A couple of weeks ago… a friend called up to ask if I knew of any “All-vegetarian” non-Indian cuisine options around… When I recommended a few she came back with, “But most of them serve non-veg too right? Cannot work… my in-laws are visiting and they won’t go to restaurants that serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.” That was tricky. I have come across a few all vegetarian restaurants… but not too many.

Thus began my search for all vegetarian restaurants around the city. And before long I came across, “Original Sin”. One of the few all-vegetarian restaurants that could, I suppose, fall in the fine-dining category as well. So last weekend, we met up with a couple of “Vegetarian” friends… and headed down for a vegetarian treat.

Located a minutes’ walk from Holland Village MRT, Original Sin resides in a quiet by-lanes which has loads of relaxed eateries around (its at Chip Bee Gardens).

The restaurant is nice and spacious… The bright orange coloured chairs, give a bright and cheerful feel to the overall ambiance.

The tables are covered with crisp white table cloth (which as days pass I feel is becoming a rarity. They have a small bar, an almost open kitchen and the overall feel of the place is quite welcoming.

It has a large alfresco seating as well, allowing for a leisurely meal, especially on good weather days.

Coming to food, they do not really have “a” cuisine… and is quite a mixed bag. From Italian, to Tandoors to Mediterranean, it’s a wonderful farrago giving the vegetarians a really wide choice.

This is what we tried:

Starter:

[1] Mezze Platter: There are two sizes to the platter. A starter size (S$ 22) and a Mains (S$ 30). The Middle Eastern platter comes with a selection of dips. The hummus (chick pea dip) was nice and really smooth… which was nice, but I prefer the hummus to be slightly less blended… personal choice. Leaving the texture, the hummus was quite tasty. I loved the sweet pumpkin and carrot dip… it was really unique and surprisingly went well with the bread. Eggplant baba ganoush was just as good, But the hero of the platter was the Yogurt tzatziki (which is a cucumber, garlic dip), cool and refreshing. The Falafal balls were nice and crispy, but just like I have a complain about quite a few other falafals, this one too had just bare minimum salt… The pita was nice and soft… making it a perfect dish to share.

Mains:

[1] Moussaka: The baked char-grilled eggplant and the lentils were perfectly cooked. The addition of potato and tomatoes with fresh greens and a nicely flavoured white sauce with middle eastern spices made for a nice balanced main.

[2] Porcini: I personally find the dish really bland, but, that’s because I am quite addicted to chillies. Having said that, the egg tagliatelle (pasta that has egg), with porcini and button mushrooms and light brown onions, were served in thyme induced white wine cream and parmesan sauce… was nicely made… and the little kid at the table enjoyed it too! It’s actually perfect for kids… for the bland yet flavoured sauce may suit their palates better.

[3] Vegetable Tandoori: I was surprised this dish was a part of the mains. The tandoors are usually best served as starters. Either ways, the chargrilled button mushroom, okra, brinjal, capsicum, onion and tofu (there’s no paneer here) marinated in masala and spices is served with served with mango chutney and rice. The rice I thought was not really fitted too well as a part of the dish, because it became too dry… but the rest was good. Nicely cooked, well spiced and went well with the tangy, sweet mango chutney. While, the spread of veggies was nice, I would not recommend this dish as a mains… it’s good enough as a starter and can be shared.

[4] Lasagna: I do not usually try a vegetarian lasagna, for the meat one suffices my palate better… but I was surprised at the lasagna served. Well made, beautifully baked, the cheese melted just right, the tomato sauce nicely blended (and yes I added chilli flakes… cannot help it). But by itself, the dish was nice and well balanced, and I would definitely recommend it.

How much will it cost me: The meal for 4 cost us approximately S$ 135 (all inclusive). The restaurant is not meant for casual cheap vegetarian dining, and is probably one of the costliest vegetarian restaurants around.

Verdict: Bright and shiny vegetarian place, it has a lot of variety to offer vegetarians who otherwise might at times get a raw deal… Their spread of options is good, and quality of the food is good too (however, I wouldn’t call all of the dishes we tried outstanding, some were, but not all). It is expensive, yes, and comes as close to vegetarian fine dining as you can possibly get (the price definitely makes it a complete fine dining option). It’s a good place to entertain, especially if you are looking at vegetarian options. Probably the only thing I almost completely disliked was the sulky faces of the serving staff. I do not know if they were having a bad day, but almost everyone seemed abrupt, unsmiling and in a hurry. That definitely left a bitter taste. Having said that, it’s a good place to hang out during the weekend meal. I liked the place and so did my companions. (Thanks Tushar and Himani for a lovely afternoon… ). Given the limited “All-vegetarian” fine dining options around, this place is a good pick. It gets really crowded for lunch weekends (we reached really early so we were lucky), so reservation is recommended.

Address: Blk 43 #01-62 Jalan Merah Saga Holland Village, Chip Bee Gardens Singapore 278115

Website: http://www.originalsin.com.sg/

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Tagged: Cook, Home, Indian cuisine, Lasagne, Lifestyle Choices, Mediterranean, Original Sin, Restaurant, Vegetarianism