwide.
Few will believe that this unorthodox, glitzy interior belies an authentic Cantonese restaurant. Mitzo seeks to reinvent Cantonese dining without relinquishing its foundational essence; serving uncompromising Cantonese fare in a space steeped in flamboyant and deconstructed transmutations of traditional Chinese elements.
Available all day, the Vegetarian Steamed Dim Sum Platter for two is a splendid addition to any meal. Although the vegetable dumplings are well-balanced in flavours, the crowning dish goes to the sheer aromatic potency of the Wild Mushroom Truffle Bun.
To complement the initial tasting, diners can peruse the à la carte menu for more substantial vegetarian dishes. Consider adding on the deep-fried monkey head mushrooms; they provide an excellent textural dimension to your meal, and pair marvellously with a bespoke cocktail from the bar.
270 Orchard Road
Grand Park Orchard, Level 4
Singapore 238857
Tel: +65 6603 8855
Sun to Wed: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Thu to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm, 10.30pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Somerset
MOUTH RESTAURANT
Since its inception in 1988, Mouth Restaurant has been doling out traditionally crafted and handmade classic Cantonese dishes to its patrons. Post menu revamp in 2013, Mouth has added on more inventive dishes, including ingredients once considered unconventional into its kitchen mix.
Although the non-vegetarian dishes received the bulk of this modernisation, updated vegetarian dim sum dishes include the fragrant Steamed Truffle Crystal Dumpling and the sublime moistness of the Extra Soft Coconut Sugar Sponge Cake.
For the insatiate few, feel free to add on a hearty vegetarian carb dish: either the Braised E-Fu Noodles or Vegetarian Fried Rice with their smoky wok hei will pair wonderfully with the lighter profiles of the dim sum items.
38 Maxwell Road
Airview Building, #01-01/02
Tel: +65 6438 5798
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 3pm (Dim Sum), 6pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 4.30pm (Dim Sum), 6pm – 10pm (Dim Sum)
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar
Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/newfutkai/
NEW FUT KAI VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
New Fut Kai pays homage to its divine namesake by offering a communal space conducive for bonding over meals at, and providing a cordial service ubiquitous to respected Chinese dining establishments.
Beyond its mainstay of Chinese dishes, New Fut Kai’s menu is peppered with regionally diverse items, with a commonality only residing in said dishes’ popularity with Singaporeans. Expect an extravagant mix of vegetarian-friendly local delicacies and traditional dim sum fare not found anywhere else – fancy some bak kut teh with a side of kung bak pao?
With one of the largest yet most affordable vegetarian menus in the market, bring your pickiest vegetarian relative or friend here. Given the sheer size of the restaurant’s offerings, there’s bound to be something that piques their interest!
282 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208945
Tel: +65 6398 0836
Daily: 10am – 3pm (Dim Sum), 5pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Farrer Park
Photo Credit: https://www.yantingrestaurant.com/
YAN TING
At Yan Ting, the anchor Chinese restaurant of St. Regis Singapore, diners can seek an intimate respite in the restaurant’s serene ambience, and enjoy their gastronomical retreat while under the graceful attendance of their service staff.
Renowned for its award-winning Weekend Dim Sum Brunch, the resident masterchefs plate up an exquisite array of Cantonese-inspired creations that feature an effortless blend of traditional and modern.
Unlike other establishments, Yan Ting presents vegetarian fare that is more than an awkward hodgepodge of garden greens. These specially-crafted dishes are a compelling blend of meat substitutes and spiced vegetables.
From time-honoured favourites like spring rolls and mushroom dumplings to specially-requested Impossible variants of non-vegetarian dishes, you can look forward to an exciting afternoon of intricate vegetarian delights at Yan Ting.
29 Tanglin Road
Level 1U, The St. Regis
Singapore 247911
Tel: +65 6506 6887
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 3pm (Dim Sum), 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Orchard
Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/belindasaw.ailin/
YUAN XIANG VEGETARIAN
With an extensive menu rivalling even its non-vegetarian equivalents, Yuan Xiang is the prime choice for families with older members whose palates prefer the familiarity of typical Chinese vegetarian fare.
Unlike places that serve plates of reheated premade items, patrons can revel in the sight of their dim sum baskets piled high at Yuan Xiang. Cooking up fresh vegetarian alternatives to dim sum staples at all hours, go early to snag them before they sell out for the day.
The radish cake is a perennial bestseller: its centre retains the dish’s characteristic salty zest through clever use of mushrooms, while its exterior is pan-fried to an addictive crispiness. Other popular items include their saccharine char siew bao and delicate steamed dumplings.
134 Changi Road
Singapore 419720
Tel: +65 6344 3239
Daily: 9.30am – 10pm (Dim Sum)
Nearest Station: Eunos
** Multiple outlets islandwide.