Tag Archives: Chinese Vegetarian

Time’s Vege – Near Bukit Batok Bus Interchange

The latest addition to the vegetarian scene in the west side of Singapore is Time’s Vege which is conveniently located near Bukit Batok bus interchange and MRT. It is heartening to see a restaurant with sprawling space that can easily seat 100-120 people. On the second floor of the restaurant, there is more seating with wooden tables, paintings and some interesting decor. Both, the decor and menu strikingly reminded me of D’life and later I got to know that Time’s Vege belongs to the same management. I visited the restaurant on a weekend at around 2 PM for lunch and it was quite empty and the service was fast. But I have heard from a few people that during peak hours, the restaurant is full and the waiting times are much longer.

The Orders
The menu is elaborate and has a lot of options in the form of soups, vegetables, noodles, greens and set meals. The two most important things to note while ordering here are – their portion sizes are huge and to specify ‘no eggs’ while placing the order in case you don’t consume eggs.

Times Vege menu

Times Vege menu page one


Times Vege menu

Times Vege menu page two


One of my favourite things to order at this restaurant is the ‘Tom Yam Soup’ which is a great start to the meal because it is extremely flavourful. The soup comes in 3 sizes – Small, Medium Large. We ordered the small version and found that the quantity can easily be shared by 2 pax. The soup was filled with veggies and the broth was delicious. It pairs well with plain rice.
Tom Yam Soup

Tom Yam Soup at $5


For an accompaniment in the form of a snack, we ordered the Longevity Veg Roll which added the necessary crunch to the meal. This dish is nicely crispy and reminded me of fritters and the dip served alongside aligns well with the overall taste. Highly recommended.
Longevity Veg Roll

Longevity Veg Roll at $7


We also tried the quintessential simple dish that pairs Rice with Gravy and Vegetables. It might taste a little under-salted and bland for some but with addition of some salt and chilli sauce, this dish got fixed for us. If you don’t consume eggs, ensure that you don’t notice crumbled eggs floating on the top in this dish. We noticed it and they readily exchanged it. (Hence better to mention before placing an order)
Rice with gravy and vegetables

Rice with gravy and vegetables at $4.5


To spin a refreshing twist to your meal, they have quite a few beverage options. We tried the Ice Lemon juice which served the purpose of gentle relief to beat the heat.
Ice lemon juice

Ice lemon juice at $3.9


On the whole, the restaurant offers decent and tasty vegetarian options at affordable prices. Its an useful option for those residing or visiting the area in the West side of Singapore. They only accept cash in terms of payment.

In a Nutshell Deelightful Rating
Cuisine Type: Chinese Vegetarian ★★★
Nearest MRT: Bukit Batok
Address: Blk 643 Bukit Batok Central, #01-44, Singapore 650643
Timings: Mon-Sun: 10am – 10pm
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Bikanervala Singapore – Changi Airport Terminal 3

Its no mean feat that Changi Airport has been considered to be the best airport in the world consistently. It is the global hub for most flights passing through the SEA region and has a steady stream of travelers and tourists frequenting its space. So its imperative for it to have a wide variety of dining options that suit different cultures. Adding its flavour to the newly opened dining joints in Changi Airport Terminal 3 is Bikanervala , a fully vegetarian restaurant serving all types of Indian cuisine. Operating under new management, the restaurant has amped up its presentability aspect in terms of its huge seating space, warm lighting, a mithai (sweets) counter and a snacks corner. It has a distinguishable red sign that cannot be missed as you walk towards the corner of the viewing mall from where you can also see the flights land and take off. The fact that it is open 24*7 also makes it convenient in case you are a vegetarian and looking for eating options at Changi Airport.

Bikanervala Changi

Bikanervala Changi Airport T3


Mithai counter at Bikanervala

Mithai counter at Bikanervala

The Orders
Bikarnervala is an Indian homegrown chain that has an international presence and a standardized global menu. The same menu has been launched in Singapore and it has a lot of variety in terms of subsets of Indian cuisine – North Indian, South Indian and Indian Chinese. So basically you’ll get to taste the diversity of Indian cuisine at fairly affordable prices.

Bikanervala is famous for its chaats globally and hence we tried their recommended dish, the ‘Raj Kachori’. Let me tell you that its a royal treat – both in terms of presentation and taste. Kachoris are fried cakes of refined flour stuffed with lentils and yogurt and topped with mint and dates sauce. The tangy and sweet flavours blend beautifully in this dish and is meant to be eaten hot – so eat this tasty appetizer before the outer shell starts getting soft and soggy.

Raj Kachori

Raj Kachori at $6.5


Since we are fans of North Indian food, we tried the ‘Chole Bhature’. The chole (chickpeas) were made with authentic spices and turned out to be delicious. The bhature which are the puffed and fried version of Indian bread were non-greasy and did not lose their fluffiness for the entire course of the meal and that was really good. Highly recommended.
Chhole Bhature

Chhole Bhature at $9.5


For lunch and dinner, they also have thalis and combo meals on their menu. We tried their ‘Deluxe Thali’ which had so many items in the right portion sizes that it is worthy of being called a meal. The first thing that caught my attention was the plate that was used for serving. The compartmentalized plate was spot-on as it helps in segregating the dry and gravy items with great convenience and hence you don’t find yourself struggling for space on the plate. In their Deluxe Thali, they serve Paneer, Dal Makhani, Veg of the Day, Raita, Pulao, Naan, Laccha Paratha, Papad, salad, pickle and sweet. Most of the items were tasty but the notable ones were the Dal Makhani, Pulao and the Paratha. This veg thali is ideal if you want to eat a decent portion size before catching a flight.
Deluxe thali

Deluxe thali at $14.5


Ever since Ananda Bhavan closed at Changi, one does miss the availability of popular South Indian dishes like idlis and dosas at the airport. Because of the extensive options at Bikanervala, you’ll find those standard items here now. The dosa was crisp and nice and the sambhar was well-seasoned. They also have mini-utappams and vadas that are good for breakfast or as snacks. The South Indian items are definitely good but overall I preferred their North Indian items since that is their forte and they have a better grasp on the authentic taste in that genre.
Dosa idli and vada

Dosa idli and vada with sambhar


To combat the humidity in Singapore, a refreshing glass of ‘Mango Lassi’ never fails. The yogurt based drink acted as an effective thirst quencher and was not overly sweet. The taste of alphonso mango in the drink was authentic and we liked it.
Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi


They have a mind-boggling assortment of sweets that can be had a la carte or conveniently packaged and taken home. They also have mithai boxes that are suitable for gifting. After putting in some thought, we tried the Kaju Roll (Rose), Rasmalai and Lamba Jamun. I have to say that their Rasmalai is outstanding with its perfectly chilled badam pista sauce and great texture of the malai. Do not miss it if you are here! In the Kaju Roll, the rose with cashews was an interesting combination to taste and it also had a substantial amount of pistachios to add some more texture. And if you are fan of the jamuns in sweets, then I preferred the Lamba Jamun to the Kala Jamun here. This place is a Mecca for Indian sweet lovers!
Mithai at Bikanervala

L to R: Rose Kaju Roll, Rasmalai, Lamba Jamun


Since it’s mainly Indian cuisine, if you are a vegan, you will find some items that cater to your dietary requirements and some that can be customized. This space is quite well-done and suitable for large groups. If you work in the East, you can also head here for team lunches. Their in-house ‘Bikano’ snacks are available here and so are their specialty items. We picked up a box of ‘Achari Mathri’ which is a teatime snack and it was very good. For enticing your taste buds with authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine, for its convenience of location, for its friendly service and for its astounding variety in Indian sweets, Bikanervala at Changi airport is a must-visit. Here’s hoping that the quality of food remains consistent at this restaurant as it was during this meal.

In a Nutshell Deelightful Rating
Cuisine Type: Indian ★★★★
Nearest MRT: Changi Airport
Address: Changi Airport, Terminal 3, Viewing Mall Level 4
Timings: Mon-Sun: 24 hrs
Website: https://www.facebook.com/bikanervalaSG/

D’life Bistro and Cafe – Beauty World

There is a consistent eatery boom in Singapore. With addition of new stations and MRT lines, this trend is bound to continue. ‘Beauty World’ is one such MRT station on the Downtown Line which has a flock of eateries outside every exit. The hawker centers and the food stalls are brimming with hungry foodies. Having said that, it’s not everyday that you get to see a fully vegetarian restaurant at a stone’s throw from the MRT! I am glad that the new outlet of D’Life Bistro and Cafe has opened in this area. D’life serves lacto-ovo vegetarian food without onion, garlic, leek, chives and shallots. It is nice to see a spacious restaurant neatly done in an old school neighborhood and striving to achieve the balance by serving good food at decent prices.
balance

The Orders
They have a comprehensive menu with a lot of variety in dishes using Chinese vegetables – a lot of greens, yam, bitter gourd, broccoli, mushrooms, okra, eggplant, etc. They also have decent options for vegans. Overall, please note that the portion sizes are extremely generous at this restaurant.

For starters, we decided to try the ‘Vegetarian Satay’ thinking that it could be paired with the rice. From the taste, I think they had made firm tofu into thin, workable strips which were skewered and cooked to a gentle brown colour. The peanut satay sauce served alongside was good but the quantity was too much for the thin satay sticks. Overall, this was a decent offering.

Veg Satay

Veg Satay


Soups provide comfort in rainy weather and also if you are nursing the early stages of sore throat. So I ordered the ‘Tom Yam Soup’ and I must say I was not at all disappointed. The important part of a soup is the liquid base and this was a thin watery version filled with loads of veggies and had a sightly herbal flavour. All the veggies (including the okra) were fully cooked and well-seasoned and it pairs well with rice. For those who are familiar with South Indian cuisine, this broth reminded me of Rasam with a lot of veggies. The quantity can easily serve 3-4 pax.
tom yam soup

tom yam soup


I also tried the ‘Assam Laksa’. This version lacks coconut milk, and instead uses clear vegetable stock as the base. It comes with noodles, tofu, vegetables and pieces of pineapple. It’s quite different from the laksa I usually order, but no less tasty for that. If you are in the mood for a normal version, they have that on the menu as well.
Assam Laksa

Assam Laksa


‘Veg Fried Rice’ is the most simple dish to cook but it is important not to make it mushy. The rice grains were separate and had appropriate amount of veggies making it a good dish. If you do not eat eggs, please ensure to tell that while ordering the dish (which I did). The rice tasted nice when paired with the Tom Yam broth along with the satay to munch.
Veg fried rice

Veg fried rice


Chun Tin Road has turned out to be a dining enclave with affordable eats and it is heartening to see that it hosts a vegetarian restaurant. Overall, the food is good – cooked in Chinese wok-style flavours. The restaurant is spacious and can accommodate large groups of people. But it would be great if the service staff understand dietary requirements and are aware of explaining the dish in case queries are asked.

In a Nutshell Deelightful Rating
Cuisine Type: Chinese ★★★
Nearest MRT: Beauty World (Exit B)
Address: 6 Chun Tin Road, Singapore 599593
Timings: Mon-Sun: 10am – 10pm