Pano Kato is a Greek Mediterranean restaurant located inside the House of Anli, which is a furniture store. While it serves meat dishes, there is also a huge variety of vegan or vegetarian offerings that are clearly marked out on the menu, so there is no confusion.

Try out its creamy vegetarian burrata or house-made vegetarian dips for a fantastic appetiser. Then, move on to the sumptuous mains such as the crispy Greek quiche and grilled halloumi.

Pano Kato Grill, Pizza & Deli, 163, 02-23 Tanglin Road, Tanglin Mall, S(247933), +65 65930387

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Tucked away in the middle of Bukit Timah is the Living Cafe, a cosy space that specialises in organic produce that is free from preservatives, refined sugar, dairy or red meat. The owners firmly believe in health and well-being, which makes this a perfect spot to have your Vesak Day feast.

For a hearty and wholesome meal, check out the creamy vegan dahl with sweet potato and curry leaf coconut chutney. If you prefer to eat cleaner, go for the tempeh Buddha bowl loaded with sweet potato, crunchy purple cabbage, avocado and housemade kimchi. 

The Living Cafe, 779 Bukit Timah Road, S(269758), +65 97359404

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Little Farms is known for being part grocery store and part cafe. The chefs use fresh produce and all-natural ingredients in all their dishes, and offer an extensive menu of vegetarian and vegan creations.

Check out their crunchy and healthy tempeh salads or their vegetarian baked beans for a tasty treat over the public holiday.

Little Farms, 451 Joo Chiat Road, 01-01, S(427664), +65 6797 8771

Afterglow is a quiet and peaceful café that serves an entirely plant-based menu. Its food is free from refined sugar, eggs, artificial sweeteners and dairy and the culinary team makes almost everything from scratch. 

This Vesak Day, stay healthy by enjoying some of their delicious meals such as the crunchy avocado kimchi rolls and lentil flaxseed nuggets. If you want more, their cauliflower steak with sweet potato mash will hit the spot. 

Afterglow is also famous for its delicious and healthy desserts, such as acai bowls and raw 'cheese' cakes. Make sure you grab one while you're there.

Afterglow, 4 Keong Saik Road, S(089131), +65 6224 8921

Just like its name suggests, Real Food is all about providing its consumers with real food that is vegan and gluten-free.

Try its sweet pumpkin pancakes, which come with mashed organic pumpkin, seasonal fruits and a berry coulis for a sweet treat in the morning.

If you are looking for something more savoury, the scrambled tofu with broccoli comes with gluten-free sourdough toast and is the perfect meal to complete your day. 

Real Food, 26 Beach Road, B1-19 South Beach Avenue, S(189768), +65 6384 2206

This vegetarian restaurant is easy to miss, tucked as it is in the far corner of the Rail Mall at Upper Bukit Timah. You’ll be rewarded, however, once you find it. Serving up primarily Chinese food like a spicy Sichuan boiled fish or mapo beancurd, you’ll also find local delights like laksa or mutton rendang—all made with mock meat, cooked perfectly in a way that resists the common accusation of its inferiority.

By far the most exciting item on the menu, however, is the mala xiang guo that is truthfully one of the best in Singapore. It’s beautifully umami with a rounded, complex flavour, filled to the brim with vegetables, mock meats, and an array of mushrooms—sucking out the mala sauce from the tendrils of a monkey head mushroom is one of the greatest, simplest pleasures in life. 

Green on Earth, 386 Upper Bukit Timah Road, S(678043), +65 6769 2230

There’s no end to the Korean food craze in Singapore, and if you’re vegetarian, Daehwa will take care of your needs. The sister restaurant of the Boneless Kitchen, Daehwa prioritises sustainability and ethical sourcing in its plant-based menu. 

Feast on classics like the bibimbap, made with fresh vegetables like zucchini, carrots and mushrooms, or a classic kimchi jjigae made with house-made fermented kimchi. But if you’re looking for something more herbal, go for the samgyetang, a delicious ginseng chicken stew that’s usually eaten in Korean summers to fight the heat.

Daehwa, 1 Fusionopolis Place, 01-35 Galaxis, S(138522), +65 6254 8446

Singapore’s first and only Thai-Peranakan restaurant, Whole Earth seeks to uplift humble vegetables, legumes, and mushrooms with Thai and Peranakan cooking techniques—a philosophy that earned it a Michelin Bib Gourmand award from 2016 to 2022.

You’d expect an explosion of flavours when you hear Thai and Peranakan cuisine in the same breath, and you won’t be disappointed with offerings like the Penang rendang, using marinated shiitake mushrooms with Peranakan spices that’s just as filling as its meat version, as well as the Sawadee Larb, a minced meat dish using plant-based Omni meat and cooked with Thai basil and sauces. For a true centrepiece, opt for the handmade yam treasure ring, where hearty vegetables like lily bulb, capsicum, king abalone mushroom and celery are surrounded by a crispy ring of yam. 

Whole Earth, 76 Peck Seah Street, S(079331), +65 6221 6583

If you’re looking for hearty, authentic Indonesian food, head down to Warung Ijo on Beach Road which serves up vegetarian, allium-free Indonesian fare. The gulai fish, for instance, is a sumptuous coconut curry topped with vegan fish and mixed vegetables, perfect for spooning on rice—as is the lontong sayur, made with home-made rice cakes. If you’re more into noodles, the mee soto is the perfect remedy, made with a deliciously savoury broth and best accompanied by bango (Indonesian sweet sauce) and lime and green chilli. 

Warung Ijo, 337 Beach Road, S(199565), +65 8857 8600

This story was originally published on May 25, 2021, and updated on May 25, 2023. Additional reporting by Ethan Kan.

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