Singapore wowed us in so many ways. Mike had been before, but when we visited in September 2022 it was my first time there and I really fell in love with the city. It's a place that I'd recommend to everyone, but especially as the gateway to your trip around Southeast Asia - I totally understand why people with a long layover at the airport take a trip into the city!
It's somewhere that feels so safe and clean and modern, but with so much history at its heart. It was amazing to see the old merchant buildings along the bay, with the impossibly tall skyscrapers just behind them. The way that the old and the new melt together is just like the fusion of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences that combine to make Singaporean culture and (most importantly to us), Singaporean cuisine.
Singapore has several national dishes (check out our blogs on vegan chicken rice, chilli crab and laksa) that are a nod to its past, but are still widely eaten today too. Eating is a social activity and street food is big here, almost as big as the Hawker Centres that you'll find all over the city. I was a little daunted by Hawker Centres at first - think a warehouse full of food stalls: it's noisy, it's hard to know what to do, it can be difficult to find a table, and in some of the larger ones it's pretty easy to get lost too - but I really came to love them. Where else can you get such an incredible range of different foods, to suit every mood and appetite, for such a cheap price?
Eating Vegan in Singapore
"At least when it comes to food, there's no snobbery in Singapore." – Kevin Kwan
Of course, it is more difficult when it comes to eating vegan in Singapore, but it is by no means impossible. We found plenty of plant-based options on offer, with more and more popping up as time goes on. Watch our video and read our recommendations below to check out our favourite places to get vegan food in Singapore.
1st: Greendot
13 restaurants across Singapore
We visited Greendot primarily for our Vegan Laksa video and blog and were really impressed by the food we were served, the speed in which our food was prepared, and the friendliness of the team there.
Our laksa tasted amazing (though the vegan seafood wasn't quite to our taste) - it was really spicy, filling and indulgent. We had some gyozas on the side too, which were hands down the most flavoursome gyozas I've ever had.
Their menu has so much choice, from the noodle dishes like we had to bento boxes, wraps, soups and stir fries, with loads of vegan choices when it comes to drinks too. They use a range of meat substitutes including tofu, mushrooms, and konnyaku which are really realistic and will satisfy even your meat-eating friends.
Greendot have thirteen restaurants around Singapore so there's sure to be one near you; their menu is fully vegetarian with loads of clearly marked vegan options. The restaurants are comfortable and casual, and the prices are very reasonable too; they even do considerable student and senior citizen discounts if you bring your ID with you!
2nd: Lotus Vegetarian
103 Irrawaddy Rd, #02-07 Royal Square@Novena, Singapore 329566
We got our very first taste of Singapore's national dish, chicken rice, in plant-based form at Lotus Vegetarian and will always remember just how delicious it was. Check out our full Vegan Chicken Rice blog here. Their vegan chicken was made to their own recipe and honestly it was incredible: tender, flavoursome, and really good for you. Their dishes are so beautifully presented and though they're more expensive than other options we think it's really worth it.
As well as the Signature Veg Chicken Rice, they have a really comprehensive menu that includes lots of different meat substitutes: imitation salmon, chicken, pork and more. The restaurant is fully vegetarian (they also have no alcohol, onion or garlic in their food), with most dishes being vegan too - the staff are friendly and helpful, so it's easy enough to double check that your meal will be fully vegan upon ordering.
Lotus's restaurant is honestly so tranquil and pretty, we really enjoyed spending time there. Make sure to take note of their opening hours if you're heading over though, we found them a little unusual, as they close for certain portions of the day. If you're in a hurry the great news is that Lotus do takeaway and delivery too - though we really recommend visiting their pretty restaurant for the full experience, you're sure to get a really tasty meal if you're eating on the go too.
3rd: VeganBurg
44 Jln Eunos, Singapore 419502
I know, I know, vegan burgers again?!
But trust me, VeganBurg's food is really worth it, and different to the standard plant-based burgers that we've all been served time after time. We actually first tried VeganBurg for their Chilli Krab burger - an award-winning twist on Singapore's traditional Chilli Crab delicacy. Read our Vegan Chilli Crab blog here. This was our best way to get our hands on a vegan version of the dish, and we were really impressed at the way that they recreated crab in a vegan burger. The flavours were so tasty, and the burger was clearly made with love and attention.
This place is fully vegan with a wide range of burger options to suit whatever you fancy: from spicy or satay burgers to imitation fish and beef - they even have a vegan egg that you can add to your burger! They have tonnes of side dishes (broccoli for the health conscious, loaded fries for the not-so-much) and desserts including brownies, cookies, cakes, and my personal favourite: vegan soft serve ice cream!
VeganBurg have got one restaurant in Singapore (they do have a branch in San Fransisco too, but you can't get the Singaporean specials there). It's a little out of the centre, but it is easy enough to reach via the island's excellent public transport network. The prices are a little high (in fact, this was the most expensive meal we ate in Singapore) but these burgers were really special. The sign outside even claims that it is Paul McCartney's favourite fast food place (who knew?)
4th: Pu Xiang Vegetarian
Chinatown Point, 335 Smith St, #02-144, Singapore 050335
There are lots of vegetarian hawker stalls within Singapore's famous hawker centres, we really recommend having a wander round one for the full experience. We went to Pu Xiang Vegetarian within Chinatown Point and had an amazing buffet meal for a really cheap price!
Pu Xiang is a vegetarian stall but when we visited everything was vegan: the woman running the stall was super helpful and friendly and talked us through all the options, explaining how she makes all the dishes (including the wide range of mock meats) from scratch every morning. There was so much choice and you can choose as many dishes as you like, served with either noodles or rice; our hearty plates cost S$3.50 each, with the maximum for an enormous portion being around S$5.
In terms of taste and value for money, you really can't go wrong with this vegetarian hawker stall. Once you've got your plate of food you simply take it to any table in the centre, tuck in, then leave your plate on a cart. The plates are numbered, so the staff will return it to the right place! Pu Xiang don't serve drinks, but there are plenty of stalls that do for a tiny sum; you also need to make sure you head to the stall early if you have your heart set on their food, since it is possible that the dishes will sell out!
Which is your favourite vegan restaurant or food stall in Singapore? Are there any new places or old favourites that we've missed? Leave us a comment to let us know (and others who might be visiting too!)
Recommendations
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Where should I stay?
For modern and well-equipped private rooms near the CBD, check out ST Signature Tanjong Pagar - they even offer morning and evening Yoga sessions!
For a really conveniently located, modern hostel with single and double pods, self-check in, linens, and orthopaedic mattresses, Dream Lodge gets excellent reviews!
Tours & Experiences
Singapore is a stunning city full of so much culture and history - but it's pretty big too! This Historical Singapore Bike Tour shows off some of Singapore's most famous sights - including the Formula 1 route, the river, and Marina Bay Sands - on a 12km journey. Or if that's not quite for you, why not try one of the top-rated Viator tours below?
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