Vegetarian dining is very seldom on the top of anyone’s lists, but LingZhi Vegetarian may prove to be the only exception. It has really set the benchmark for vegetarian cuisine to an almost unbeatable level. Even religious meat lovers like us were impressed!

Offering a straightforward yet dazzling new menu, diners can expect to fall head over heels for their vegetarian versions of Lasagna, Peking Duck and even Satay.

So whether you follow a strict vegetarian lifestyle or are someone who’s looking for healthier, tastier options, LingZhi Vegetarian has a new menu that is waiting to please your taste buds.

Lingzhi Vegetarian offers a contemporary vegetarian experience that seeks to change local perceptions about Chinese Vegetarian cuisine.

Gone are the primitive, conservative style of preparing vegetarian dishes with gluten, mock meats, artificial coloring, and additives. In its place is a range of dishes filled with wholesome goodness, prepared from the finest, freshest natural as well as organic ingredients.

They even exclude garlic and onions as well. An admirable effort considering how both of these ingredients are integral components in Chinese cooking.

Chilled Cherry Tomatoes with Soda Plum Juice

To begin your meal on a refreshing note, cleanse your palate with the Chilled Cherry Tomatoes with Soda Plum Juice (S$16++). You might think these are just tomatoes and that is where you are wrong.

What you get is plump, ripe cherry tomatoes that once you bite into, will explode with sweet and juicy plum goodness.

Be sure to sip the soda slowly because although it is served in a shot glass, it is not meant to be finished in one gulp.

Mixed Fresh Fruits And Kale Salad Served With Vietnamese Rice Paper

Making a stunning entrance is the Mixed Fresh Fruits And Kale Salad Served with Vietnamese Rice Paper (S$18++). Witness a delightful spectacle as the salad is tossed over clouds of dry ice at your table-side, you may then wrap the salad in delicate layers of seaweed and rice paper.

A melody of textures and tastes await you as you make that first bite. From crispy julienned yam, Asian pear, juice grapes, candied nuts, cherry tomatoes, and raisins; all are married together with a zesty raspberry and ginger dressing.

Mushroom Truffle Bisque Served In Stone Pot

You wouldn’t believe how amazing the Mushroom Truffle Bisque (S$10++) tastes. It comes served in a hot stone bowl and brims with mushroom goodness.

The bisque is not overly thick and the generous portion of black truffles makes it so decadent and fragrant. We did double takes while drinking; were we really in a vegetarian restaurant drinking a vegetarian mushroom soup? If so, how could it be so flavourful with every sip?!

Vegetarian Satay Served In Fresh Pineapple

The Vegetarian Satay served in Fresh Pineapple (S$24++) is also not one to miss out on. Chargrilled aromas resembling actual satay envelope the skewered monkey-head Mushrooms.

Drown them in the thick, velvety satay gravy and you probably wouldn’t even be able differentiate it from its actual, meaty counterpart.

Poached Mixed Rice With Vegetables

A healthy carbs option such the Poached Mixed Rice with Vegetables (S$16++) is recommended. We really liked that it was brimming with umami flavours.

In all honesty, LingZhi Vegetarian’s version of Thunder Tea Rice surpasses all others in terms of presentation and taste. The dish comes served with poached multigrain rice in the center of a plate along with a teapot containing tea steeped with kale. Drip it over the rice and allow the flavours to mingle with one another.

Crispy Enoki Mushrooms with Truffle Oil

If you love Truffle Fries, you will definitely love this dish too. Sinful as it was, the Crispy Enoki Mushrooms with Truffle Oil (S$10++) is easily our favourite of the lot.

Deep fried till crispy, salted just right and drizzled with truffle oil to boost its aroma, this was something everyone on the table kept reaching out for. Before we knew it, we were munching away too quickly and had to order a second portion. Yes, highly addictive; you have been warned.

Baked Three Kinds of Squash

Calling all Lasagne lovers, you will be blown away by how legit and tasty this Baked Three Kinds of Squash (S$20++) is. We don’t think they intended for it to replicate a Lasagne but it surely was as delicious as one.

Layers of squash are baked then copiously covered in tomato sauce, we were pleasantly surprised by the texture and flavours of this dish.

Vegetarian Goose And Crispy Beancurd Skin Served With Pancake

A vegetarian rendition of the ever popular Peking Duck dish, this vegetarian goose dish is prepared and assembled exactly the way Peking Duck is.

The Vegetarian Goose and Crispy Beancurd Skin served with Pancake (S$24++) is a different kind of delicious on many notes albeit similar textures.

Crispy Rice Cake With Singapore-style Chilli Sauce

The Crispy Rice Cake with Singapore-style Chilli Sauce (S$16++) offers an interesting contrast of textures and tastes in a single bite. The chilli sauce is thick, luscious and sweet—akin to a chilli crab sauce that we all know and love.

Here’s a tip: be sure to not dip the rice cake into the sauce, but instead, dollop a teaspoon (or more) of the yummy sauce over for a more enjoyable mouthful.

Baked Assorted Mushrooms Wrapped In Glass Paper

For a hit of variety, order the Baked Assorted Mushrooms Wrapped in Glass Paper (S$22++). The dish will arrive looking like a hamper, but once unwrapped, it reveals several types of mushrooms.

Having been baked together in a tightly sealed bag for a long time, the flavours of each individual mushroom is imparted onto the other, creating a much deeper umami flavour.

Stewed Rice Vermicelli

No Chinese restaurant meal is complete without a noodle dish, and the Stewed Rice Vermicelli (S$14++) is a great way to do just that.

Nothing too complex about this carbs dish, though. Just simple vermicelli in a pale white shade, but don’t be fooled by its dullness, because it is chockful of flavours!

Homemade Carrot Cake Topped With Ice Cream

Want some vegetarian dessert? Yes, they are still satisfying like your regular sweets. End your meal with Lingzhi Vegetarian’s Homemade Carrot Cake Topped with Ice Cream (S$8++).

Baked without any added butter, this is the dessert to have if you plan on keeping that waistline trim.

LingZhi Vegetarian
Liat Towers, #05-01
541 Orchard Road
Tel: +65 6734 3788
Daily: 11.30am – 3.00pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

Velocity@Novena Square, #03-09/10
238 Thomson Road
Singapore 307683
Mon to Fri: 11:30am – 3:00pm, 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Sat, Sun and PH: 11am – 3pm, 3pm – 5pm, 6pm – 10pm
Tel: +65 6538 2992
Nearest Station: Novena

This post is brought to you by LingZhi Vegetarian.

Fynn’s Café—conveniently located right outside Esplanade MRT Station Exit CC3—is a gorgeous new addition to South Beach Avenue. The beautiful modern all-day dining café reminded us of our good old days in Melbourne. It is worth mentioning staff members are attentive and friendly – a trait that Singapore’s hospitality industry greatly lacks.

We dropped by on a weekday afternoon and Fynn’s Café was packed with customers; expatriates and office dwellers make up the bulk of the crowd. No surprise there, since it is located just a stone’s throw away from the office building and JW Marriott Hotel.

One-week-old Fynn’s Café is seriously a paradise for all avid Instagrammers. Think marbled tables, rattan chairs, white cushions, stylish lamps and potted plants at every corner.

Coffee prices range from S$4+ for an Espresso, S$5.50+ for a Flat White to S$7+ for an Iced Mocha. Fynn’s Cafe uses roasted blends from Common Man Coffee Roasters.

The All-beef Burger (S$22+) is served with crisp seasoned shoestring fries. The burger comprises two fluffy sesame buttered buns, a juicy ground beef patty, pickled cucumber, onion rings, fresh tomatoes, romaine lettuce and melted gruyère cheese. A house made mildly spiced sauce is smeared over the beef.

Grain bowls are all the rage now and Fynn’s Café has a wholesome rendition on its weekday lunch menu. Try their Grilled Chicken Fried Wild Rice (S$19.50+)—fried rice is topped with generous portions of succulent grilled chicken, snow peas, edamame, pickled vegetables and egg.

The freshly baked cakes at Fynn’s Café are on a rotational basis and we had a Carrot Cake (S$11+). The palm-size circular carrot cake was covered in desiccated coconut and cream cheese frosting. Traces of real carrot are present throughout.

Fynn’s Cafe
26 Beach Road, #B1-21 South Beach Avenue,
Singapore 189768
Tel: +65 6384 1878
Tue to Fri: 9am – 10pm
Sat: 11am – 10pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Esplanade

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves travelling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all-time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

Outback Steakhouse, the largest steakhouse chain in the world, is a household name and its flagship store at Millenia Walk has been in Singapore since 2000. Known to serve reasonably-priced steaks and mains in a casual ambience with friendly service, Outback Steakhouse never goes out of fashion, and we really love its menu; it is much more comprehensive than we thought, and even if you are not a fan of steaks, you will be spoilt for choice with its array of mains. They have a fantastic range of cocktails as well! Martinis and Ribeye; how wonderful life is.

We swung by its newest outlet at orchardgateway, and sampled many signature dishes. Here are 10 things we love about Outback Steakhouse at orchardgateway.

SIRLOIN, RIBEYE, PRIME RIBS, NEW YORK STRIP… OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE IS A HEAVEN FOR STEAK LOVERS

Let’s just go straight to the point: steaks take center stage at Outback Steakhouse. From the well-marbled Ribeye (S$37.90/10oz) to slow-roasted Seasoned and Seared Prime Rib (S$37.90/10oz, S$39.90/12oz), and the much-loved Outback Special (S$27.90/6oz, S$31.90/10oz) – nothing disappointed and you would only wish you had more tummies to eat them all.

SPECIALITY CUTS AND COMBOS SECTION PROVIDES THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Having difficulty trying to decide on whether to have the steak or other savoury main courses such as the baby back ribs or Alice spring chicken? Why not have both? Under the Speciality Cuts & Combo section, you can have your favourite steak alongside one of Outback Steakhouse’s classic dishes.

The Steak & Ribs Combo (S$39.90) is perfect for gluttons like us. A 6oz signature sirloin with half a rack of baby back ribs and fries; life would be complete. We also enjoyed the Toowoomba Topped Sirloin (S$36.90) – a lovely seared sirloin with sautéed shrimp and button mushrooms tossed in a tomato and Parmesan creme sauce.

AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF NINE SIDE DISHES TO GO ALONG WITH THE STEAKS

All steak orders come with two sides, which you can choose from a list of nine that includes Corn on the Cob, Mashed Potatoes, Baked Potato, Aussie Fries, Rice Pilaf, Sweet Potato Fries, and the new Sweet Baked Potato with honey butter and cinnamon sugar. Yes, we know. Decision-making is not easy.

… AND EVER MORE APPETISERS TO CHOOSE FROM

Crispy Calamari (S$13.90), Crab Cakes (S$15.90), Spinach Artichoke Dip (S$13.90), Kookaburra Wings (S$9.90/half, S$14.90/full)… The appetisers selection at Outback Steakhouse is pretty damn amazing and nothing is crazily expensive.

One thing that you must not miss is the Typhoon Bloom (S$14.90) – a super tall stack of hand-cut onion strings fried till golden brown and served with Outback Steakhouse’s signature spicy bloom sauce. And the Spinach Artichoke Dip used to be on the Limited Time Offer menu only, but due to overwhelming response, it is now a mainstay!

Just remember to pace yourself and save room for desserts.

FANTASTIC LOCATION AT ORCHARDGATEWAY

One of the things that we like about Outback Steakhouse’s new outlet is the location. Not only is the restaurant centrally located in town, the space on the fourth floor of orchardgateway also comes with a good view overlooking the main Orchard Road.

The restaurant is brightly lit and airy in the day; it is a comfortable place where you can slow down your pace and enjoy a steak feast with your loved ones.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE IS MORE THAN JUST STEAKS

While Outback Steakhouse specialises in steaks, it also dishes out an array of main courses and seafood. Favourites include Alice Springs Chicken (S$25.90), BBQ Chicken (S$19.90/half), Grilled Pork Chops (S$24.90), Grilled Salmon (S$26.90), and Seafood Pasta (S$22.90). Even if you do not feel like having steak, there is always something new to try at Outback Steakhouse.

Our pick has got to be the Tilapia with Pure Lump Crab Meat (S$27.90). Fresh white fish accompanied with crab stuffing, and topped with a copious amount of sweet crab meat, complete with lemon butter Chablis sauce – seafood lovers, you know what to do now.

FINGERS LICKING GOOD BABY BACK RIBS

Outback Steakhouse’s Baby Back Ribs is a dish that will have us coming back again and again. Accompanied with fries, and drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce, the fork-tender Back Back Ribs (S$19.90/half, S$32.90/full) was sensational – we would gladly wolf down a whole rack on our own!

A LINEUP OF COCKTAILS MADE USING FRESH FRUITS AND JUICES

Beyond the range of steaks and savoury main courses, Outback Steakhouse also emphasises on serving good cocktails that are made at the bar using fresh fruits and juices.

There are too many choices on the cocktail menu, but we recommend Strawberry Basil Lemonade (S$13.90) – a refreshing blend of fresh strawberries and basil with house-made lemonade and Absolut® Citron Vodka; Watermelon Margarita (S$14.90) which combines fresh watermelon chunks, Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila, citrus juices; and Apple Mojito (S$12.90), a cheerful concoction of Bacardi silver rum, diced red apples, limes and mint.

KID’S MENU FOR THE LITTLE ONES

The little ones get to enjoy good food, too! The kid’s menu at Outback Steakhouse features choices like Kid’s Fish & Chips (S$9.90), Kid’s Burger (S$12.90), Kid’s Chicken Finger (S$9.90). Each selection comes with a free soda.

RICH, SINFUL AND DECADENT DESSERTS

Desserts at Outback Steakhouse are a meal on its own. We could not stop gushing about the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under (S$14.90) – a humongous dessert of pecan brownie topped with a huge scoop of ice cream. Drowned in warm chocolate sauce, this is one dessert to die for!

The Carrot Cake (S$9.90) also caught us by surprise. The light, cloud-like vanilla cream cheese icing that rested on the extremely moist carrot cake with pecan and coconut did not disappoint, not one bit. Actually, we might just go back for a serving of this amazing rendition.

On weekdays, Outback Steakhouse is offering value-for-money set lunches (Mon to Fri 11.30am – 5pm) starting from S$12.90 to S$22.90. Options include Black Pepper Steak, Grilled Fish Marsala, and Outback Special Sirloin. All lunch entrées are served with soup of the day and a glass of soda.

For more details, go to outback-sea.com and like Outback Steakhouse on Facebook and @Instagram.

Outback Steakhouse
#04-01 orchardgateway
277 Orchard Road
Tel: +65 6702 6842
Daily: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

This post is brought to you by Outback Steakhouse Singapore.

Breakfast is always a motivation to get out of bed, especially for weekends. While brunch is arguably Singaporean’s favourite meal of the day, and while I like my eggs, French toast and pancakes, I also love going to the hawker centres in the suburbs and neighbourhood for my local breakfast fix. In Singapore, we are really spoiled for choices when it comes to cheap and good hawker food.

Here are 7 of the cheapest Singapore’s local hawker breakfast options.

Kaya Toast

Old-schol bread toasted over traditional charcoal grill, with a generous spread of kaya (with soft-boiled eggs and a cup of kopi (coffee) is the quintessential Singaporean breakfast. This is probably the simplest, yet most satisfying and local breakfast cannot get any better than this. Most coffee shops serve a set for under S$2.50.

Carrot Cake

One of my favourite hawker food is Carrot Cake, also known as Chai Tow Kway. Not to be mistaken with the Western dessert, Singapore’s rendition is stir-fried radish cake with eggs, and it comes in either white or black (sweet soy sauce).

Chee Cheong Fun

Chee Cheong Fun is a Chinese dish of thin rice noodle roll which comes with a variety of fillings – like shrimp, char siew and beef. Or you can opt for the plain ones, which is doused in either sweet or chilli sauce, and topped with sesame seeds.

Chwee Kueh

Chwee Kueh, a type of steamed rice cake topped with diced preserved radish, is another popular local breakfast in Singapore. You can get a packet of four Chwee Kueh for S$1.20.

Economic Bee Hoon

This is one of the cheapest hawker breakfast. You can usually get a plate of economic bee hoon with one topping like fried egg or luncheon meat for S$2. It is affordable and very satisfying.

Nasi Lemak

There is the kind where you get to choose from an array of dishes and they charge accordingly, and there is the simplified breakfast version that is pre-packed in banana leaf with an assortment of ingredients, usually a generous serving of the fragrant rice that is cooked in coconut milk, together with roasted peanuts, deep-fried anchovies, fish and egg – all for under S$2.

Roti Prata

Another iconic Singapore breakfast staple is Roti Prata – an Indian flour-based pancake which comes with different fillings like cheese, onion, mushroom or egg. An Roti Prata ‘Kosong’ (no fillings) is less than S$1. Most people eat the prata by dipping it with curry, but we prefer to have it with sugar.

When it comes to cheap and good food in West of Singapore, the first place that comes to mind is definitely Bukit Timah Food Market & Hawker Centre. It is one of my usual hang-out places for local food as it’s only ten minutes away from my home.

It can be quite a daunting task when you are ordering food in hawker centres. Which stalls do we order from? Shall we flip a coin, judge by the number of newspaper cuttings, or simply look at the queue of each stall? If you are planning to make a trip to Bukit Timah Hawker Centre, I’ll like to share with you some of my favorite food there.

For those of you who have been reading my food blog for a while, I’m sure you know that Char Kway Teow is one of my favorite hawker food. I usually order it from Xin Heng Char Kway Teow (Stall 181) when I’m having dinner at Bukit Timah Food Centre. He Zhong Carrot Cake (Stall 185) is extremely famous for their white carrot cake. I very much prefer the sweet and eggy black carrot cake so I seldom order this unless my friends want to try it.

For Oyster omelette, avoid the one from Fried Carrot Cake Fried Oyster (Stall 145), the omelette was soggy and there was hardly any oyster. I can’t remember the name of the stall that I always order from — it’s in the same row as Xin Heng Char Kway Teow.

It’s always a good idea to eat at hawker centre with a group of friends (at least 4-5 people) so that you can order more food. Stall 156 BBQ Seafood offers a good variety of BBQ seafood like stir fried Lala clams, BBQ Stingray and sambal kangkong – great for sharing, but I can probably finish the excellent stingray on my own.

I have tried two of out three of the hokkien mee stalls in Bukit Timah Hawker Centre. On one occasion, we decided to try Fried Hokkien Mee (Stall 145) because of the long queue. Unfortunately, the hokkien mee was a total letdown, the sambal chili wasn’t spicy enough, and the taste of the noodles was subtle – bordering on bland. The second Hokkien Mee Stall is located in the middle row of the food centre and they use the distinctive flat yellow noodle. I’m going to try out the third stall (facing the main road) the next time round.

Peter Pan Western Food (Stall 133) has been around for some time, and they have value-for-money Western Food. Otherwise, there’s Tom Kitchen Western Food which is located near the stairs. Long House Popiah used to have a branch in Bukit Timah Hawker Centre, but on my recent visit, I realized that it’s not there anymore. Try the popiah and kueh pie tee from Stall 127 instead. There’s also the famous Satay bee hoon, Japanese food, and Thai Food stalls worth trying if you want something different.

If you are having breakfast at Bukit Timah Food Centre, be sure to order the Kway Chap from stall 138. There’s always a long queue when I go there during weekends. My mother is a big fan of the huge fishballs from Teochew Fishball noodle, (Stall 179) as well as the dark sauce wanton mee from Stall 197 Happy Wanton Noodle. To end the hawker feast on a sweet note, have the smooth beancurd and Tang Yuan (glutinous rice balls) from Soyako (Stall 166).

// Bukit Timah Food Market & Hawker Centre is within walking distance from Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, and Bukit Timah Plaza. For other options, there’s a stretch of eateries and restaurants at Cheong Chin Nam road, Chun Tin road and Lorong Kilat opposite Beauty World.

Singapore Hawker Food Review
Bukit Timah Food Centre
116 Upper Bukit Timah Road

Ah ma! Ah ma! I want another slice of that. The brownish-orange cake with the smooth cream frosting on top. What is that name again? Yes, carrot cake. Another slice please, before kor-kor comes back from school. Time passed, and ages caught up with us eventually. Ah ma is no longer as young as she was before. And the energy, effort put into making the kuehs, also diminished with every passing day.

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Coffee Bean’s carrot cake isn’t the best carrot cake that I’ve. But then again, I didn’t have that many before to compare it with. And yes, I know I haven’t try the legendary one from Cedele yet. Anyway, even though the cream frosting was generous, but the raisins were too much for my personal liking. And the No-study sign is a joke.

Coffee Bean & Tea leaf
1 Fifth Avenue
#01-01 Guthrie House