As an avid meat lover, I usually shy away from eating vegan or vegetarian food because I still prefer having some meat on my plate. But I’ve always been curious to try vegan-friendly versions of some meat-centric dishes, which was why I was eager to check out the newly revamped menu at Back to Eden.
You might be familiar with the cafe Curious Palette along Prinsep Street. Well, fun fact: Back to Eden is actually Curious Palette, but it’s just that they’ve silently revamped overnight. The current concept is a trailblazing plant-focused artisanal cafe and micro-bakery.
Being a plant-focused and vegan-friendly cafe, you can certainly expect to find some healthy juices made with fresh fruits, vegetables, oats, spices, and nuts. Of course we had to order the Green Smoothie (S$10.50) which had cucumber, frozen spinach, peanut butter, bananas, oat milk, and psyllium husk.
It’s no surprise that the drink tasted really green — probably not the best drink if you’re not a veggie lover as you might get little bits of spinach and cucumber.
For something less vegetal, you could try the Purple Smoothie (S$10.50) which had frozen mixed berries, rolled oats, oat milk, frozen bananas, and cinnamon. The banana taste really dominated the drink with a light cinnamon aftertaste.
If you love eating lotus root chips, you’ll absolutely love the Holy Chips (S$11.90) — no pun intended. The lotus root chips are paper thin and tossed in a house-made mala powder, served with a side of Lao Gan Ma mayo. What’s even more mind boggling is that the sauce is made entirely from scratch with vegan-friendly ingredients, yet it tasted so much like the real deal
I wouldn’t consider myself an avid king oyster mushroom fan but I fell in love with the Oyster Mushroom Berempah (S$11.90). The mushrooms are coated in ‘kakak’s secret berempah recipe’ — which is a mix of herbs and spices — then deep-fried with curry leaves and paired with a creamy and herby lime mayo dip.
It was savoury, tangy and oh so addictive. Somehow the flavour and texture reminded me of fried calamari rings.
Another dish that blew me away was the Roasted Roma Tomato Soup (S$19.90) which was sweet and tangy. If you’re getting this, add on the cheese toastie to give the dish a slightly savoury touch.
The cheese is also made in-house with no dairy but really has the texture of cheese — mind blowing. My only gripe is that I wish the tomato soup was less sweet. But then again, this is testament to how fresh their ingredients are!
Before heading down to Back to Eden, I saw loads of posts raving about their Rosti (S$21.90) and the Shakshuka (S$18.90), so I definitely had to try them for myself. On one hand, the shakshuka was a little too nutty for my liking — maybe because I’m used to the meat version of the dish.
The rosti on the other hand, was hands down one of the best rosti I’ve ever had. It was fried to a golden brown with the perfect crunch. It paired perfectly with the house-made sour cream, spinach and tomato. I was totally taken aback by the “scrambled egg” substitute which was made from soy but tasted so much like egg mayo! You have to try this when time you visit.
Other dishes on the menu include the Roasted Butternut Squash (S$13.90) which features super tender and thick chunks of roasted maple-glazed butternut squash with a vibrant pink beet hummus. And no, this dish is not inspired by Barbie.
Have you tried vegan-friendly waffles? Well, I tried them for the first time at Back to Eden. The Whole Wheat Buttermylk Waffle (S$14.90) was light and fluffy with more of a cake-like texture rather than your regular waffle texture. The waffle was paired with fresh fruits (of course) and drizzled with maple syrup for a sweet and sour mix.
Having tasted the unique dishes here, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m a convert. But, I can safely say that I will certainly be back to explore the other offerings on the menu — and definitely get my hands on more of the oyster mushrooms!
Are you looking for hearty vegan food in Singapore? You know where to head to!
Back to Eden
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???? 64 Prinsep Street, Singapore 188667
???? 9am—5pm (Daily)
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