Lotus Kitchen @ Chinatown Point ~ Contemporary Vegetarian Restaurant With Yummy Meatless Food!

Lotus Kitchen, the 80-seater contemporary vegetarian restaurant that is prominently located on the ground level of Chinatown Point (right at Chinatown mrt station, NE4/DT19- exit E), is hard to miss.

The wide variety of meat-free Chinese cuisine and local favorites that it serves are not to be missed too.

We learned that the team behind Lotus Kitchen is actually from the well-established Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant (at Quality Hotel) that is best known for their vegetarian buffet, so I guess there is a certain quality assurance from years of accumulated experience. True enough, our recent dinner at Lotus Kitchen proved to be delicious and satisfying.

Being a casual dining concept, Lotus Kitchen spots a no-frills and brightly-lit modern interior. It's suitable for a quick meal, and we especially like the semi-private area which is ideal for bigger groups and family gatherings.

The menu boasts of over 50 items ranging from made-to-order dim sum to handmade noodles and stir-fried dishes, prepared using natural premium ingredients and herbs such as lion's mane mushrooms, cordyceps flower, burdock and sugarcane sprout imported from Taiwan.

We started off with one of the signature dim sum: Lion's Mane Mushroom Pan-Fried Dumpling ($8.80 for 6pcs).

Lion's mane mushroom is a premium ingredient commonly used as a healthier and vegetarian substitute to meat. In this case, it also provided a very satisfying chew to the dumplings. However, we wished that the dumpling skin was pan-fried longer for better crisp.

Taro Mee Sua Cake ($6.80 for 6pcs) is a brilliant combination of the typical pan-fried taro and mee sua cake. The thin wheat noodle is mixed with yam paste, shaped into fritters and deep-fried to golden brown crunchiness on the outer.

The inclusion of mee sua into the yam paste lightens this dish up in terms of texture and density. I found myself indulging in multiple pieces without feeling heavy on the tummy.

Signature Double-boiled Herbal Tian Ma Soup ($8.80), brewed with over 10 herbs and pearl mushrooms, was both nourishing and robust in flavors. Great for warming up the stomach too!

Another signature, Crispy Summer Wrap with Passionfruit ($35.80) was also another crowd favorite at our table. Taking its inspiration from Peking Duck, the way to enjoy the dish is to wrap the crispy soy slices, julienned carrots, cucumber, turnip and passionfruit with homemade sweet bean paste in thin pancake before sending the delightful parcel into the mouth.

This dish is certainly a must try at Lotus Kitchen.

We could easily see the inspiration behind a couple of dishes too, such as the Homemade Satay ($15.80) made of soya slices and completed with fragrant satay sauce, as well as Braised Mushroom in Hot Stone Pot ($18.80) which reminded us of "sanbei chicken" with basil leaves.

Spicy Grilled Oat Slices in Hotplate ($18.80) looked like sambal fish at initial glance! The patty is made using natural ingredients such as oats and soya, and had an interesting sponge-like texture. Love the specially-blended chili which oomphed the dish with a fiery kick, while a good squeeze of lime added some tanginess!

These dishes are so so so perfect with rice!

For lovers of laksa, you may want to give the Stir-fried Laksa ($9.80) a try.

While this vegetarian version does not have the quintessential "hum", it did not lose out in terms of overall flavors at all. The laksa gravy was intense and coated the thick bee hoon with a rich, piquant flavor. Instead of laksa leaves, it is topped with tasty bits of seaweed creating an unique seafood profile to it.

We ended with Pumpkin Paste with Purple Rice ($6.80) and Lotus Yam Paste with Purple Rice ($6.80) for desserts.

A vegetarian meal can sometimes feel heavy if it overdoses on the use of flour and starch to recreate texture of meat, but there is no such issues here at Lotus Kitchen. Though we indulged in quite a number of dishes, the meal did not gave us the surfeit after-feel.

While I'm not a vegetarian, I can see myself coming back to Lotus Kitchen for their meatless creations more often. Its accessible location and reasonable pricing are added draw to the quality food.

Lotus Kitchen
Address: 133 New Bridge Road, Chinatown Point #01-01/02, Singapore 059413
Contact: +65 6538 1068
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LotusVegetarian/
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 11.30am-3pm & 5.30pm-10pm

Prices are stated in Singapore dollars and subject to 10% service charge & 7% GST. Information is correct at point of published date.

* Written by BFF, a guy who is desperately trying to find a balance while lost in the world of sights, sound and taste.
* Edited with additional inputs by PinkyPiggu
* Photos by PinkyPiggu

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