Zi Zai Vegetarian - Yishun

The Zi Zai 自在齋 chain of vegetarian eateries have totalled to four in Singapore, for this review I will be focusing on the Yishun outlet.  But, the other three are located in Tampines Avenue 4, Bendemeer Road, and Circuit Road.  Zi Zai is extremely well known throughout the vegetarian scene in Singapore, therefore it is really a crime that it has taken me to long to write about them.

Zi Zai Vegetarian
Location: #01-10, Block 236, Yishun Ring Road
Contact: 63654419
Opening Hours: Daily 7.30am - 9.45pm

Posted on the walls of this eatery are the precise locations of the other outlets, the opening time and their simple breakfast menu.  Other than the breakfast menu, there is also an extremely detailed menu (see below).  The range of options are quite vast, and thus took a lot of deliberation on my part, before deciding on what to order.  Moreover, on the right hand side of the eatery, there is a roti prata chef.  I must say, the roti prata served looked absolutely fantastic (made by an Indian chef).  Unfortunately though, the prata being served is not vegan (milk is used in the dough), so this poor vegan reviewer had to grind his teeth and resist the temptation of ordering.  Those that are not vegan, please order and let me know how good it is in the comments section.

The aforementioned breakfast menu is certainly where the best value dishes can be found.  Seemingly, the breakfast menu extends all the way into the evening, as the dishes were still available when I arrived later in the day.  The other menu has a wide selection of more elaborate dishes - But price wise, there is a steep incline.  Make sure to state whether you can consume eggs or not, as eggs are used in many of the default dishes.

First dish I sampled came from the more expensive menu, and it was Carrot Cake.  This dish comes in three sizes - I ordered the smallest.  The medium size costs $5 and the largest will set you back $7.  What I liked about this dish was the freshness that the raw coriander brought, and the sharpness of the chili sauce.  For the carrot cake itself though, I found it to be a little too dry, lacking in the juiciness and moisture that I come to expect from a good carrot cake.  Also I found the chunks to be a little too big in size.

Price: $3.50.     6/10

One of the breakfast dishes that seemed to be most popular amongst customers was the Wanton Mee. This dish has an abundance of ingredients, such as mushroom, mock ham slices, vegetables and wanton (of course).  All the ingredients tasted fresh, and I was pleased by the bouncy texture of the noodles.  Along side the main bowl, was a smaller bowl of herbal soup, which suited the dish nicely.  The glaring weakness, however, in this dish are the actual wantons.  The skin of the wantons were tough and stale in texture.  Probably one of the poorest versions of wanton I have had - This was such as pity, as the rest of the ingredients were perfect.

Price: $3.00.     7/10


Conclusion - This review has merely scratched the surface of Zi Zai.  There are plenty more dishes, and three other outlets that I have yet to try, so I don't want to leap to any opinion on Zi Zai, until I have also review the other outlets. For the two dishes that I sampled on this particular day, I found them to be average or (if I'm kind) slightly above average in quality.  I will do my best to seek out the other three Zi Zai outlets soon!

Overall Rating
Food - 6/10
Ambiance- 7/10
Service - 7/10
Value - 6/10