It’s time for vegetarians in Singapore to celebrate as the Gourmet Greens festival has begun. Running from 23rd – 29th Nov, this festival showcases some of Singapore’s best restaurants taking on an all-vegetarian menu. Priced at $30+(+) for lunch and $45+(+) for dinner, the variety of cuisines that can be tried as part of this week is commendable. After scanning through all the menus, we decided to try Luxe which is situated along the bustling Keong Saik Road. Luxe is a Sydney based cafe that has launched its first outlet in Singapore a few months ago. As we entered the restaurant, we noticed the long bar counter decorated with colorful bottles, Nordic stools, wooden chairs and warm lighting. Its nice to come here for special occasions or date nights. On weekdays, you can definitely enjoy a quiet meal here in peace.
The Orders
The orders were based on the Luxe ‘Gourmet Greens’ menu. It was a five-course meal with interesting options which would be served to you along with a bottle of Fiji water. Reservations are to be made via Chope and ‘Gourmet Greens’ option needs to mentioned during reservation.
Our first course was the ‘Parmesan doughnuts’ which came dusted with Parmesan shavings and Parmesan cream. This savoury finger food is as cheesy as it sounds. The cream acted as a good dip and the trademark taste of parmesan hits you in the end. This is a good starter and would pair perfectly with a cocktail.
There is a growing trend to make vegetarian food fun and the next dish is a perfect example of delicious food. As soon as the ‘Quinoa and Beetroot Falafels’ were served, the things I noticed immediately about the dish were the pearls of quinoa and the deep red colour of the falafels. The under-salted asparagus along with the minted yogurt lent great balance to the dish. The slightly dry but perfectly crisped falafels when dipped into the thick yogurt made a wholesome bite in the mouth. Full points to this dish, it was perfection!
It is tough to get good quality burrata cheese. Burrata is similar to mozzarella cheese but much more enriched in the center. This was an unique combination – ‘Burrata with Grilled Broccoli’ along with pickled cabbage. The broccoli was extremely fresh and green and suited the theme of Gourmet Greens. The cheese drizzled with olive oil was easy to spread and paired well with the veggies. Recommended.
Since I am neither a fan of mushrooms nor eggs, I asked for ‘Miso Mushroom rice’ without those ingredients. Since miso is quite polarizing in nature, the taste was quite alien to me and I could not enjoy it much. The sprinkled fried shallots and bokchoy were decent but the whole dish did not combine well for me.This could also be due to the fact that I am not used to having miso regularly.
The dessert course was very interesting. On the menu, were the ‘Pandan Madeleines’ served with kaya and coconut cream. Since the madeleines were not green in colour, I think there must have been some amount of pandan infused in it. The kaya mixes well with coconut cream and acts as a perfect base for the madeleines to be dipped in it before taking a bite. Not overly sweet, the madeleines were soft and nicely done.
It is absolutely encouraging to see a week focusing on vegetarian food and exploring variety of ingredients that deserve a mention. The entire list of participating restaurants can be found here http://www.chope.co/singapore-restaurants/pages/gourmetgreens
As far as Luxe is concerned – if you are looking for quality ingredients, good food, calm ambiance, good service and for the heart that is put into the food which is visible in the plate, do pay them a visit! And if you are a vegetarian or a foodie, go pay any of these restaurants a visit and celebrate good food!
| In a Nutshell | Deelightful Rating |
| Cuisine Type: Modern Australian | ★★★1/2 |
| Nearest MRT: Outram Park | |
| Address: 1 Keong Saik Road, #01-04 The Working Capitol, Singapore 089109 | |
| Timings: Tue-Fri: 11am – late; Sat: 9.30am – late; Sun: 9.30am – 4pm | |
| Website: http://luxesydney.sg/ |
Deelightfully Veg 