Best vegetarian in Singapore?

It’s hard to answer that question as this is still the only strictly vegetarian restaurant we’ve dined at in Singapore But according to Time Out Singapore, Original Sin was 2008′s Best Vegetarian Restaurant.

Original Sin is located in one of our favorite areas of Singapore – Chip Bee Gardens on Jalan Merah Saga, Holland Village.

The restaurant has a relaxing outdoor seating area in a lush, garden area. Inside the restaurant is equally charming with decoration that is colorful but not overwhelming.

The menu is more or less meditaranean fare. The ingredients are high quality and the chefs prepare the food with a high level of precision.

I’ve enjoyed the Daily Special Pumpkin Risotto on both my visits. The Risotto is creamy and the pumpkin is perfectly cooked. I’m scared to order anything else here as I worry it won’t be as good and I’ll be disapointed

On our last visit to Original Sin we tried the Mezza Platter. It was a win across the board… hummus was great, pita was fresh, and all the flavors worked really well together. They have a larger size meant for two and I’d turn up just to share this as a meal.

We asked our server for the restaurant’s “signature dish” and she recommended the skewers. Unfortunately they weren’t as flavorful as we thought they could have been and were a bit dry. They were OK, but not great. On our last visit Joanna and Allexia both ordered this and were enviously eyeing my Pumpkin Risotto through the meal

All in all Original Sin is a great restaurant. It’s comfy and not stuffy…just a relaxing meal on a really nice street. It’s a perfect lunch or dinner spot when visiting the Merah Saga area and a must visit for any veggie food lovers in Singapore.

Original Sin
43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-62 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6475 5605

Every time we go to the area known as Chip Bee Gardens on Jalan Merah Saga we make a new discovery…With a bevy of lovely little restaurants, gourmet food stores, art galleries, bakeries and cool specialty kitchen / baking supply stores, one can spend a whole afternoon puttering around. And we often do!

A destination in and of itself, here are some of our favorites on Jalan Merah Saga.

Original Sin (Pictured Above)
A wonderful vegetarian place that’s perfect for an alfresco lunch or dinner. Paul loves the pumpkin risotto. Also they often have credit card promotions to be sure to ask if there are any current promotional offers.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-62 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6475 5605

(Click Here for Our Original Sin Review)

NEW! The Daily Scoop
The Daily Scoop features over 40 flavors of ice cream – some traditional (strawberry and chocolate and the like), but what really excited us were the creative, gourmet flavor combinations like none we had seen before in Singapore. There was Lychee Martini, Utterly Avocado, Ginger Crumble (with crystallized ginger and gingersnaps), Durian, Wasabi Mango, Green Tea & Red Bean, Hei! Sesame and more.
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The Daily Scoop
43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-78 Chip Bee Gardens
(Another location at 41 Sunset Way, #01-04 Clementi Arcade)
Telephone: +65 6475 3128

La Fromagerie
From Julien Bompard, a brand new and cute-as-a-button cheese shop in French rustic farmhouse style. Endless arrays of cheeses and cheese-loving accouterments are available, with a small but well-edited selection of wines. And if you are inclined and have time, sit and try the cheese tasting or fondue menus.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-64 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6732 6269

Da Paolo Dolci
A bakery and dessert offshoot of the famous Italian restaurant (dolci = desserts in Italiano) offering lovely little sweet treats – try the tiramisu.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-68 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6479 0336

Da Paolo La Terrazza
The eponymous Italian eatery’s other outlet for Italian food. Although frankly we would recommend the Da Paolo Pizza Bar over La Terazza – it’s a little more fun and festive but ultimately your choice depends on what kind of mood you are in.
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44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-56 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6476 1332

Da Paolo Pizza Bar
Yet another offering from Da Paolo, but this time with an emphasis on thin crust Italian pizza. As mentioned above it’s a little more fun and festive as it is continuously busy, seemingly at all times of day. Eat on the terrace if it is not too hot. This was voted best pizza by Time Out in 2008.
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44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-46 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6476 6059

NEW! Yakiniku Nagomiya
I’ll be honest, we’ve never eaten here…it’s brand new. The menu offers classic Japanese charcoal BBQ . Please write in and let us know if you have tried it and how it went.
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44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-52 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6285 0368

NEW! Mai Thai Restaurant
Updated in Sept…..Just last weekend we noticed a new face on Jalan Merah Saga. A Thai restaurant!  A quick perusal of the menu shows my favorite dish Kra Pow Gai (chicken with chillies and basil). Being former residents of Bangkok we will surely try this and report back to you.

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44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-58 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6474 3108

Michelangelo’s
A bit more on the formal side…than say Da Paolo Pizza. Great for a special occasion or date. Upscale Italian at upscale prices. But for more accessible prices, again here often there are credit card promotions, so do ask your server so as not to miss out on a good deal.
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44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-60 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6475 9069

Bunalun
Very precious food stuffs at very precious prices. I love the simple graphic packaging. Check out the chef prepared meals and deli offerings.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-70 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6472 0870

Bistro Petit Salut
Dining with some French friends at a French restaurant is always tricky – will it ever come close to authentic? In this case Bistro Petit Salut stood its ground. Paul and I really enjoyed the steak for two. Plus they also often offer good value set menus.
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44 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-54 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6472 0870

Pantry Magic
Very lovely kitchenstuffs for home chefs – from silicone bakeware to grilling supplies to hard to find international cookbooks, they have it all.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-80 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6471 0566

Shermay’s Cooking School
Tucked away upstairs is a cooking school with a well-edited gift shop. Here you can take cooking classes and attend demonstrations on everything from Asian cuisine (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Singaporean, etc) to Western cuisine (French, Italian) to Baking (Pastries, Cupcakes, Chocolate, etc). $69 – 129 SGD / class.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
#03-64 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6479 8442

Block 43 Studio
Near Shermay’s Cooking School you can also attend art classes, workshops and artist’s lectures in topics ranging from Creative Photography to Portrait Drawing to to Abstract Paining to Fine Arts Appreciation.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6471 1359

The Butcher

There’s a wide variety of high quality meats at this old fashioned style butcher. Plus they have a wide array of bbq sauces, spices, and everything else you need. Even if you’re not a perfect backyard grill master, they’re on hand and equipped to steer you in the right direction. But if you don’t feel like cooking there are a number of prepared ready-to-eat meals available. We tried the Indian curry meal and it was stunningly good for pre-made food. Check the website for home delivery options if you don’t feel like driving out.
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44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-50
Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 64720073

Phoon Huat
From frozen fruit pie fillings to carton-shaped baking pans to cake decorating supplies to spices to countless varieties of flours and sugars….if you need it for baking, it is here. Look no further for baking supplies. Beyond that, the prices are super reasonable…better than the supermarket actually!
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Blk 44, Jalan Merah Saga, #01-48
Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6471 5250

The Sloane Clinic
If all the decadent food stuffs on Jalan Merah Saga have had their way with your figure, then you might want to check out Sloan Clinic medical spa. From antiaging solutions to acne treatments to figure slimmers, there is an extensive offering. I personally have never visited Sloan Clinic, but I will say they have been around for 7 years. And 7 years in a business this trendy, with medi-spa’s opening up on every corner every week, longevity probably means something.
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43 Jalan Merah Saga
#01-66 Chip Bee Gardens
Telephone: +65 6471 1108

All Breeds Pet Store
Actually we discovered this street during a visit to the pet store where we got Mischa the cat. They are super nice here…and really patient (it took us many visits to decide!). So whether you are looking for a puppy or kitten or already have pets and need supplies, we definitely recommend All Breeds Pets. Plus if you join as a VIP, you can get a 10% discount on purchases.
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44 Jln Merah Saga #01-44
Telephone: +65 6471 1108