7 Places In Singapore Where You Can Be Vegetarian And Still Have a Burger
Once upon a time, if you were a vegetarian with meat-loving makan kakis who wanted to pig out on burgers on Friday night, well, you simply stayed home. These days, cafes and restaurants (even the ones more famous for their meat dishes) have vegetarian burgers, with some even offering vegan options sans onions and garlic.
1. Mezza9, Grand Hyatt Singapore
When the Mezza9 folks first introduced Beyond Burger to Singapore – out of a food truck in August last year (2018) – they probably didn’t expect that there would be long queues of curious and excited diners waiting to wolf down hundreds of burgers. After all, Singaporeans usually queue for bubble tea or 4D tickets at confirmed-huat locations, right?
But guess Bill Gates and Leonard DiCaprio were right in investing in Beyond Burger, a 100 per cent plant-based (and also gluten-free and soy-free) burger patty that looks and tastes just like a real beef patty. Now a mainstay on the Mezza9 menu, the plant-based burgers are available as the Classic Cheese Burger which uses vegan cheddar and even vegan mayo.
There’s also the Modern Asian Burger, a corn bun tucked with an Asian slaw, picked daikon and ginger and sriracha. And to further lessen the guilt factor, the burgers come with sides like cauliflower and broccoli.
Mezza9, Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road
Find out more here.
2. VeganBurg
Don’t bring your carnivore friends into this one. One of the pioneering vegan burger joints in town, they serve burgers with appetising names like Char-grilled Satay, Creamy Shrooms and Hawaiian Teriyaki. And all of them are vegan. Soy patties are used, alongside fresh vegetables and special sauces. And like any good ol’ fast food restaurant, they offer yummy sides here, such as seaweed fries and broccoli.
VeganBurg, 44 Jalan Eunos
Find out more here.
3. NomVNom
Founded by a long-time vegetarian, this is the place for meatless burgers with an Asian twist. For instance, Umi Teriyaki is made with a seaweed soy patty, mushrooms and Japanese teriyaki sauce, while Tempelicious has chilli padi sauce (yes!) on a marinated tempeh patty. There’s even Otah Otah which is a spicy seaweed soy patty. And if you want to score even more points with your doctor, the homemade buns at NomVNom are steamed, not fried. You’ll also like how eating vegetarian does not have to be expensive. Burgers here are about $10 and less.
NomVNom, 18 Tai Seng Street, #B1-02, and Central Clarke Quay, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street #B1-44
Find out more here.
4. The Living Café
Started by a nutritionist, The Living Café serves burgers with sides of sweet potato wedges and coleslaw. There are a couple of vegetarian options here, like the Quinoa Veggie and the Sesame Tofu. If you are still feeling peckish, they also specialise in raw food here: think a zucchini pesto pasta and a “cheese” burger made with macadamia cheese.
The Living Café, 779 Bukit Timah Road
Find out more here.
5. Omakase Burger
Because you can get bored eating the same chickpea patty or portobello mushroom burger every other day, the nice people here actually rotate the choice of vegetarian burger. Check in store for details.
Omakase Burger, 181 Orchard Road, #04-23 Orchard Central
Find out more here.
6. Café Salivation
Calling themselves the first Western vegetarian café in Little India, Café Salivation has two meatless burgers on its menu. They can remove the cheese from any of these if you are vegan. What’s interesting: the Paneer Burger with a spiced cottage cheese and potato patty.
Café Salivation, 176 Race Course Road
Find out more here.
7. Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, Marina Bay Sands
If you live on Instagram, you would have swiped up on posts showing juicy meat burgers and ginormous milkshakes from this American brand. But even Black Tap, which prides itself on serving the all-American luncheonette experience, has a couple of vegetarian options such as The Falafel Burger (great if you love hummus, Greek feta and chickpeas) and The Impossible All American. Still too unhealthy for your arteries? There’s the House-made Falafel Burger Salad. It’s a bun-less burger. Hurrah.
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Ave
Find out more here.
