Let it be known that I love vegetables but I AM NOT a vegetarian. Not a fan of mock meats or gluten, nor do I enjoy nibbling on rabbit food or cardboard flavoured with copious amounts of artificial seasoning. As for vegetarian restaurants, rarely have I patronized a vegetarian establishment more than once because I usually end up hungry AND thirsty after 2 hours. Even my husband avoids it by choice, especially when we have been carnivores all our lives. What can I say, old habits die hard.
Chef Low Organic Kitchen changed my mindset altogether. Its delicious vegetarian/organic dishes scored high on taste and nutrition, with lip smacking dishes which kept us full and satiated. As it is so tasty, we even willingly embraced its meat-free mantra with gusto, even if it’s just for that visit. The portions here are pretty huge so you can share. Another note of advice, come during the week as it is packed to the brim during weekends and it takes a while for your order to arrive. In the meantime, the boss is in the midst of expanding his business to the next shoplot to accommodate his growing clientele.
First and foremost, their signature Fruit Tea is a must. It comes in a pot filled with fresh apples, pears and orange slices swimming in a warm tea+juice combo, along with 2 small shot glasses. One sip and your tummy feels all warm and fuzzy with that fruity goodness. Feel free to eat the fruit slices for extra fibre.
For starters, we tried their Crystal Jade Roll which looked like delectable sushi rolls in a light batter. It’s actually beancurd skin stuffed with vege goodies, wrapped in seaweed and deep-fried to a nice crisp. The accompanying sweet lemon/orange sauce really complements the flavor of the roll. Perfect for popping into the mouth, we polished it in no time.
The Thai Fried vermicelli arrived as one mountain of a plate! Fresh julienned vegetables were piled on top of the noodles so it took us a while to come to grips with the portion. It tasted nothing like the pad thai I had in mind, but it had a really nice twist to it. Surprisingly, the fried noodles did not taste oily at all and it was nicely flavoured with a good balance of sweet, sour and salty. The fresh vegetables added a nice crunchy texture, so mix it well with the noodles.
The Herbal Mushrooms are a must have. It came wonderfully presented in a tear shaped bowl with plenty of fat shitake mushrooms swimming in a thick aromatic herbal broth. Having absorbed the herbal essence, the mushrooms oozes with flavor. I love the sweet wolfberries in the broth. It’s piping hot though so be careful not to burn your tongue!
"The vegetarians won me over!"
I ordered a side of bittergourd fried with mushrooms in a black bean sauce. There’s plenty of sauce to go with my brown rice. The bittergourd is flavourful enough but the mushrooms are a clear winner. It has slightly charred bits to it which reminds me of charsiew! Absolutely scrumptious, we gobbled every morsel.
Chef Low also offers western and Japanese inspired dishes. The Spicy Alfredo pasta is superb with the light yet creamy sauce redolent with herbs (I think it’s basil) and red chili flakes for extra heat. Just enough to spice it up without overpowering the entire dish. We slurped up the pasta with relish. As for the Japanese Wild Mushroom pasta, the taste is more subtle with hints of sweetness. It could do with more mushrooms though. The mushroom pizza is lovely and I especially enjoyed the thin crispy crust and melting cheese and mushrooms piled on top. Remember to devour it while it is hot!
As for dessert, the mango pudding was perfect! Sweet mango cubes and puree combined with white pudding jelly. It is not too sweet and quite refreshing on our palate. Their homemade ice cream was decent, the sesame ice cream was a tad icy while the green tea was creamier but I would have preferred it with a more bitter ocha flavor.
For health fanatics, Chef Low is a healthy alternative as the food tastes light yet fills you up nicely without that over-bloated feeling. I must say even after my gym workout, I felt no hunger pangs nor desire to snack. Chef Low stands out because it celebrates all things vegetarian in a naturally healthy and tasty way (using only organic products). Looking at their board specials and a myriad other yummies on the menu, I wouldn’t mind shunning meat since taste and portions more than make up for it. I hate to admit it but this time, the vegetarians have won me over!
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Correct hobie. 100% vegetarian with no garlic or onions
by Blurgal January 05, 2011 1:15PM
The name of the restaurant never mentioned anything about being vegetarian but just organic, they are vegetarian in actuality?
by hobie November 25, 2010 8:00PM
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