Cheap Vegetarian Food At This Hidden Food Court Under Temple In Chinatown | Lunch With Us: Singapore

Key Concepts:

• Vegetarian cuisine
• Mock meat (soy-based, gluten-based)
• Buddhist values and vegetarianism
• Non-profit restaurant operation
• Affordable meals
• Hidden gem food court
• Tissue reservation culture (Singapore)

1. Location and Accessibility:

• The Leans Singh restaurant is located in the basement of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
• The restaurant was previously a hidden gem, but now has signage to make it easier to find.
• The location is about a 20-minute walk from the speakers' workplace.

2. Dining Experience and Menu:

• The menu changes daily.
• The restaurant offers a variety of vegetarian dishes, including sate bhun, vegetarian chicken drumstick, and pizza.
• The sate bhun is a vegetarian version of the traditional dish, using mock meat to replace pork and squid.
• The vegetarian chicken drumstick is made with malt and wrapped with "binkut skin" and minced meat.
• The pizza uses soy-based or gluten-free products to mimic ham, and dairy-free cheese made from soy milk or nuts.
• Dishes are affordable, with some items costing $1.20 each.

3. Mock Meat and Vegetarian Ingredients:

• The restaurant uses gluten and soy-based plant-based ingredients to create mock meats.
• They mimic the texture and taste of real meat, such as pork and squid.
• For vegetarian pasta sauce, garlic is substituted with ginger and herbs.
• Chickpea flour, tofu, ginger, and spices are used to replicate omelets.

4. Customer Profile and Popularity:

• The restaurant caters to a wide range of customers, from young children to the elderly.
• In the morning, the restaurant is frequented by elderly customers.
• In the afternoon, it is popular with office workers.
• Between 3 and 5 PM, tourists and elderly customers visit the restaurant.

5. Restaurant Operation and Mission:

• The restaurant is a non-profit organization.
• It is run by donations and operates on a deficit.
• The goal is to promote vegetarianism as a central value of Buddhism.
• The restaurant offers affordable meals, and sometimes provides free meals to those who cannot afford them.
• They encourage customers to donate to help sustain the restaurant.

6. Chef's Background and Innovation:

• The chef has 8 years of experience as an assistant chef in a hotel, specializing in Western fusion cuisine.
• The chef aims to keep the menu exciting and attract more people to vegetarianism.
• They use alternative ingredients and techniques to replicate familiar dishes without meat or dairy.

7. Personal Perspectives on Vegetarianism:

• One of the speakers has been vegetarian since childhood, following her mother's practice of being vegetarian on the first and 15th of every lunar month.
• She enjoys vegetarian food because she believes it is healthier and more ethical.
• Another speaker identifies as a "free thinker" and appreciates vegetarian food for its health benefits and ethical considerations.

8. Singaporean Culture:

• The practice of using tissues to reserve tables is a common Singaporean custom.
• "We kind of put our tissues here to reserve the table before we go and order our food."

9. Temple's Motivation:

• The temple opened the food court to promote vegetarianism as a central tenet of Buddhist values.
• "We want to try to promote our vegetarianism as a central to the Buddha values."

10. Conclusion:

• The Leans Singh restaurant offers affordable and innovative vegetarian cuisine in a unique setting.
• It operates as a non-profit organization with the goal of promoting vegetarianism and Buddhist values.
• The restaurant provides a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to enjoy delicious and ethical food.