Vegan-friendly

vegan restaurants
Hrvst’s sourdough bread topped with house-made nut spread, tofu, and veggies

Located on the fifth level of OUE Downtown Gallery, Kilter Avenue is a fitness lifestyle space that boasts a studio gym and HRVST, a restaurant (it focuses on vegan fare) plus a bar. HRVST is helmed by head chefs Addis Tan and Dylan Choong, who have worked at Tippling Club, Esquina, and Cheek by Jowl prior to this.

The menu includes unique creations, some spiked with piquant Asian flavours. For instance, the starter of soya satay is seasoned with traditional spices and perfumed with lemongrass. The skewers are served with a mild peanut sauce, sweetened with gula melaka, as well as addictive veggie chips of lotus, zucchini and carrots. Another wholesome item is the beautifully plated “scallops” of king oyster mushroom, which share plate space with baby carrot and baby corn, alongside a bright spinach puree, garlic snow, and a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts and lemon zest.

A crowd-pleaser with a clever combination of flavours and textures is the sourdough (from Bread Yard); it’s slathered with smooth, creamy house-made nut butter spread made with almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts.

The bread is topped with a slab of orange-glazed grilled tofu (marinated overnight in orange juice before grilling, for a citrusy touch). Broccoli and cauliflower florets blanched in kelp stock add a welcome crunch, and the brightness from the pickled yellow zucchini ribbons balances the dish perfectly.

vegan restaurants
“Scallops” of king oyster mushroom, baby corn and spinach puree.

The chefs turn up the heat with the pumpkin gnocchi served with tom yam broth. Instead of seafood, corn is used to make the tom yam broth, and it’s thickened with coconut cream. The dish packs a punch, with just the right amount of heat and a hint of sweetness. And it is further heightened with coriander oil, shimeji, baby corn and Japanese cucumber ribbons.

Fruit-based desserts are thrown in for good measure. For instance, matcha ice cream is brightened with blood orange puree and poached plums. The rich ice cream is made of hand-churned coconut cream, subtly fused with matcha. After your meal, linger over a glass or two of New Zealand wine or a boutique gin at the bar on the open-air patio, next to the edible garden. HRVST is open for lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday, and brunch on Saturday.

Tel: 6920-7500 or go to www.kilteravenue.com/hrvst

Sustainable kitchen

Tuck into this salad composed of couscous, grapefruit, heirloom tomato, pomegranate, lettuce and creamy avocado dressing.
vegan restaurants
Complete your meal with chia seed and caramelised hazelnut pudding.

Taking over the former Glow at Level 2 of Hilton Singapore is Verde Kitchen. This modern and cosy spot is great for those who want to enjoy a quick nutritious lunch featuring natural, sustainable whole foods. Verde Kitchen’s dishes are made from scratch every day. All chicken and eggs are certified organic, free-range and lacto-free, and 60 per cent of the seafood served is sustainably sourced. Some of the fresh greens such as lettuce and nai bai come from the hotel’s vertical herb and vegetable garden, which produces up to 120kg per month for the hotel’s restaurants.

The generously portioned meals will fill you up, including the colourful salads. For a refreshing option, go for the salmon sashimi with pomelo, capsicum and red cabbage, dressed with yuzu soy. The salad of chickpea, bulgur and candied walnut is slightly more hefty, with its tiles of mildly salty grilled halloumi.

For mains, spice up your palate with the boldly flavoured Malay-style chicken curry with turmeric and coconut, accompanied by spicy organic okra and brown rice. The chicken farmed in Malaysia is bred without any antibiotics and growth hormones. To round off , sneak in a slice of flourless chocolate cake made with brown sugar and dark chocolate.

Tel: 6730-3397.

Going green

vegan restaurantsPete’s Place at Grand Hyatt recently rolled out its first vegan buffet. Fill up your plates with delicious plant-based creations.

Pete’s Place is mostly known for its hearty Italian pastas and pizzas. Now, this Italian trattoria has just launched a vegan buffet lunch. The menu is refreshed daily, so diners can look forward to new plant-based dishes every day. The spread includes items like sauteed organic vegetables, eggplant in tomato sauce, orecchiette with pumpkin, and wood-fired pizza with toppings like tomato, mushroom and olives. Even the baked items and desserts are plant-based. These heart-warming Italian favourites are available from Mondays to Saturdays, 12pm to 2.30pm

This year, Grand Hyatt will also see the introduction of more plant-driven meals across all restaurants; this is in line with the hotel’s vision to be more sustainable. The initiatives include using organic herbs and ingredients from the hotel’s rooftop gardens, organic greens from local farmers, and sustainable seafood produce.

It will also aim for 100 per cent conversion of food waste into pathogen-free organic fertilisers, and the in-house production of electricity.

Tel: 6738-1234 or go to http://singapore.grand.hyatt.com

This story first appeared on www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

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