5 Best Vegan Restaurants in Singapore To Try
Singapore is a hidden gem for travel and some of the best vegan food spots in the world, many at surprisingly cheap prices. Check out this list of some hotspots you need to try.
Singapore is one of the most modern and attractive cities in Southeast Asia. Located south of Malaysia, this city country is famously known for its stunning architecture and an amazing airport.
Much of Singapore’s food culture is influenced by neighboring Malaysia as well as surrounding countries of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and China.
This unique fusion of cultures has resulted in Singapore’s Peranakan cuisine, which places a huge influence on the local vegan food scene. But certainly, there are also western influences and English is the nation’s primary language.
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you might know that I spent a month traveling throughout South East Asia, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
My trip began and ended in Singapore, giving me the chance to try (and revisit) what became my favorite spots for vegan eats.
Vegan food in Singapore is widely available which makes for a great foodie travel adventure. I’ll be sharing with you where to eat vegan in Singapore and why you should put Singapore on your travel bucket list.
1. Vegan Bowl
Vegan Bowl was the first place I stopped when I arrived in Singapore, after ending an exhausting 3-day long journey from Jamaica. With time to spare and before heading to my host, I immediately opened Google Maps and searched for vegan-friendly places to eat around Singapore.
Tucked in a side street off South Bridge Road, Vegan Bowl is a small restaurant shop serving Chinese and Japanese-style rice and noodle bowls, all with a side of miso soup. The menu has a small selection of items with each priced at less than 10 SGD (about 7 USD as of writing this).
I decided to go with the Kung Pao Monkeyhead Mushroom Rice Bowl, particularly because I’ve never tried those kinds of mushrooms before, despite not being the biggest fan of monkeys.
But boy I’m glad I did! That bowl was incredibly delicious and full of tender, meaty mushrooms with crisp veggies. I wish I could have another right now!
If rice isn’t your thing, they also have comforting soup or noodle bowls. Vegan Bowl had initially set the bar high for me for vegan food in Singapore. But there were lots more deliciousness to come!
Location: 3 Pickering Street #01-39, China Square Central, Singapore
2. Hawker Centres
If you are looking for super cheap vegan food in Singapore without the frills and fuss, by all means check out the local hawker centres. They are huge open-air food courts, located almost everywhere in Singapore. They are a multi-cultural hub full of restaurants selling food at ridiculously cheap prices.
The vegan-friendly shops weren’t exactly easy to find on my own using Google Maps as they aren’t always listed. I highly recommend connecting with a local who can tell or even show you the best spots for the cheapest food in Singapore.
I got this combo right here at a vegetarian food stand, hidden at the back of a hawker centre, nearby my place of stay. My host, who wasn’t vegetarian herself, happened to find this place one day when a vegetarian friend was visiting. And luckily, once more for me because this food was so tasty!
The food stand had various delicious vegan options laid out buffet style. I was in such awe that I pretty much said “yes” to everything the server was pointing at – as much as she was willing to pile on!
What I got was a combo that included rice, noodles, cabbage, 2 types of tofu (one was cooked with peanuts in a delicious sweet sauce), broccoli and mushrooms with some spicy red chili sauce on the side. So much yum! And all for a grand total of 6 SGD (about 4 USD!).
Locations: Various around Singapore. This particular hawker centre was across from Clementi Station (sorry, can’t remember the name of the food stand).
3. NomVnom
NomVnom is the answer to any bad vegetarian burger you’ve ever had. This place is certainly high on the list for the best vegan food in Singapore. They have quite a number of vegan burgers to choose from and they are out of this world!
I tried the Tempeh Rendang Burger which was incredibly delicious! It features a juicy, marinated tempeh patty topped with a flavorful Toon Rendang curry which was spicy and well-seasoned with traditional Malaysian and Indonesian spices.
For sides, I tried the Goro Balls which were light and crispy potato croquettes flavored with curry leaves. They also offer vegan desserts but selections change periodically.
I tried the coffee ice-cream made from chickpeas (Yea, I said that right). I’ll admit, I was being adventurous at the time but glad I was! It was so creamy and so good with no noticeable chickpea flavor.
I visited the Clark Quay location which provided a beautiful view of the Singapore River, making dining in an amazing experience. This was one of the places I was determined to revisit. On my second trip to Singapore, I went back to NomVnom straight from the airport, suitcase in tow.
Locations:
- Clark Quay – 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #03-105/106/107
- Tai Seng – 18 Tai Seng Street #B1-02
4. Smoocht by Brownice
I went a long way to try this place (about 45 mins from my host’s place) but it was well worth it!
Smoocht serves up signature flavors of their creamy vegan ice cream made from rice milk. I recommend skipping the cone and bowl on this one as they’ll serve the ice cream atop the most delicious homemade brownies or Belgian waffles.
I tried the Matcha Green Tea R’ice-cream flavor with Belgian waffles. They were heavenly! The waffles were huge, crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside.
The ice cream was perfectly creamy with a mild green tea flavor. It was such a satisfying treat.
Other unique ice cream flavors included Black Sesame, Sky Coconut and Chocolate Hazel.
Locations:
- Sing Ming – 8 Sin Ming Road #01-03
- Jurong East – 319 Jurong East Street 31 #01-58
5. Whole Earth
Whole Earth is another high-end type of vegan restaurant that is totally worth visiting. This place sits at the top of my list as serving the best vegan food in Singapore. I was actually invited to Whole Earth for lunch by my friend and Singapore local Natasha Goh.
I can’t put into words how exceptionally good the food was! Whole Earth prides itself in making high-quality, plant-based versions of authentic Peranakan and Thai cuisines.
Natasha did not hesitate to let me try some of their popular items. It was hard to choose one favorite but here were my top 3 in no particular order:
Penang Rendang
Their take on Rendang curry that is uniquely made from shiitake mushrooms, marinated in Peranakan herbs and spices and cooked to tender perfection.
Fried Oyster Mushrooms
These will let you forget any kind of meat nuggets you’ve ever had in your life. Spicy, flavorful and oh so crispy, these mushrooms were so enjoyable to eat!
They were served with a sweet chill sauce which was a bit too sweet for my tastes. The mushrooms were excellent on their own anyway.
Fried Rice
I tried both the OX Rice, which was their take on a Singaporean classic and the Olive Rice. Both were superb! Best fried rice I’ve had!
Although Whole Earth was the priciest of all the restaurants I’ve tried in Singapore the serving size for each dish was enough for two. Don’t pass this place up if you get the chance.
I’ve managed to visit twice during my trip. Actually, thinking about it now makes me want to get back on a plane to Singapore just so I could try it again.
Location: 76 Peck Seah St
And there you have it! My list of the best places for vegan food and travel in Singapore! Of course, there were other restaurants I didn’t have enough time to try but if you did feel free to let me know!
Stay tuned for my next travel adventure. Come find me on Instagram and Pinterest and sign up for my newsletter for new post updates!
Also check out this Asian-inspired recipe: Easy Teriyaki Chickpeas with Super Crispy Brussels Sprouts