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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Brand-new dishes unveiled at Greendot, Singapore

[Media Invite]

So, if you have been a loyal blog reader, you may remember that I have reviewed Greendot on the blog before. I had been there with a friend and we came back high on all things green.

Greendot is an asian-fusion vegetarian casual eatery. It was founded in 2011 with the mission to make healthy meat-free meals convenient, accessible and affordable to the masses. By using fresh ingredients and adopting cooking methods that preserve the natural goodness of the ingredients, the restaurant does justice to its healthy eating reputation. Greendot aims to modernize and revolutionize the vegetarian food industry by providing a plant-based, nutritious and convenient alternative to diners when compared to greasy run-of-the-mill fast food.

I recently received an invite to sample the brand-new dishes unveiled by Greendot (available exclusively at the Paya Lebar and VivoCity outlets).

The outlet I visited was the one at Paya Lebar and sits smack in the middle of Paya Lebar Square. The restaurant has an open kitchen concept that overlooks a minimalistic, bright and clean dining area with earthy tones. There are two seating areas, one inside the restaurant and the other located just outside giving diners a full view of the mall.

As with the rest of their menu, the new dishes do not contain any MSG or artificial preservatives. The four main ingredients that take centre stage in these dishes are: lion’s mane mushroom, konnyaku, soya and broccoli. Serving up to three persons, each dish is touted to be colorful, appetizing and wholesome.

First up, we were served the Osmanthus Jelly Drink. Chilled, sweet and refreshing, this is a drink I enjoyed.

Next, we were offered some of the regular crowd-pleasers that are served at the restaurant. I heartily dug into the brown rice and the three sides that was served alongside it. My favourites were the Lion Mane Mushroom Rendang and Stir-Fried Spicy Eggplant.

Yummy.

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The Hotpot Set arrived at the table looking very hearty and nourishing indeed. We were 6 at the table and the portion seemed huge. The soup base that we had chosen was herbal which was fragrant and invigorating. The hotpot consisted of 3 type of mushrooms (shiitake, enoki and shimeji), lettuce, broccoli and konnyaku prawns among other things.

The Herbal Lion’s Mane Mushroom stars the premium medicinal mushroom doused in Greendot’s best-selling herbal soup. For the uninitiated, the Lion’s Mane Mushroom dates back several hundreds of years in China, Japan and Korea and was cultivated for medicinal use. With its meaty and tender texture, and a sweet taste likened to shrimp or lobster, it is a healthy and tasty alternative to meat. The texture and flavour of the mushrooms couples with the crunchy and vibrant vegetables were a total win-win.

Go for it!

The Sweet & Sour Crispy Nuggets made from soya chunks looked the best of them all. The crunchy soya chunks are drenched in a moreish, robust sauce and then tossed with capsicum, cucumber and pineapple slices for a delectable crunch and explosion of flavours.

Recommended.

A healthy indulgence at Greendot is the Golden Mango Yogurt Konnyaku. The jelly like tasteless Konnyaku made from the konjac plant is high in fibre and low in calories. This guilt-free dish consists of Konnyaku coated with a secret-recipe batter, and then drizzled with a tangy mango-yoghurt sauce. The scattered fresh mango dices also offer elements of sweetness.

I must admit, I am not a huge fan of Konnyaku but I did like this dish. The mango-yoghurt sauce took it up several notches.

Finally, we ended the meal with the Broccoli with Creamy Pumpkin Puree. Both broccoli and pumpkin have a broad nutritional profile. The pumpkin is first boiled with homemade vegetable sauce, and then blended to make puree. Next, the broccoli is stir-fried to crunchiness and placed on the freshly-prepared pumpkin puree.

I loved the texture of the broccoli. It was crunchy yet cooked through which is not always easy to get right. Even though, individually, I like both vegetables, the broccoli-pumpkin combination did not appeal to me that much. The dish was too bland for my palate.

So there you have it - A round-up of the new dishes offered by Greendot.

If you feel the need to eat green and clean, you must check out Greendot if you haven't already done so. The restaurant's passion towards making vegetarian food appealing to diners is infectious and whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or a meat-eater, you will find something to please your taste buds.

The relaxed ambience, menu options, service and affordable pricing all add on to the positive dining experience.

Thank you Greendot for the kind invitation. I look forward to be back someday with my family in tow.