Vegetarian Era - Hougang

Since my first review of Vegetarian Era (Hougang), there has been massive changes.  Now the stall has ready made dishes available, along with a host of brand new made to order dishes.  For those that adored the previous dishes, fear not, dishes such as pumpkin mee java and lor mee are still available.  I can't hide my disappointment that my beloved Hainanese beef noodle is gone, but I refuse linger onto that misery for long - Let us move onwards and upwards, and see how good the newly renovated menu is...


Vegetarian Era
Location: Blk 805, Yong Soon Coffee Shop
Contact: 96109123
Opening Hours: Daily 10.00am - 9.00pm

CLOSED DOWN - As of 15/04/2013

Along with having a glorious new menu, Vegetarian Era is also venturing more deeply into the world of social media.  The official Vegetarian Era facebook page is here, those wanting more regular updates on the status of Vegetarian Era should 'like' the page.  Pictured to the left is a brief look at the ready made dishes on offer.  Henry Wang is especially skilled in vegan sauce making, hence many of the ready dishes are cooked in a sauce.  All the food on offer at Vegetarian Era is egg, dairy, meat, onion and garlic free.  Thus, completely 100% vegan.

For this review, I will be focusing chiefly on the new inclusions to the Hougang menu, starting with the Ipoh Curry Mee.  Upon sampling this dish, it would be easy to mistakenly relate it to laksa.  However, the nuances in this iphoh curry are quite different from laksa.  Firstly, the flavour undertone is distinctly nutty, which is extremely delicious.  Secondly, this dish is lacking the sharp spicy bite that laksa typically has.  Considering I am not a big chilli fanatic, I certainly prefer this dish.  The ingredients inside include beansprouts, tau kwa, tau pok and tau ke.  A rich dish, which is not too overwhelming, nor too spicy.

Price: $3.00.    9/10

Since the menu overhaul happened, this Fuzhou Mee Pok has been incredibly popular with customers.  Some customers may bemoan about the lack of vinegar inside, however, it is vital to acknowledge that traditional Fuzhou style mee pok does not include vinegar.  The mock fish balls are exceptionally unique, with there being a minced meat stuffing inside each ball.  The texture of the noodles was perfect, with them being very firm and bouncy. This dish is also served with a kelp based soup.  Kelp is an ingredient (due to its cost) that will seldom be used in a side dish, so make sure to take the soup with this dish.  This mee pok is one my personal favourites, that I've gobbled up countless times already.

Price: $3.00.     9/10

The next dish is the Hainanese Traditional Curry Rice.  This dish was concocted as a hybrid of Western and Peranakan cuisine here in Singapore, and it is wonderful to see a vegetarian version now available.  The highlight of this dish is the pork chop, which is not too greasy or salty.  It is light and packed with flavour, with a moreish crunchy crust. As Chef Henry is a sauce expert, I had high expectations of the curry sauce, and luckily it didn't disappoint.  It is quite a mild curry, that has the richness that almost resembles a Japanese style curry.  The other ingredients on the plate were all cooked well, and worked in harmony with each other.

Price: $3.00.     9/10

Without a doubt, the star attraction from the menu change is this Hainanese Traditional Herbal Soup.  This dish review marks one of the rare occasions where I am struggling for words to describe the flavour of this soup.  The sensation one gets when consuming this soup is a very refreshing and cleansing one.  The herbal flavour is definitely present, but neither too subtle nor overwhelming.  The ingredients swimming majestically inside are sliced ginger, tau ke (dried beancurd sheets), coriander, tau pok, black fungus and mushroom stem mock mutton.  The flavour of this soup really left me speechless.  Instead of attempting to explain, I suggest it would be better for you to haul yourself down to Hougang and taste it yourself - You won't regret making the journey.

Price: $5.50.     10/10


Conclusion - My biggest gripe with Singapore vegetarian food is almost all vegetarian stalls in Singapore are selling virtually the same thing.  The same dishes, cooked in the same way, with little imagination or creativity.  The reason why I am so excited and impressed with Vegetarian Era is because these dishes bring a completely new and refreshing approaching to vegan food in Singapore.  I especially recommend the herbal soup, but all dishes were exceptional in their own right.  If you don't visit Vegetarian Era, then you are really missing out on some of the best vegan dishes that Singapore has to offer.

Overall Rating
Food - 10/10
Ambiance- 8/10
Service - 9/10
Value - 10/10